No. 25-6146

William G. Roberson, IV v. Thomas J. Dart, Sheriff, Cook County, Illinois

Lower Court: Seventh Circuit
Docketed: 2025-11-18
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: civil-rights establishment-clause first-amendment government-liability procedural-obstacles religious-coercion
Latest Conference: 2026-01-16
Question Presented (AI Summary)

QP: Whether the Establishment Clause is violated when a pretrial detainee is compelled to attend a court hearing in a religious chapel under threat of punishment

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

Whether the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment is violated when a pretrial detainee is compelled to attend a court hearing conducted in the sanctuary of a religious chapel under threat of punishment for failure to appear. Whether a constitutional claim under the Establishment Clause may be dismissed solely because the plaintiff cannot identify the specific official responsible for selecting the religious venue, despite clear evidence of government involvement. Whether federal courts may impose procedural burdens under the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) on plaintiffs who were no longer incarcerated at the time of filing their civil rights complaint. 2

Docket Entries

2026-01-20
Petition DENIED.
2025-12-31
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/16/2026.
2025-09-04
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due December 18, 2025)

Attorneys

William G. Roberson
William G. Roberson IV — Petitioner
William G. Roberson IV — Petitioner