Williams v. Bitner.

• Position: Violation of United States Constitution. 1st Amendment and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 - Brief Article

U.S. District Court

WORK

RLUIPA -- Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act

Williams v. Bitner, 285 F. Supp.2d 593 (M.D.Pa. 2003). An inmate brought an action against state corrections officers under [section] 1983 and the Religious Land use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The district court held that RLUIPA did not violate the Establishment Clause and that the Act did not impermissibly control state legislatures. The court found that RLUIPA did not exceed congressional power under the Spending Clause and that it did not unconstitutionally abrogate the immunity granted by the Eleventh Amendment. The court denied summary judgment to the officers, finding that they were not...