Filed Date: Aug. 28, 1979
Clearinghouse coding complete
In September 1979, American Indian prisoners of the New Mexico Penitentiary filed a Section 1983 class action suit in the District of New Mexico against the Warden and other state officials. Plaintiffs claimed that defendants violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments when they refused to allow plaintiffs to worship through the use of a traditional Indian sweat lodge and to wear their hair in the manner that their native religious belief requires. Plaintiffs were represented by lawyers from the Native American Rights Fund and Indian Pueblo Legal Services, as well as private counsel.
In December 1980, the court entered a consent order where defendants agreed to institute changes in the penitentiary's grooming policy and to permit the construction of a sweat lodge for religious use on a trial basis.
The docket for this case is not available on PACER, and therefore our information ends with the 1980 consent order.
Summary Authors
Eoghan Keenan (6/10/2005)
Campos, Santiago E. (New Mexico)
Echo-Hawk, Walter R. (Colorado)
Forney, Paula I. (New Mexico)
Yalman, Ann (New Mexico)
Muxlow, Ralph W. III (New Mexico)
Campos, Santiago E. (New Mexico)
Last updated Jan. 24, 2024, 3 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: New Mexico
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Aug. 28, 1979
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
American Indian prisoners of the New Mexico Penitentiary
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
State of New Mexico (Santa Fe), State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration: 1980 - None
Issues
General:
Type of Facility: