Case: Mayweathers v. Newland

2:96-cv-01582 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Filed Date: Aug. 20, 1996

Closed Date: 2004

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

On August 20, 1996, Muslim state prisoners housed at the California State Prison at Solano (Solano) filed a class action lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division. The plaintiffs, representing themselves, asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging that the defendants violated their First Amendment rights to free exercise of their religion, as wel…

On August 20, 1996, Muslim state prisoners housed at the California State Prison at Solano (Solano) filed a class action lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division. The plaintiffs, representing themselves, asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging that the defendants violated their First Amendment rights to free exercise of their religion, as well as their Fourteenth Amendment rights to Equal Protection of the law.

On August 23, 1996, the District Court (Judge Eugene F. Lynch) transferred the case to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division.

On October 31, 1996, the District Court (Magistrate Judge Gregory G. Hollows) denied the plaintiffs' request for appointment of counsel. On January 30, 1997, Judge Hollows issued his Report and Recommendation, recommending dismissing the action. Following plaintiffs' objections, Judge Hollows vacated his Report and Recommendation on April 11, 1997.

On June 25, 1997, Judge Hollows directed the clerk to send the file to the Civil Rights Clinic at U.C. Davis Law School, for possible representation of plaintiffs. On July 24, 1997, Judge Hollows ordered other related cases stayed, pending the outcome of this case and another case (2:97-cv-625).

The U.C. Davis clinic decided to take on the case, and entered an appearnce in October 1997.

On September 1, 1998, the Magistrate Judge Hollows recommended that the plaintiffs' class be certified as all present and future Muslim inmates at Solano. On October 19, 1998, the District Court (Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr.) adopted Judge Hollows' recommendation in full, and granted class certification with respect to the equitable relief claims. The District Court, however, dismissed the plaintiffs' claims regarding their inability to purchase and possess religious oil and prayer beads.

After extended discovery, and settlement conferences in May and June of 2000, the parties settled four substantive issues and agreed upon an accelerated litigation process for two remaining issues. On June 5, 2000, the Magistrate Judge Hollows memorialized and confirmed the agreements reached. Under the Settlement Agreements, the defendants agreed to hire a full-time Muslim Chaplain, allow Muslims to special order religious oils, allow the Muslim community to wear religious headwear, make best efforts to ensure that a Muslim diet is available. The parties agreed to litigate the disputed issues of beards and attendance at Juma'ah services.

On July 31, 2000, the District Court (Judge Lawrence K. Karlton) granted the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction with respect to allowing Jumu'ah attendance, but denied it on the issue of defendants' prohibition of beards. On December 19, 2000, the District Court (Judge Karlton) again granted a preliminary injunction allowing Jumu'ah attendance. After the second preliminary injunction expired, on April 5, 2001, the District Court issued a successive preliminary injunction. Mayweathers v. Terhune, 136 F. Supp. 2d 1152 (E.D. Cal. 2001). The defendants appealed.

On July 2, 2001, the District Court (Judge Karlton) denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the plaintiffs' claim under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc. The defendants appealed.

Significant litigation followed as to the District Court's preliminary injunctions. On August 2, 2001, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Judge Dorothy Wright Nelson) held that the District Court did not abuse its discretion when it renewed the preliminary injunction. Mayweathers v. Newland, 258 F.3d 920 (9th Cir. 2001).

From December 2001 to January 2003, the District Court issued various preliminary injunctions on the issues of inmate attendance at Jumu'ah services, beards and grooming.

On December 27, 2002, the Ninth Circuit (Judge Nelson) affirmed the District Court's denial of the defendants' motion to dismiss the plaintiffs' claim under RLUIPA on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. Mayweathers v. Newland, 314 F. 3d 1062 (9th Cir. 2002). The defendants' petitioned for a rehearing en banc. On January 27, 2003, the District Court (Judge Karlton) held that the status quo of the preliminary injunctions would be preserved, including automatic renewal every ninety days, during the appeals process. On October 6, 2003, the Supreme Court denied the defendants' petition for a writ of certiorari. Alameida v. Mayweathers, 540 U.S. 815 (2003).

On June 25, 2004, the District Court (Judge Karlton) granted the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment and for a permanent injunction finding that the defendants' policies as to both grooming and attendance at Jumu'ah services violated RLUIPA. The District Court permanently enjoined defendants from issuing any discipline to inmates for attending Jumu'ah services or wearing half-inch beards for religious purposes. The Court ordered that the parties to meet and confer concerning the issue of expunging past inmate discipline records relating to the contested issues. Mayweathers v. Terhune, 328 F.2d 1086 (E.D. Cal. 2004).

The District Court awarded fees in the amount of $289,011 to plaintiffs' attorneys and taxed $23,675.38 in costs.

On September 6, 2006, the Ninth Circuit granted the defendants' motion to voluntary dismissal their appeal of the permanent injunction.

No further substantive action is noted on the PACER docket and the case was administratively closed.

