free-exercise

113 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25A949 Kimberly Ann Polk v. Montgomery County Board of Education, et al. Fourth Circuit 2026-02-25 Application first-amendment free-exercise free-speech gender-identity parental-notification pronoun-use Question not identified.
25A810 Elizabeth Mirabelli, et al. v. Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California, et al. Ninth Circuit 2026-01-13 Denied Amici (9) california-education free-exercise opt-out-policies parental-rights religious-liberty substantive-due-process Question not identified.
25-802 Foothills Christian Ministries, et al. v. Kim Johnson, in Her Official Capacity as Director of the California Department of Social Services, et al. Ninth Circuit 2026-01-07 Pending Amici (6)Response RequestedResponse Waived child-care-act compelled-speech first-amendment free-exercise religious-services zauderer-review Three churches in San Diego County, California, seek to open preschools on their campuses as extensions of their ministries. Under the Child Day Care …
25-5869 Lance Shockley v. Richard Adams, Warden, et al. Eighth Circuit 2025-10-13 Denied IFP death-penalty free-exercise missouri-law ramirez-precedent religious-rights spiritual-advisor 1. Does the State of Missouri's decision to deny a condemned his choice of spiritual advisor solely on the basis of the individual's familial relation…
25A322 We The Patriots USA, Inc., et al v. Ventura Unified School District, et al. Ninth Circuit 2025-09-19 Denied fetal-cell-lines first-amendment free-exercise religious-exemption school-attendance vaccination-mandate 1. Whether California Health and Safety Code violates Jane Doe's First Amendment right to direct her son's religious upbringing by excluding him from …
25-5636 Gordon M. Mayhew v. Arizona Arizona 2025-09-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process first-amendment free-exercise probation-conditions rehabilitation religious-liberty 1. Whether, consistent with the Free Exercise clause (App. B-l) and Due Process (App. B-3, B-4) (Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments), a State may compe…
25-125 Kim Davis v. David Ermold, et al. Sixth Circuit 2025-08-01 Denied Amici (4)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) constitutional-defenses emotional-distress first-amendment free-exercise government-official tort-liability (1) Whether the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause provides an affirmative defense to tort liability based solely on emotional distress damages with…
25-122 David Alan Carmichael, et al. v. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, et al. District of Columbia 2025-07-31 Denied Response Waived damages-liability due-process free-exercise official-capacity religious-freedom right-to-travel Does the "appropriate relief ' of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act allow for damages liability, or nominal damages where other damages cannot b…
24-1261 Cambridge Christian School, Inc. v. Florida High School Athletic Association, Inc. Eleventh Circuit 2025-06-10 Denied Amici (24)Response RequestedRelisted (2) establishment-clause free-exercise free-speech government-speech religious-liberty santa-fe-doctrine When two Christian high schools made it to a championship football game organized by a state athletic association, they sought to use the stadium loud…
24A621 Jason Orlando Rios v. Florida Florida 2024-12-23 Presumed Complete execution-protocol first-amendment free-exercise prison-rights religious-accommodation spiritual-advisor Question not identified.
24-6169 Deandre Johnson v. Chadwick Dotson, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections Fourth Circuit 2024-12-18 Denied IFP civil-rights constitutional-claim first-amendment free-exercise prisoner-rights religious-accommodation If Reasonableness Submit Would And Beef Mae Iomenter. KAN WTERNIMLY WWLOSSTEA™ STATE Mrocequace BRA IS POKQUATE TO PrectvOeE FeRe AR WaGers Review . …
24A264 St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Gentner Drummond, Attorney General of Oklahoma, ex rel. Oklahoma Oklahoma 2024-09-13 Presumed Complete educational-funding first-amendment free-exercise religious-school school-choice state-funding Whether a private religious school that contracts with a state charter school board to participate in a state virtual charter school program is a "sta…
24-221 Douglas Alan Dyson v. Whitley County Regional Water & Sewer District, et al. Indiana 2024-08-29 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) constitutional-rights first-amendment free-exercise judicial-proceeding jurisdictional-authority summary-judgment 1. Whether the trial court Judge Matthew Rentschler, (Judge Rentschler) violated the organic law and constitutional provisions to supplant his orders …
24A110 Apache Stronghold v. United States, et al. Ninth Circuit 2024-07-30 Presumed Complete free-exercise government-property native-american-rights religious-burden rfra sacred-site Whether the Ninth Circuit erred in holding that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act's plain meaning does not apply to a disposition of government re…
24A94 Tamer Mahmoud, et al. v. Thomas W. Taylor, et al. Fourth Circuit 2024-07-26 Presumed Complete accommodation constitutional-rights first-amendment free-exercise religious-liberty school-board Question not identified.
24A90 Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, et al. v. Adrienne A. Harris, Superintendent, New York Department of Financial Services, et al. New York 2024-07-25 Presumed Complete abortion-coverage employment-regulation first-amendment free-exercise health-insurance religious-exemption Question not identified.
24A64 Grace Bible Fellowship, et al. v. Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado, et al. Tenth Circuit 2024-07-19 Presumed Complete covid-restrictions first-amendment free-exercise public-health religious-liberty state-action Question not identified.
