United States Ninth Circuit

In a Wiccan prisoner's religious rights case involving the standards applicable to the termination of a consent decree on grounds of substantial compliance, the district court's order terminating a consent decree is vacated where the district court committed numerous errors and abused its discretion in terminating the consent decree, by: 1) applying the wrong legal standard; 2) finding substantial compliance by the prison officials without giving due attention to the various exacting obligations embodied in the decree, and without considering whether the purpose of the decree had been served; and 3) prejudicing the prisoner in his ability to allege violations of the 2011 consent decree.

Appellate Information

• Published 2016/06/17

Judges

• KOZINSKI

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel