Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-01986/USCOURTS-ca8-05-01986-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 

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United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 05-1986

___________

John A. Lamb, *

*

Appellant, *

*

v. *

*

Missouri Department of Corrections; * Appeal from the United States

* District Court for the

Defendant, * Western District of Missouri.

*

Dave Dormire; David Corum; Roger * [UNPUBLISHED]

Sutton, *

*

Appellees, *

*

Elrod, *

*

Defendant, *

*

Warren Cressey, *

*

Appellee, *

*

Gillian, *

*

Defendant, *

*

Tom Wulff; Joann Prater; Claudin *

Miller; Dwayne Kempker, Functional *

Unit Manager; Andrea Galbreath; *

Arthur Woods; Charles Verdugo, Case *

Appellate Case: 05-1986 Page: 1 Date Filed: 11/18/2005 Entry ID: 1976402
1

The Honorable Nanette K. Laughrey, United States District Judge for the

Western District of Missouri, adopting the report and recommendations of the

Honorable William A. Knox, United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District

of Missouri. 

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Worker; Walter Friesen; Tanya *

Kempker; George King; William *

Green, Detective; Donald Owens; *

Malone; Walling; John Gilliam; Stanley *

Keely; Sam Plaster; Paula Huffman *

Phillips, previously filed as Paula *

Humphreys Phillips; J. Brown, *

Mailroom Clerk, *

*

Appellees. *

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Submitted: November 7, 2005

Filed: November 18, 2005

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Before BYE, McMILLIAN, and RILEY, Circuit Judges.

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PER CURIAM.

Missouri inmate John A. Lamb appeals the district court’s1

 adverse grant of

summary judgment in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action. Lamb sued multiple officials and

employees at the Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC), claiming due process

and First Amendment violations based on alleged confiscation of his religious books,

and on his placement in administrative segregation allegedly in retaliation for his

religious beliefs.

Appellate Case: 05-1986 Page: 2 Date Filed: 11/18/2005 Entry ID: 1976402
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Initially, we reject Lamb’s unsupported contention that the district court’s

conclusions were improperly based on adverse credibility findings, and for the

following reasons, we agree with the district court that Lamb failed to create any

trialworthy issues. See Murphy v. Mo. Dep’t of Corr., 372 F.3d 979, 982 (8th Cir.)

(de novo standard of review), cert. denied, 125 S. Ct. 501 (2004).

First, evidence that Lamb himself filed with the district court showed that the

books necessary for him to practice his religion (Wotanism) are the “Poetic Edda”

and a book on how to use “runes” (religious symbols), and there was no admissible

evidence establishing that such books had been confiscated from Lamb at JCCC. See

Weir v. Nix, 114 F.3d 817, 820 (8th Cir. 1997) (person claiming that governmental

action violates his right to practice his religion, must show that action at issue

substantially burdens his sincerely held religious belief). Second, we agree with the

district court that any due process claim based on the deprivation of Lamb’s books

should be brought in state court. See DeArmon v. Burgess, 388 F.3d 609, 613 (8th

Cir. 2004). Finally, the district court properly concluded that Lamb’s retaliation

claim failed, because there was some evidence supporting the decisions to assign

Lamb to administrative segregation. See Moore v. Plaster, 313 F.3d 442, 444 (8th

Cir. 2002) (per curiam), cert. dismissed, 539 U.S. 901 (2003).

Accordingly, we affirm. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.

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Appellate Case: 05-1986 Page: 3 Date Filed: 11/18/2005 Entry ID: 1976402