23-7785 Jared Pierce Sanchez v. Brown University, et al. First Circuit 2024-06-24 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP academic-exclusion civil-rights covid-19-mandate equal-protection first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-exercise public-hospitals religious-discrimination 1) Whether the First Circuit Court of Appeals and the District Court erred in dismissing Mr. Sanchez 's claims of religious discrimination, harassment…
23A1067 Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc., et al. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission, et al. Wisconsin 2024-05-30 Presumed Complete first-amendment free-exercise ministerial-exception religious-exemption statutory-interpretation unemployment-compensation Question not identified.
23-7574 Marcus Donte Middlebrook v. Kelly M. Wellman, et al. Sixth Circuit 2024-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights deliberate-indifference due-process free-exercise judicial-discretion medical-needs rluipa summary-judgment DID THE US DISTRICT COURT JUDGE ABUSE ITS DISCRETION IN ADOPTING THE MAGISTRATE'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION, GRANTING THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR SUMMA…
23-1101 Jacob N. Ferguson v. Robbin M. Owen District of Columbia 2024-04-10 Denied Response Waived alternative-means d.c.-circuit free-exercise government-permit religious-exercise religious-freedom-restoration-act religious-question-of-law seat-of-government substantial-burden 1. Whether religious exercise must be required, central, or important to a system of religious belief. 2. Whether the availability of alternative mea…
23-915 Pleasant View Baptist Church, et al. v. Andrew Beshear Sixth Circuit 2024-02-23 Denied Response Waived 42-usc-1983 burden-of-proof civil-rights constitutional-rights covid-19-restrictions free-exercise free-exercise-clause qualified-immunity state-actor 1. Whether qualified immunity applies to a state actor who, despite multiple circuit court decisions directing him not to burden religious activities …
23-6429 Jan M. Gawlik v. Scott Semple, et al. Second Circuit 2024-01-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-remedies due-process free-exercise free-exercise-clause mailbox-rule property-rights religious-exercise rluipa summary-judgment WHERE THE CONNECTICUT DISTRICT-COURT -FAILED TO UTILIZE THE,"MAILBOX RULE", WITHIN PLAINTIFFS TIMELY SUBMISSION OF HIS ADMINISTRATIVE RE-MEDIES/EXHAUS…
23-643 We The Patriots USA, Inc., et al. v. Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Development, et al. Second Circuit 2023-12-14 Denied Amici (2)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) civil-rights free-exercise generally-applicable legacy-exemptions neutral-and-generally-applicable neutral-law rational-basis religious-exemption smith-precedent smith-v-employment-division vaccination-mandate Concerned about falling vaccination rates in its schools, Connecticut repealed its 62-year-old religious exemption to its school vaccination requireme…
23A481 Pleasant View Baptist Church, et al. v. Andrew Beshear Sixth Circuit 2023-11-28 Presumed Complete covid-19-restrictions first-amendment free-exercise hybrid-rights qualified-immunity religious-schools Whether this Court should limit qualified immunity for executive branch officials who have the benefit of deliberative process and legal counsel, part…
23-481 Temple of 1001 Buddhas, et al. v. City of Fremont, California Ninth Circuit 2023-11-07 Denied Response RequestedRelisted (2) 42-usc-1983 civil-rights constitutional-rights disparate-treatment first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause municipal-liability searching-review section-1983 1. Whether a state municipality can be held liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 when decision rights and associated impingements on free exercise are distri…
23-450 M. C., et vir v. Indiana Department of Child Services Indiana 2023-10-30 Denied Amici (4)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) 14th-amendment child-custody due-process first-amendment free-exercise free-speech parental-rights prior-restraint M.C. and J.C. are devout Christians who believe that God creates each person as immutably male or female and that, based on those beliefs and scientif…
23-5799 Donald L. Missimer, Jr. v. Jay Forshey, Warden Ohio 2023-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights due-process establishment-clause free-exercise standing state-action Question not identified.
23-5815 Emily Claire Hari v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-10-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split commerce-clause congressional-authority constitutional-challenge criminal-law criminal-statute free-exercise jurisdictional-element non-economic Whether the "jurisdictional element" contained within 18 U.S.C. § 247, standing alone, serves to authorize congressional enactment of a criminal statu…
23-87 Cody A. Craig v. Emma R. Solorzano Maine 2023-07-31 Denied civil-rights constitutional-law due-process first-amendment free-exercise judicial-discretion parental-rights religious-freedom Does a court decision limiting parental rights, based upon express disapproval of the parent's "troubling" religious views, violate of the free exerci…
23-5183 Allen S. Herschaft v. New York City Campaign Finance Board Second Circuit 2023-07-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights due-process equal-protection first-amendment free-exercise religious-freedom religious-freedom-restoration-act res-judicata standing 1) Whether Res Judicata precludes bringing the case? 2) Whether the defendant by enforcing its rules and regulations is violating plaintiffs free exe…
22-1093 Mark Anthony Spell, et al. v. John Bel Edwards, et al. Fifth Circuit 2023-05-09 Denied Amici (4)Response Waived church-assembly church-state-separation establishment-clause first-amendment founders-intent free-exercise free-exercise-clause religious-freedom religious-liberty state-restrictions This is a vital case of first impression concerning our most sacred rights of religious freedom and the very nature of the Church and State as separat…
22-951 Jane Doe No. 1, et al. v. Todd Rokita, Attorney General of Indiana, et al. Seventh Circuit 2023-03-30 Denied Amici (1)Response Waived abortion abortion-rights constitutional-law dobbs-precedent dobbs-v-jackson first-amendment free-exercise free-speech medical-protocols religious-beliefs Whether, following Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 142 S. Ct. 2228 (2022), this Court's First Amendment precedents continue to apply to …
22-6742 Jan M. Gawlik v. Ned Lamont, Governor of Connecticut, et al. Connecticut 2023-02-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP conditions-of-confinement discrimination due-process first-amendment free-exercise religious-freedom rluipa symbolic-expression WHERE THE GOVERNOR/MALLOY; P.DANNELL OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, RECOMMENDED SEMPLE,SCOTT AS COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTIONS WITHIN CONNECTICUT TO THE ST…
22-6735 Echo Dixon v. New York New York 2023-02-09 Denied IFP brady-v-maryland brady-violation civil-rights due-process first-amendment fourteenth-amendment fraud-on-the-court free-exercise habeas-corpus misnomer Whether the People of the State of New York, while investigating child abuse and neglect and crime, interfered with Petitioner 's first and fourteent…
22-6675 Barrett S. Tunsil v. Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania, et al. Third Circuit 2023-02-01 Denied IFP civil-rights covid-19 due-process equal-protection free-exercise pandemic Question not identified.
22-696 Reginald L. Gundy v. City of Jacksonville, Florida, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2023-01-26 Denied Response Waived civil-rights first-amendment free-exercise free-speech government-speech qualified-immunity retaliation 1. Whether Petitioner's invited invocation before the City Council, without any instructions or limitations, was private speech as the district court …
22-6230 Derrick A. Edwards v. K. King, et al. Fourth Circuit 2022-12-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights compelling-interest constitutional-rights criminal-conviction evidence-challenge free-exercise judicial-review least-restrictive-means procedural-limitations RLUIPA substantial-burden substantive-due-process Question not identified.
22-6054 Stephen Barbee v. Bryan Collier, et al. Fifth Circuit 2022-11-15 Denied IFP capital-punishment execution-chamber fifth-circuit first-amendment free-exercise prison-litigation-reform-act prison-policy religious-rights rluipa spiritual-advisor 1. Whether the Fifth Circuit erred in vacating as an abuse of discretion the injunction requiring TDCJ to publish a clear policy where the district co…
22-343 Lynn S. King v. New York, et al. Second Circuit 2022-10-12 Denied Response Waived divorce-proceedings domestic-relations domestic-relations-law first-amendment free-exercise religious-covenant religious-wedding sacred-covenant standing Whether New York Domestic Relations Law 170(7), which permits one spouse to obtain a divorce based on an affidavit that the marriage relationship has …
22-292 James D. Sullivan v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Fourth Circuit 2022-09-27 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) establishment-clause free-exercise government-speech lemon-test public-forum religious-display Question 1: Whether or not Petitioner is entitled to a trial by jury in civil federal income tax cases as mandated by the Seventh Amendment? Question…
22-260 Burtonsville Associates, et al. v. Montgomery County, Maryland, et al. Fourth Circuit 2022-09-20 Denied church-construction equal-terms equal-terms-claim free-exercise religious-exercise religious-land-use rluipa substantial-burden zoning zoning-denial 1. Must a congregation seeking to build a church prove that it had a reasonable expectation of zoning approval before it can establish that a zoning d…
22-5408 Lady Donna Dutchess v. Jason Dutch Alaska 2022-08-19 Denied IFP civil-rights establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise lemon-test medical-scientology religious-freedom vaccine-mandate vaccine-mandates 1. Regarding the American court's absolute faith in human-made vaccine concoctions, which is an important national and public issue, is it truly this …
22-108 Richard R. Watkinson v. Alaska Department of Corrections, et al. Ninth Circuit 2022-08-03 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (5) free-exercise free-exercise-clause government-neutrality prisoner-rights religious-accommodation religious-accommodations rluipa strict-scrutiny substantial-burden 1. Does the Free Exercise Clause permit a prison to deny accommodations to the Petitioner for his religious exercise that it already allows for secula…
22-60 Church of Scientology International, et al. v. Chrissie Carnell Bixler, et al. California 2022-07-21 Denied Amici (5)Response Waived arbitration-agreement church-membership civil-procedure establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise freedom-of-religion religious-arbitration Where a parishioner freely executes a religious arbitration agreement with her church, does the First Amendment prohibit enforcement of the agreement …
