Pursuant to5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 , the court has determined that this opinion should not be * publishe d and is not prece dent except under the limite d circumstances set forthin5 T H C IR . R. 4 7 .5 

### INTHE UNITED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 07- 10274 Su m m ar y Cal endar RO BE RT N S M I T HBA CK Pl ai nt i f f

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v. CH RI STI N A M EL TO N CR AI N ; SU SI E C H I LE S D efen da n t s- A pp el l ees A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or th e N ort h ernD i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 3: 05- C V
- 578 B ef ore H IG G IN B O T H A M , B A R K S D A L E , an d E L R O D , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * R obertN . Sm i t h back , T e x a s pri soner # 108 010 9, app eal s an ad verse sum m ary j u dg m en ton h i s c h al l en ge t o T exas B oard of C ri m i n alJu st i ce Pol i cy 03.9 1 , or B P
- 03. 91, w h i ch proh ibi t s pri soners f rom draw i n g i l l u st rat i on s or m essages on en vel opes i n w h i ch they s en d outgoi n g m ai l . A l t h ou gh Sm i t h back w as appoi nt ed c ounse li n t he di st r i c tc our t , he i s notpr oc ee di ng i n f o r ma United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D Ma rch 5, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 07- 10274

2 pa u peri s on app eal . Th eref ore, t h e t h ree- st rikes ba r i n 28 U . S . C . § 1915 ( g) does notapply. S m ith b a c ka tt e m p te dto m a il a le tt e rf r o m a T e x a s co r r e c tio n s fa c ilityin an e nve l o pe o n whi c h he ha d d r awn a c r o s s an d pri nt e d “Je s us ” , “ LO RD ! ” a nd

“ In G od W e T rust” . S m i t h back d ecorat es h i s en vel opes i n this m an n er t o share h i s r el i gi ou s fai t h w i t h t h ose w h o com e i n contactw i t h t h e cor respond en ce. P ri son au th oriti es r efu sed to m a i lS m i th b a ck ’ s l etter a n dretu rn edi t t o h i m w i t h a noti ce expl ai n i n g t h at th el e t t er w as “ [ n ] on - m ai l able corr espon den ce” b eca u se it“[c]on tain s i l l u stration s or w ri ttenm e ssa ge s on [th e] en ve l op e”. S m i t h back f

i l ed a gri evan ce w i t h pri son au t h orit i es, b u toff i ci al s ref

u sed t o al t er B oard P ol i cy 03. 91, w h i ch st ates: O ff en d ers m a y n ot em b elli sh the i r ou tgo i n ge n ve l op es w i th i l l us t r at i o ns o rw r i t t e n m e s s ag e s o t he rt han t he r e t ur n a ddr e s s , t he nam e a nd a ddr e s s o f t he i nt e nde d r e c i pi e nt , and a not at i o n t hatt he e n v e lo p e co n ta in s le g a l, sp e c ia l, o rm e d iam a il. S m i t h back su ed C h ri st i n a M el t on C rai n , the cha i r of the T exas B oard of C ri m i n alJu st i ce, an d S u si e C h i l es, the T exas D epa rt m en tof C ri m i n alJu st i ce (T D C J) m ai l
- syst em coordi n ator , in t h ei r of f i ci alcapaci t i es, chal l en gi n g B oard P ol i cy 03. 91 u n der 42 U . S . C . § 198 3. S m i t h back con t en ded the pol i cy i n f ri n ged h i s reli giou s f

ree d om an df

ree d om of sp ee ch u n d er th e F i r s t an dF ou rteen th Am e ndm e nt s o f

t he U ni t e d St at e s Cons t i t ut i o n a nd h i s r i ght s und e rt he R e l i g i o u s L a n d Us e a n d I n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e d P e r s o n s A c t (R L UI P A) , 4 2 U. S . C. § 2 000c c . Sm i t hback’ s am ended c om pl ai ntal soi ncl uded s uppl em ent als t a t e - l aw c la im s u n d e rth e T e x a s C o n s tit u tio n , T EX . C ONST . ar t . I , § 6, and t he Texas R e lig io u s F r e e d o m R e s to r a tio n A c t (T R F R A), T EX . C IV . P RA C . & R EM . C ODEA NN . § 1 10. 003. A fte rth e p a r tie s co n s e n te dto h a v e am a g is tr a te ju d g e ru le o n a ll d i sp ositive m oti on s i n the cas e p u rsu a n t to 2 8 U . S . C . § 63 6 (c) , a m a gistrate j udg e g r ant e d the de fe nda nt s ’s um m ar y-j udg m e ntm o t i on a nd d i s m i s s e d theN o. 07- 10274

3 a c tio n . Sm i t hba c k v . Texas , N o. 3- 05- C V
- 0578- B D , 2007 W L 2413 76 ( N . D . Tex. 2 9 J a n . 2 0 0 7 ). S m i t h back seeks revi ew on l y f or h i s R L U IPA an d TR F R Acl ai m s. Acc o r di ngly, hi s o t he rc l ai m s a r e a ba ndo ne d. R egard i n g t h e T R F R Acl ai m , defen da n t s c on t en d, a s th e y di d i n di st ri ct court, t h at s u bj ect - m att er j u ri sdi ct i on i s l acking. Aqu est i on of subj ect - m att er j ur i s di c t i o n i s r e vi e w e d de no vo . E . g. , I n reG r andJuryPro c e e di ngs , 115 F. 3d 12 40 , 1 24 3 ( 5t h Ci r . 1 99 7) . The St at e o f Tex as i s t he r e alpa r t y i n i nt e r e s t , a nd th e E l ev en th A m en d m en t ba rred the distri ct cou rt f rom ex ercisi n g su bj ectm a tt e rju r is d ic tio n o v e rS m ith b a c k ’ s T R F R Acla im . Pe n n h u rs t S ta teS c h . & Ho s p. v . Halde r m an , 4 6 5 U .S . 8 9 , 1 0 1 -0 2 , 1 2 0 -2 1 (19 8 4 ). R e g a r d in gth e d is m is s a l o f th e R L U IP Acla im , as u m m a r yju d g m e n t is r e vi e w e d de no vo . T h readg i l lv. Prud enti al S ec. G roup , I n c. , 145 F. 3d 286, 292 ( 5t h Ci r . 1 99 8) . Sum m ar y j udg m e nti s a ppr o pr i at e “i f t he pl e ad i ngs , t he d is c o v e r y a n d d is c lo s u r e m a te r ia ls o n file , a n d a n y a ffid a v its s h o w th a t t h e r e is n o g en u i n e issu e a s to a n y m a terialfa ct an dtha t th e m ov a n t i s en titl edto ju d g m e n t a s am a tt e ro f la w ”. F ED . R. C IV . P . 5 6 (c). T o th e e x te n t S m ith b a c ks e e k s co m p e n s a toryda m a ge s u n d erR L U IP A , h is c l ai m i s fo r e c l o s e d byo urv e r y r e c e ntde c i s i o n i n S ossam on v. L on e Star Stat e of Texas , 200 9 W L 382 260 , at *8 (5 th C ir . 200 9) (h ol di n g t h at, regardl ess of w h eth er R L U IP Acr ea tes acl a i m f or d a m a ge s ag a i n st T ex a s an dthe de fen d a n ts i n t hei ro f

f i c i alc apac i t i es , an aw ar d of dam ages i s bar r ed bys t at e s ove r ei gn im m u n ity). O u rc o u r tr e c e n t lyh e ldth e E le v e n t h A m e n d m e n td o e s n o tb a rap r is o n e r ’s R L U IP Acla im s fo rd e c la r a to r ya n dinju n c tiv e re lie f a g a in s t s ta te p r is o n o ff ici a ls s u e din t h e iro ffic ia l ca p a c ity . S e eMayfie ldv . T ex . D e p ’ t of C r im in a l Ju s tic e, 529 F .3 d5 9 9 , 6 0 4 -0 5 (5 th C ir . 2 0 0 8 ); seealso Sossam on , at*5 ( af fi r m i ng t hat RL U I PA“ unam bi guo us l y c reat e s ” apr iva t e r i ghto f a c t i o n f

o ri nj unc t ivea nd decl arator y rel i ef

) . R L U IPAst ates:N o. 07- 10274

4 N o g o ve r nm e nts halli m po s e a s ubs t ant i al bur de n o n t he r e l i gi o us exerci se of

a p erson resi di n g i n or confi n ed to an i n st i t u t i on . . . even i f t he b ur de n r e s ul t s f

r o m ar ul e o f

g e ne r ala ppli c ab i l i t y, unl e s s t he gov er nm entdem ons t r at es t hati m pos i t i on o f t he bur den on that p e r s o n— (1) i s i n f

u rth era n ce of a co m p elli n g g ov ern m en tal i n teres t; and ( 2) i s t he l e as t r e s t r i c t ive m e ans o f f ur t he r i ng t hatc o m pe l l i ng go ve rn m en tal i n teres t. 42 U . S. C. § 2 00 0c c - 1( a) . A “ r e l i gi o us e xe r c i se” i s “ anye xe r c i s e o f r e l i gi o n, wh e t h e ro rn o tc o m p e l l e d b y , o r c e n t r a l t o , as y s t e m o f r e l i g i o u s b e l i e f

” . 4 2 U. S . C. § 2 0 0 0 cc -5 (7 )(A). A dki nsv . Kas

par , 3 93 F. 3d5 59 ( 5t h Ci r . 2 00 4) , he l d: “ [A] g o ve r nm e nt a c t i o n o rr e g u la tio n cr e a te s a‘ s u b s ta n tia l b u r d e n ’o n are lig io u s e x e r c is e if it t r ul y pr e s s ur e s t he a dhe r e ntt o s i gnif i c ant l y m o dif

y hi s r e l i gi o us b e hav i o ra nd s ig n ific a n tlyv io la te h i s r e l i g io u s b e lie fs ”. I d. a t 5 7 0 . Adki nsa l s o e xp l ai ne d:

“ [T] he e f

fec tof a g ove r nm entact i on or r egul at i on i s s i gni f i c antw hen i tei t her( 1) i nf l uence s t he adher entt o a c ti n a w ay t hatvi ol at es hi s r eli gi ous be l i efs, or( 2) fo r c e s th e a d h e r e n t to c h o o s e b e tw e e n , o n th e o n e h a n d , e njo y in gs o m e g e n e r a lly av ail ab l e , no n- t r ivi alb e ne f i t , a nd, o n t he o t he rha nd, f ol l ow i ng hi s r e l i gi o us b e lie fs ”. Id . C on versely, a govern m en t alregul ati on or act i on does not sub st an t i al l y bu rden rel i gi ou s exerc i se “i f itm erely preven t s th e adh erent f rom e i t he re nj o yi ng s o m e b e ne f i tt hati s no to t he r w i s e g e ne r all y av ail ab l e o ra c t i ng in aw a yth a t is n o t o th e r w is e g e n e r a llya llo w e d”. I d. Alt ho ughBoa r d Po l i c y 03 . 91 pr o hibit s pr i s o ne r s f r o m de c o r at i ng t he o u t s i d e o f

t he i rmaile n v e l o p e s , S m i t h b a c kd o e s n o tc o n t e n dt h a tt h e T DCJ r e s t r i c t s i n a ny w ayhi s re l i gi o us e xe r c i s e w i t hi n a n e nve l o pe . Com m uni c at i ng w i t h t h ose w h o ha n dl e a pi ece of pri son m ai l

— as opp osed t o an add ress ee— i s a
“ben ef i tt h at i s not gen eral l y ava i l able”an d i n volves “ act i n g i n a w ay t h at i s not o th e r w is e g e n e r a llya llo w e d ”. I d. B ecau se B oard P ol i cy 03. 91 d oes n ot sub st an t i al l y bu rden S m i t h back ’ s r el i gi ou s exerc i se, R L U IPAdoes not r equ i reN o. 07- 10274

5 t ha tt he p o l i c yb e n a r r o wl yt a i l o r e dt o f ur t he rac o m p e l l i ngg o v e r nm ent al in te r e s t. S ee§ 2 0 0 0 cc -1 (a).

AF F I RMED.