Case: Frease v. Griffin

6:79-00693 | U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico

Filed Date: Aug. 28, 1979

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Case Summary

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)

People


Judge(s)

Campos, Santiago E. (New Mexico)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Echo-Hawk, Walter R. (Colorado)

Forney, Paula I. (New Mexico)

Yalman, Ann (New Mexico)

Attorney for Defendant

Muxlow, Ralph W. III (New Mexico)

Judge(s)

Campos, Santiago E. (New Mexico)

Attorney for Defendant

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

6:79-00693

Consent Order, Judgment and Decree

Dec. 3, 1980

Dec. 3, 1980

Order/Opinion

Docket

Last updated Jan. 24, 2024, 3 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: New Mexico

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

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:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Free Exercise Clause

Available Documents:

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1980 - None

Issues

General:

Religious programs / policies

Type of Facility:

Government-run