U.S. Supreme Court rules in RLUIPA sovereign immunity case

By Kimberly Atkins Dolan Media Newswires BOSTON, MA -- The acceptance of federal funds does not constitute a waiver of states' sovereign immunity to suits for money damages under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the U.S. Supreme Court held on April 20th. The ruling in Sossamon v. Texas - the only opinion issued by the Court this morning - means a Texas inmate who claimed he was denied use of the prison chapel and denied access to other worship services during his prison term cannot bring a suit for damages against the state. Entire contents copyrighted © 2011 by Dolan Media Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is expressly forbidden. Published: Mon, May 2, 2011