Summary Authors

Josh Altman (11/4/2006)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5662601/parties/pc-mayweathers-v-sutton/


Judge(s)

Damrell, Frank C. Jr. (California)

Hollows, Gregory G. (California)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Christian, Susan Dee (California)

Attorney for Defendant

Bowers, Jill Theresa (California)

Castro, Ismael A. (California)

Expert/Monitor/Master/Other
Judge(s)

Damrell, Frank C. Jr. (California)

Hollows, Gregory G. (California)

Karlton, Lawrence K. (California)

Lynch, Eugene F. (California)

Nelson, Dorothy Wright (California)

Rawlinson, Johnnie B. (Nevada)

Schroeder, Mary Murphy (Arizona)

show all people

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

3:96-cv-02981

Docket (PACER)

Mayweathers v. Sutton

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Sept. 5, 1996

Sept. 5, 1996

Docket

2:96-cv-01582

Docket (PACER)

July 24, 2006

July 24, 2006

Docket
240

2:96-cv-01582

Order

June 5, 2000

June 5, 2000

Order/Opinion
248

2:96-cv-01582

Amended Order

July 31, 2000

July 31, 2000

Order/Opinion
289

2:96-cv-01582

Order

Dec. 19, 2000

Dec. 19, 2000

Order/Opinion

2:96-cv-01582

Order

Mayweathers v. Terhune

April 5, 2001

April 5, 2001

Order/Opinion

136 F.Supp.2d 136

362

2:96-cv-01582

Order

Mayweathers v. Terhune

July 2, 2001

July 2, 2001

Order/Opinion

2001 WL 2001

00-16708

01-15170

Reported Opinion

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Aug. 2, 2001

Aug. 2, 2001

Order/Opinion

258 F.3d 258

413

2:96-cv-01582

Order

Dec. 13, 2001

Dec. 13, 2001

Order/Opinion
420

2:96-cv-01582

Order

Feb. 8, 2002

Feb. 8, 2002

Order/Opinion

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5662601/pc-mayweathers-v-sutton/

Last updated Feb. 7, 2024, 3:13 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT no Summons(es) issued; Fee status pd entered on 8/20/96 in the amount of $ 5.00 ( Receipt No. 123138) [3:96-cv-02981] (mcl, COURT STAFF) (Entered: 08/21/1996)

Aug. 20, 1996

Aug. 20, 1996

2

ORDER by Judge Eugene F. Lynch to transfer case to Eastern District of CA ; appeal filing ddl 9/25/96 ( Date Entered: 8/26/96) (cc: all counsel) [3:96-cv-02981] (mcl, COURT STAFF) (Entered: 08/26/1996)

Aug. 23, 1996

Aug. 23, 1996

3

RECEIPT from U.S. District Court, Central District of CA for certified copy of coket sheet, transferral order and original case file documents [3:96-cv-02981] (mcl, COURT STAFF) (Entered: 09/06/1996)

Sept. 5, 1996

Sept. 5, 1996

510

ORDER by Honorable Lawrence K. Karlton ORDERING motion for summary judgment by plaintiffs [497-1] GRANTED; dfts are PERMANENTLY ENJOINED as follows: dfts may not impose any form of discipline on the plts, or cause them to forfeit or be denied the opp ortunity to earn sentence-reducing credits, based on plts' attendance at Jumu'ah services; dfts may not impose any form of discipline on plts for wearing half-inch beards for religious purposes; the court specifically finds that foregoing t he relief afforded extends no further than necessary to correct the threat to plts' rights under RLUIPA and, accordingly, that it is narrowly drawn and the least intrusive means necessary to correct the harm; the parties are ORDERED to MEET AND CONFER concerning the appropriate means of locating and expunging plts' disciplinary records in accordance with the principles outlined in this order and consistent with 18:3626 (a)(1); the parties SHALL FILE a joint proposed order addressing th is issue not later than 30 days from the effective date of this order; should the parties fail to reach agreement on the matter, the parties SHALL FILE separate proposed orders not later than 30 days from the effective date of this order (cc: all counsel) (ndd)

June 25, 2004

June 25, 2004

RECAP
543

ORDER signed by Judge Lawrence K. Karlton on 8/11/05 re 542 ORDERING that Clerk is directed to SERVE a copy of the motion on class counsel. Clerk is directed to SERVE a copy of this order on Mr. Nwozuzu at HDSP, Susanville, CA 96127. (cc to Mr. Nwozuzu and copy of Motion to class counsel)(Duong, D)

Aug. 15, 2005

Aug. 15, 2005

RECAP

Case Details

State / Territory: California

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: Aug. 20, 1996

Closing Date: 2004

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

All present and future Muslim inmates at California State Penitentiary at Solano.

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: Yes

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Granted

Defendants

California State Prison System (Solono), State

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Religious Freedom Rest. Act/Religious Land Use and Inst. Persons Act (RFRA/RLUIPA)

Constitutional Clause(s):

Free Exercise Clause

Equal Protection

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Litigation

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 2000 - 0

Content of Injunction:

Preliminary relief granted

Issues

General:

Disciplinary procedures

Religious programs / policies

Type of Facility:

Government-run