21-8242 Michael David Webb v. Anthony S. Fauci, et al. Fourth Circuit 2022-06-28 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP administrative-procedure agency-response civil-rights due-process face-act foia free-exercise freedom-of-information-act injunctive-relief judicial-discretion procedural-due-process standing Whether, on a valid claim arising under the FOIA, a Trial Court may not properly dismiss, sua sponte, a case, without decision, where the requested Ag…
21-8138 Lawrence J. Gerrans v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-06-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights criminal-procedure first-amendment free-exercise religious-rights sixth-amendment structural-error trial-rights 1. May a district court , upon the prosecutor's demand that a defendant's Bible be removed from the courtroom during a criminal trial, constitutionall…
21-1328 Community Baptist Church, et al. v. Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado, et al. Tenth Circuit 2022-04-05 Denied Response Waived 11th-amendment 42-usc-1983 due-process free-exercise mootness standing Whether a statute requires strict scrutiny for facial and as-applied claims where officials invoke it as legal authority to issue mandates which depri…
21-1295 St. Augustine School, et al. v. Jill Underly, in Her Official Capacity as Superintendent of Public Instruction, et al. Seventh Circuit 2022-03-28 Denied constitutional-claims doctrinal-determination establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause government-interference public-benefits religion-clauses religious-preference summary-reversal 1. Whether summary reversal is warranted where the Seventh Circuit did not consider this case in light of Espinoza v. Montana Dep't of Revenue, 591 U.…
21-1297 Clare Therese Grady, Carmen Trotta, and Martha Hennessy v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-25 Denied circuit-split criminal-prosecution free-exercise government-burden government-burden-of-proof least-restrictive-means prosecution religious-freedom religious-freedom-restoration-act rfra sincerely-held-beliefs Petitioners, Catholic anti-nuclear activists, engaged in "symbolic disarmament" by damaging and spray painting facilities on a nuclear submarine base,…
21-1263 Marvin Gerber v. Henry Herskovitz, et al. Sixth Circuit 2022-03-17 Denied Amici (1)Response Waived anti-israel anti-jewish first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-of-religion harassment intimidation judicial-review religious-freedom speech-restriction Jewish worshippers entering their synagogue for worship on Saturday mornings for Sabbath services are harassed and intimidated by a group that assembl…
21-1143 Dr. A., et al. v. Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York, et al. Second Circuit 2022-02-16 Denied Amici (12)Relisted (10) administrative-rule covid-19 covid-vaccine-mandate employment-division-v-smith free-exercise free-exercise-clause medical-exemption religious-exemption secular-conduct vaccine-mandate Using its emergency regulatory powers, New York has imposed a COVID vaccine mandate on healthcare workers, but provided no religious exemption. Worker…
21-1076 Sivagnanam Thamilselvan v. Vijayalakshmi Thamilselvan Michigan 2022-02-03 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) comity comity-doctrine divorce first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-exercise no-fault-divorce religious-freedom subject-matter-jurisdiction 1. Whether the petitioners ' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights are violated, when Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals and Trial Cour…
21-1027 Green Haven Preparative Meeting, et al. v. New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, et al. Second Circuit 2022-01-20 Denied Amici (1) civil-rights first-amendment free-exercise institutional-rights prison-ministry religious-organization standing substantial-burden 1. Does the standing of a religious organization to protect the fundamental practices of its faith from being abridged by the state cease at the priso…
21-1003 F. F., as Parent of Y. F., et al. v. New York, et al. New York 2022-01-14 Denied constitutional-rights first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause narrow-tailoring religious-bias religious-exemption school-vaccination strict-scrutiny vaccination-requirement Does New York's religious exemption repeal violate the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause because (1) either (a) it allows for secular exemptions …
21-886 Ismet Islami v. Kemper Independence Insurance Company Wisconsin 2021-12-15 Denied civil-dissolution due-process first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-exercise legal-separation marital-property religious-freedom religious-rights statutory-entitlement Introductory Statement This is a liberty based "due process" case. Enactment by the Wisconsin legislature of the Wisconsin Marital Property Act in 19…
21-6327 Frank Paul Ferrara v. Virginia Virginia 2021-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court civil-rights constitutional-rights due-process evidence-admission expert-testimony fair-trial free-exercise standing statutory-interpretation trial-procedure 1. Should this matter been allowed to progress to a civil commitment trial since the Respondent incarcerated the Petitioner for exercising his Constit…
21-717 John Does 1–3, et al. v. Janet T. Mills, Governor of Maine, et al. First Circuit 2021-11-15 Denied Amici (3)Relisted (3) covid-19 covid-19-mandate free-exercise free-exercise-clause healthcare-workers preemption preliminary-injunction religious-accommodation supremacy-clause title-vii "[E]ven in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten." Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, 141 S. Ct. 63, 68 (2020). More…
21-476 303 Creative LLC, et al. v. Aubrey Elenis, et al. Tenth Circuit 2021-09-28 Judgment Issued Amici (90)Relisted (4) anti-discrimination-law compelled-speech content-based content-based-regulation free-exercise free-speech religious-beliefs religious-liberty viewpoint-discrimination Artist Lorie Smith is a website designer who creates original, online content consistent with her faith. She plans to (1) design wedding websites prom…
