Supreme Court rules for bearded Muslim inmate

January 20, 2015 at 9:40 a.m.

by The Associated Press

This undated photo provided by the Arkansas Department of Correction shows prison inmate Gregory Holt. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the case of Holt, who says his Muslim beliefs require him to grow a half-inch beard. Arkansas prison officials permit no beards, with the exception of inmates with certain skin conditions, who can have beards a quarter-inch long.
This undated photo provided by the Arkansas Department of Correction shows prison inmate Gregory Holt. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the case of Holt, who says his Muslim beliefs require him to grow a half-inch beard. Arkansas prison officials permit no beards, with the exception of inmates with certain skin conditions, who can have beards a quarter-inch long.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is siding with a Muslim prison inmate in Arkansas who sued for the right to grow a short beard for religious reasons.

The court's unanimous ruling Tuesday in a case about religious liberty stands in contrast to the Hobby Lobby case that bitterly divided the justices in June over whether family-owned corporations could mount religious objections to paying for women's contraceptives under the health care overhaul.

The justices said that inmate Gregory Holt could maintain a half-inch beard because Arkansas prison officials could not substantiate claims that the beard posed a security risk.

Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Upcoming Events