Prisoner can’t pursue religious protection claims over forced haircut

By Grace Barbic gbarbic@lawbulletinmedia.com

Posted July 27, 2023 12:16 PM

A federal appeals court won’t rule on a prisoner’s lawsuit claiming his religious rights were violated when he was forced to remove his dreadlocks.In a written opinion Wednesday, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review Thomas Walker’s Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) claim against prison officials involved in cutting his hair, finding that he abandoned the claim in the district court.RLUIPA is a federal law that prohibits the imposition of burdens on the …

To Read the Full Story

Your source for legal news and information

Print & Digital Access

Stay in the know all year long with these benefits:

Delivery to your office in downtown Chicago or mailed outside our hand-delivery zone.
Unlimited access to chicagolawbulletin.com.
Access to our e-edition and mobile site.
Breaking news alerts, Morning Lineup and Afternoon Headlines.
Exclusive access to events, discounts and more.

Order now, or call 312-644-2394 or email Subscription@LawBulletinMedia.com for details.

Be in the know. These must-read insider briefings will keep you

informed of the latest legal developments in Chicago. Sign up today!

High-stakes antitrust case against Google wraps up

Google’s preeminence as an internet search engine is an illegal monopoly propped up by more than $20 billion spent each year by the tech giant to lock out competition, Justice Department lawyers argued at the closings of a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit.
By Matthew Barakat
Aetna to settle suit over LGBTQ+ fertility coverage

Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
By Tom Murphy
Cook County jury awards $23M in birth injury suit

A Cook County jury awarded $23 million to a 7-year-old girl and her parents for birth injuries from a delayed Cesarean section that resulted in brain damage and cerebral palsy.
By Grace Barbic
Judge won’t toss BIPA claim not disclosed in bankruptcy

A man whose list of assets in his bankruptcy case did not initially include his potential privacy claims against his former employer is not barred from pursuing those claims, a federal judge held.
By Patricia Manson
Woman prevails in seeking coverage of switched $140K diamond

A woman who alleged her husband swapped the diamond out of her $140,000 engagement ring is entitled to coverage under the innocent insured doctrine, an appellate panel ruled.
By Emma Oxnevad
IRS addresses disparity in audit rates of Black taxpayers

The IRS said Thursday that it has taken steps to address a wide disparity in audit rates between Black taxpayers and others filers, and is more closely examining the returns of larger numbers of wealthy people and major companies.
By Fatima Hussein
7th Circuit remands damages judgment on 2020 riot

A restitution order instructing a Champaign man to pay $1.68 million for damages resulting from a riot he incited will be returned to the district court for reevaluation of its scope, but his indictment and sentence will stand.
By Grace Barbic
Women outnumber men as early-career Illinois lawyers, ARDC says

Early-career women attorneys in Illinois outnumbered male attorneys with similar experience levels for the first time in 2023, according to data from the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.
By Emma Oxnevad