21-418 Joseph A. Kennedy v. Bremerton School District Ninth Circuit 2021-09-16 Judgment Issued Amici (68)Relisted (2) constitutional-rights establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise free-speech public-employment public-school religious-expression 1. Whether a public-school employee who says a brief, quiet prayer by himself while at school and visible to students is engaged in government speech …
21-5592 John H. Ramirez v. Bryan Collier, Executive Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, et al. Fifth Circuit 2021-09-07 Judgment Issued Amici (17)IFP compelling-governmental-interest compelling-state-interest execution-protocol free-exercise free-exercise-clause free-speech least-restrictive-means pastoral-support religious-land-use-and-institutionalized-persons-a religious-rights rluipa 1. Under the Free Exercise Clause and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("RLUIPA"), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc–2000cc–5 (2000), does the S…
21-144 Seattle's Union Gospel Mission v. Matthew S. Woods Washington 2021-08-03 Denied Amici (17)Relisted (9) civil-rights coreligionist-hiring employment-discrimination first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause ministerial-exception religious-exemption religious-freedom religious-nonprofits standing 1. Whether the First Amendment protects the Mission's right to hire coreligionists. 2. Whether denying the Mission a total exemption the state grants…
21-5215 Cameron Dean Bates v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-07-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-law due-process free-exercise free-speech standing 1. Given that this Court held in Slack v. McDanie l, 529 US 473 (2000) that a Certificate of Appealability ("COA") shall not be granted if "no reasona…
20-1501 Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, et al. v. Shirin Emami, Acting Superintendent, New York Department of Financial Services, et al. New York 2021-04-27 GVR Amici (6)Relisted (4) abortion abortion-mandate employment-division-smith first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause free-speech health-insurance religious-autonomy religious-exemption smith-v-oregon In 2017, New York promulgated a regulation mandating that employer health insurance plans cover abortions. N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 11, § 52.1…
20-1443 Candace Aguilera, aka Candace Sgaggio v. City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, et al. Tenth Circuit 2021-04-15 Denied 4th-amendment civil-rights fourth-amendment free-exercise implied-license indigenous-rights private-property search-and-seizure spiritual-property standing I ask the Supreme Court to clarify how long the government agents, can stay on the Private spiritual property and continue to search, after the implie…
20-1346 Calvary Chapel of Bangor v. Janet T. Mills, Governor of Maine First Circuit 2021-03-25 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) employment-division-v-smith establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause government-discrimination jacobson-v-massachusetts pandemic-restrictions preliminary-injunction religious-liberty strict-scrutiny temporary-restraining-order (1) Whether the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from discriminating against houses of worship by restricting the …
20-7044 Gregory Bartunek v. Hall County, Nebraska, et al. Eighth Circuit 2021-02-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP fifth-amendment first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause pretrial-detainee pretrial-detainees religious-freedom Whether failing to provide consistent and reliable opportunities for pretrial detainees to exercise their religious freedoms is a violation of the Fir…
20-838 Kim Blandino v. Nevada, et al. Nevada 2020-12-22 Denied constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-exercise impartial-judge judicial-impartiality structural-error (1) Whether this Court's decision in Rippo v. Baker, 137 S. Ct. 905 (2017) which concerns a structural error of the Constitutional denial of an impart…
20-746 South Bay United Pentecostal Church, et al. v. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-11-30 GVR Amici (2)Response RequestedResponse Waived civil-rights constitutional-review first-amendment free-exercise free-speech jacobson-v-massachusetts pandemic-restrictions religious-liberty strict-scrutiny Once again, Petitioners South Bay United Pentecostal Church and Bishop Arthur Hodges III ("South Bay") must seek relief from this Court. California, i…
20-639 Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Steve Sisolak, Governor of Nevada, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-11-10 Denied Amici (6)Relisted (2) covid-19 covid-19-restrictions equal-protection first-amendment free-assembly free-exercise free-exercise-clause free-speech religious-liberty strict-scrutiny 1. Whether the Governor's favoring of secular over religious gatherings violates the Free Exercise Clause. 2. Whether the Governor's favoring of secu…
20-6258 Arthur L. Campbell v. Cynthia Gause, et al. Sixth Circuit 2020-11-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights first-amendment free-exercise islam judicial-review prison-policy religious-freedom rluipa statutory-interpretation substantial-burden THE SIXTH CIRCUIT COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR, CONTRARY TO 42 U.S.C. §2000cc et seq., WHEN IT ABDICATED THE RESPONSIBILITY, CONFERRED BY CONGRESS ON THE COU…
20-569 Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church, et al. v. J. B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois Seventh Circuit 2020-10-30 Denied Amici (5)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) content-based-restriction content-based-restrictions first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause jacobson-v-massachusetts pandemic-exception religious-discrimination religious-gatherings strict-scrutiny (1) Whether the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from discriminating against religious gatherings by restricting t…
20-536 The Episcopal Church, et al. v. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, et al. Texas 2020-10-22 Denied Relisted (2) church-property church-property-disputes constitutional-law ecclesiastical-deference express-trusts first-amendment free-exercise neutral-principles polity religious-freedom The First Amendment limits civil courts' authority to resolve disputes within a church. For more than a century, this Court respected those limits by …
20-534 All Saints' Episcopal Church (Fort Worth) v. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, et al. Texas 2020-10-22 Denied Amici (1)Relisted (2) church-property-dispute church-property-disputes ecclesiastical-question establishment-clause express-trust-provision free-exercise free-exercise-clause jones-v-wolf neutral-principles neutral-principles-of-law Whether the Texas Supreme Court's decision awarding petitioner's sanctuary and rectory to a dissident faction in contravention of the will of petition…
20-385 Judy Doe v. Michael L. Parson, Governor of Missouri, et al. Eighth Circuit 2020-09-24 Denied Response Waived abortion abortion-rights constitutional-challenge due-process establishment-clause free-exercise free-exercise-clause religious-belief religious-liberty undue-burden undue-burden-standard 1. Is the Establishment Clause violated by the proclamation in an abortion statute that "The life of each human being begins at conception. Abortion w…
20-340 Olga Paule Perrier-Bilbo v. United States, et al. First Circuit 2020-09-15 Denied Response Waived civil-rights equal-protection establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise freedom-of-religion government-endorsement religious-discrimination standing May the federal government continue to degrade Atheists from the equal rank of citizens by repeatedly, flagrantly, and facially lending its power to M…
20-261 Jeff Schulz, et al. v. Presbytery of Seattle. et al. Washington 2020-09-02 Denied Amici (3)Relisted (3) church-autonomy church-property-disputes civil-procedure constitutional-law denominational-authority denominational-dispute first-amendment free-exercise property-ownership religious-freedom In a dispute between a local congregation and its former denomination over ownership of property to which the local congregation holds legal title, do…
20-5319 Juan Carlos Avila-Gonzalez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability civil-rights compelled-speech competence-to-waive counsel-investigation due-process fifth-circuit free-exercise free-speech ineffective-assistance medical-history public-accommodations WHETHER THE FIFTH CIRCUIT APPLIED THE CORRECT LEGAL STANDARD WHEN DENIED AVILA'S COA IN THE CLAIM THAT HE RECEIVED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL B…
20-5214 Ricardo A. Haynes v. Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Federal Circuit 2020-07-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-law due-process free-exercise free-speech standing Question not identified.
20-62 Parents for Privacy, et al. v. William P. Barr, Attorney General, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-07-23 Denied bodily-privacy civil-rights due-process free-exercise parental-rights religious-beliefs religious-freedom school-policy title-ix transgender-accommodation 1. Whether parents surrender their fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children by enrolling them in public school so that a school di…
20-23 Dale Hartkemeyer, et al. v. William P. Barr, Attorney General, et al. Seventh Circuit 2020-07-15 Denied free-exercise last-rites ministerial-duty pandemic pandemic-execution prisoner prisoner-rights religious-exercise religious-freedom RFRA Where a priest has a sacred religious duty to minister last rites to a prisoner under his pastoral care, does scheduling the prisoner's execution duri…
20-14 Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov, Inc., et al. v. Village of Pomona, New York, et al. Second Circuit 2020-07-10 Denied Amici (2)Response RequestedRelisted (2) article-iii article-iii-standing fair-housing-act free-exercise institutionalized-persons-act municipal-law property-rights religious-exercise religious-land-use rluipa standing zoning-law When it enacted the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("RLUIPA"), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq. , Congress created a cause of acti…
19-8695 Ruben Gutierrez v. Luis V. Saenz, et al. Fifth Circuit 2020-06-15 Judgment Issued Amici (1)IFP compelling-interest execution execution-protocol first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause religious-accommodation religious-adviser religious-exercise rluipa spiritual-aid 1. Under the RLUIPA, does the State's decision to deprive Mr. Gutierrez of the opportunity to be accompanied during his execution by a religious advis…
19-8681 Sung Hong, et ux. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP affinity-fraud aggravating-factors civil-rights constitutional-law due-process establishment-clause free-exercise holguin-hernandez-v-united-states plain-error-review religious-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Is it permissible for courts to consider religion as an aggravating factor in determining sentences, or to favor a religion by sentencing defendant…
19-1135 Dignity Health, dba Mercy San Juan Medical Center v. Evan Minton California 2020-03-17 Denied Amici (5)Relisted (7) civil-rights employment-division-v-smith first-amendment free-association free-exercise free-expression medical-procedure medical-procedures religious-freedom religious-liberty state-law unruh-civil-rights-act (1) Does the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment bar a state-law claim that seeks to compel a religiously affiliated hospital to allow medical…
19-7542 Noah-Wade Pelmear, et al. v. Maureen O'Connor, et al. Sixth Circuit 2020-02-04 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP civil-rights color-of-law due-process equal-protection free-exercise immunity judicial-immunity oath-of-office obstruction-of-justice 1. Can state actors acting under color of state law, impair, impede, deny, discriminate, threaten or otherwise obstruct petitioners '/ plaintiffs ' fr…
19-6392 Jeffrey F. Evers v. Brian Foster, Warden Seventh Circuit 2019-10-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals civil-procedure civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process federal-courts first-amendment free-exercise habeas-corpus merits-based-decision new-trial procedural-default public-accommodation religious-freedom same-sex-marriage standing state-licensing me issues responding to a no-merit repart that doesint sion with respect of allclaims raised by Evers' ere was never a weapon pruduce. the Sixth Amend…
19-371 Stephen S. Wise Temple v. Julie Su California 2019-09-19 Dismissed Amici (2)Response RequestedResponse Waived employment-discrimination first-amendment first-amendment-free-exercise free-exercise functional-approach hosanna-tabor hosanna-tabor-v-eeoc judicial-interpretation ministerial-exception religious-education religious-institutions transmitting-faith Whether courts should apply a functional approach to the ministerial exception that does not punish religious institutions for employing non-adherents…
19-348 St. James School v. Darryl Biel, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Kristen Biel Ninth Circuit 2019-09-17 Judgment Issued Amici (4) civil-courts civil-rights due-process employment-discrimination establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise free-speech hosanna-tabor ministerial-exception religion-clauses Whether the Religion Clauses prevent civil courts from adjudicating employment discrimination claims brought by an employee against her religious empl…
19-333 Arlene's Flowers, Inc., dba Arlene's Flowers and Gifts, et al. v. Washington, et al. Washington 2019-09-12 Rehearing Amici (10)Relisted (13) civil-rights compelled-speech content-based first-amendment free-exercise free-speech public-accommodation religious-freedom religious-hostility same-sex-marriage state-action strict-scrutiny Barronelle Stutzman is a Christian artist who imagines, designs, and creates floral art. She serves everyone and sells pre-arranged flowers for use in…
19-5841 Shahram Shakouri v. Lorie Davis, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, et al. Fifth Circuit 2019-09-06 Denied IFP due-process first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause masterpiece-cakeshop religious-discrimination religious-hostility religious-neutrality scriptural-interpretation thirteenth-amendment Whether district court's lack of religious neutrality violated Petitioner's right to the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment or Free Exercise Cla…
19-123 Sharonell Fulton, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, et al. Third Circuit 2019-07-25 Judgment Issued Amici (87)Relisted (7) circuit-split civil-rights discrimination employment-division-v-smith first-amendment foster-care free-exercise general-applicability government-neutrality neutral-and-generally-applicable neutral-laws religious-discrimination religious-liberty unconstitutional-conditions The City of Philadelphia chose to exclude a religious agency from the City's foster care system unless the agency agreed to act and speak in a manner …
19-66 George Q. Ricks v. Idaho Contractors Board, et al. Idaho 2019-07-12 Denied Amici (5)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (8) civil-rights constitutional-interpretation constitutional-law employment-division-v-smith first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause generally-applicable neutral-law neutral-laws religious-exemption religious-exemptions religious-freedom stare-decisis Whether the Court should revisit its holding in Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990), that the Free Exercise Clause generally requires no…
18-9832 Patrick H. Murphy v. Bryan Collier, Executive Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, et al. Fifth Circuit 2019-06-27 Denied Amici (1)IFP civil-rights death-penalty death-row due-process establishment-clause free-exercise free-exercise-clause pastoral-accompaniment religious-liberty rluipa 1. When a death-sentenced inmate informs prison authorities a month in advance of his scheduled execution date of his desire to be accompanied during …
18-9649 Boaz Pleasant-Bey v. Tennessee Department of Corrections, et al. Sixth Circuit 2019-06-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process free-exercise halal-diet prison religious-freedom rluipa substantial-burden Whether RLUIPA prohibits the Defendants from placing a substantial burden upon Petitioner's religious exercise by feeding non-traditional inedible foo…
18-1322 The Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos, et al. v. New York City Police Department, et al. New York 2019-04-18 Denied Response Waived animal-cruelty establishment-clause executive-branch free-exercise judicial-branch legislative-branch mandamus separation-of-powers standing writ-of-mandamus 1. Can the New York State Judicial Branch refuse to issue a writ of mandamus when the executive branch defies the legislative branch; 2. Can the New …
18-8774 John Elvin Turner v. Nevada, et al. Nevada 2019-04-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights due-process first-amendment free-exercise jurisdiction religious-freedom standing statutory-interpretation Question not identified.
18-8615 In Re Patrick Henry Murphy 2019-03-28 Denied IFP capital-punishment civil-rights due-process equal-protection establishment-clause execution-protocol first-amendment free-exercise religious-accommodation religious-freedom state-procedure When a State permits members of some faiths (e.g., Christians) to be accompanied in the execution chamber during the execution by a clergyperson of th…
18-1195 Kendra Espinoza, et al. v. Montana Department of Revenue, et al. Montana 2019-03-14 Judgment Issued Amici (64)Relisted (2) constitutional-law equal-protection establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise religion-clauses religious-schools school-choice student-aid Does it violate the Religion Clauses or Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution to invalidate a generally available and religiously …
18-1151 St. Augustine School, et al. v. Carolyn Stanford Taylor, in Her Official Capacity as Superintendent of Public Instruction, et al. Seventh Circuit 2019-03-06 GVR Relisted (2) church-autonomy denominational-affiliation employment-division-v-smith faith-tradition free-exercise free-exercise-clause government-benefits religion-clauses religious-adherent religious-autonomy religious-liberty trinity-lutheran trinity-lutheran-v-comer 1. Whether the Free Exercise Clause prohibits the government from requiring a religious adherent to choose between following his or her faith traditio…
18-7946 Robert Hawkins v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-02-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights due-process establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise free-speech separation-of-church-and-state standing takings (l) Whether Petitioner's sentence of 324 months violates due process because the district court failed to rely upon Georgia's state law to interpret a…
18-944 Tree of Life Christian Schools v. City of Upper Arlington, Ohio Sixth Circuit 2019-01-18 Denied Amici (9)Relisted (2) circuit-split conditional-use-permit discrimination equal-terms equal-terms-provision facial-or-as-applied-violation free-exercise nonprofit-organization religious-land-use religious-land-use-and-institutionalized-persons-a rluipa standing tax-revenue zoning zoning-code What is the proper test for a RLUIPA equal-terms claim. Whether Tree of Life established a facial or as-applied equal-terms violation here.
