Although a prisoner wanted to engage in “communal” feasts as part of his celebration of annual Rastafarian holy days, he provided no direct evidence to show that other inmates would join his gatherings, and thus he could not show prison ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Rights Judge Julius N. Richardson

Where plaintiffs challenging Mississippi’s death penalty practices subpoenaed the Virginia Department of Corrections in the hopes of gathering information that would help them prove deficiencies in Mississippi’s practices, the subpoena was quashed because the department had already produced relevant information ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Civil Practice Judge Julius N. Richardson

Where a juror had to be excused after expressing fear that she would be retaliated against if she found the defendants guilty, the other jurors, who confirmed their ability to be fair and impartial, were not tainted, and the defendants ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Criminal Judge Julius N. Richardson

A university professor who alleged she was paid less than male colleagues failed to persuade the court the difference in pay was due to her gender. Instead, the court held the difference was based on legitimate factors, including different job ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Employment Discrimination Judge Julius N. Richardson