18-7397 Jackie Breeden, Jr. v. Wendy Kelley, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction Arkansas 2019-01-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights due-process equal-protection free-exercise free-speech racial-discrimination school-desegregation standing Mr. Breeden alleges that had his trial counsel argued under Arkansas Law that his case should fall under the "first offender act" ,as a first time off…
18-636 The Pure Presbyterian Church of Washington, et al. v. The Grace of God Presbyterian Church Virginia 2018-11-16 Dismissed church-property civil-procedure constitutional-competence ecclesiastical-abstention establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise merger-analysis neutral-principles religious-freedom religious-organizations subject-matter-jurisdiction The trial court entered its Final Order disposing, inter alia, of Church Property, predicated upon a judicial determination that Grace Presbyterian wa…
18-583 Kenneth Mayle v. United States, et al. Seventh Circuit 2018-11-05 Denied Response Waived compelled-speech compelling-governmental-interest equal-protection free-exercise free-speech government-burden least-restrictive-means minority-rights religious-beliefs religious-freedom-restoration-act sincerely-held-religious-beliefs standing statutory-interpretation Whether the lower court's ruling violates the Supreme Court's precedents by improperly substituting its own view that carrying currency bearing a reli…
18-547 Melissa Elaine Klein, et vir v. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Oregon 2018-10-26 GVR Amici (10)Relisted (13) commercial-art compelled-speech employment-division-v-smith expressive-conduct first-amendment free-exercise free-speech hybrid-rights public-accommodations religious-liberty 1. Whether Oregon violated the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment by compelling the Kleins to design and create a custom wed…
18-530 Congregation Jeshuat Israel v. Congregation Shearith Israel First Circuit 2018-10-24 Denied Amici (2)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) charitable-trusts diversity-jurisdiction erie-doctrine establishment-clause evidence federalism free-exercise free-exercise-clause personal-property property property-dispute religious-liberty secular-evidence trust trust-law 1. In ordinary trust and property disputes does the Establishment Clause preclude courts from considering secular evidence that is relevant and admiss…
18-451 Aloha Bed & Breakfast v. Diane Cervelli, et al. Hawaii 2018-10-11 Denied Amici (5)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) due-process fair-notice first-amendment fourteenth-amendment free-exercise intimate-association privacy prohibitory public-accommodation public-accommodations quasi-criminal religious-beliefs religious-liberty stigmatizing Phyllis Young, a retiree, rents three bedrooms in her family home using the name Aloha Bed & Breakfast to make ends meet. She welcomes everyone as gue…
18-365 The Presbyterian Church in Morristown, et al. v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, et al. New Jersey 2018-09-20 Denied Relisted (6) church-state-separation constitutional-rights establishment-clause free-exercise free-exercise-clause free-speech government-funding government-grants historic-preservation religious-discrimination religious-neutrality standing status-use-distinction Does the categorical exclusion of active houses of worship from a competitive government grant program advancing the secular interest of historic pres…
18-364 Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, et al. v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, et al. New Jersey 2018-09-20 Denied Amici (2)Relisted (6) civil-rights establishment-clause first-amendment free-exercise free-exercise-clause free-speech government-funding historic-preservation public-funding religious-status status-based-discrimination trinity-lutheran trinity-lutheran-precedent 1. Whether using generally available historic preservation funds to repair or restore a house of worship constitutes a "religious use" that falls outs…
18-5864 Benjamin Patrick Lee v. Suzanne M. Peery, Warden Ninth Circuit 2018-09-04 Denied IFP civil-rights criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process equal-protection free-exercise habeas-corpus right-to-counsel state-laws Can State actors and stite Court Violate the due process and equal protection clanses of the United States Constitution and the sfate's own enumerated…
18-112 Vance D. Day, Judge, Circuit Court of Oregon, Third Judicial District v. Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability Oregon 2018-07-25 Denied Amici (2) 14th-amendment constitutional-defenses due-process first-amendment free-exercise free-speech judicial-ethics oregon-supreme-court original-jurisdiction procedural-due-process (1) Whether it is a Due Process violation for a court of original jurisdiction to refuse to consider, or to reject without sufficient analysis, substa…
18-5055 Mitchell Stevens v. Darrel Vannoy, Warden, et al. Fifth Circuit 2018-07-02 Denied IFP civil-procedure civil-rights due-process free-exercise free-speech prison-policy religious-accommodation standing takings (1) whethoR the CouRt of Appeals RExedeRed A decision which conFlicts with this couRt 2nd decisioxs OF It's own CoaRt, whon It Ruld thAt 2 dismiss Al …