Opinion ID: 3214358
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Vacatur of the Consent Decree

Text: A few months later, on February 4, 2013, Defendants moved to vacate the Consent Decree. In support of the motion, Defendants provided a declaration from Nathan Wilcox, a Correctional Counselor and Litigation Coordinator at the Lancaster Prison. Wilcox attested to Defendants’ “full compliance with the terms of the Consent Decree, including the construction of the outdoor religious area and Plaintiff’s access to religious items.” Wilcox stated that Rouser had been provided access to the personal religious items set forth in the Decree, including “tarot cards, oils, herbs, stones, 1 On November 28, 2012, the court issued a separate order denying Rouser’s other outstanding motions because Rouser had failed to comply with the Consent Decree’s exhaustion requirement. ROUSER V. WHITE 31 feathers, and shells.” Rouser also had received access to all religious group items for Wiccan services, and had “been permitted to order and purchase additional religious items.” Esbats now were scheduled and held on a weekly basis with the assistance of a volunteer Wiccan minister, subject to institutional safety and security concerns. A fire pit and outdoor religious worship area had been constructed for Wiccan inmates’ use. Wilcox explained that Wiccan inmates used the outdoor religious area for the Samhain Sabbat on October 31, 2012, and the Yule Sabbat on December 23, 2012. Defendants also submitted an October 18, 2012 memorandum requiring Wiccan service “to be announced in the same manner and to the same extent as announced for religious events of other religious groups,” and detailing procedures for storage of group religious items and use of the outdoor religious area. On February 21, 2013, Rouser opposed the motion to vacate, alleging that prison officials had only allowed him, in the absence of a volunteer chaplain, to complete one ritual at the outdoor religious ground since it was completed and to use one candle, instead of seven, for the 2012 Yule Sabbat. On March 13, 2013, the district court granted the motion to vacate and entered judgment for Defendants. Citing to declarations by prison staff and “internal prison procedures setting forth approved Wiccan religious activities,” the court ruled that Defendants had demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that they had substantially complied with Decree. The court explained that “[a]lthough it is not entirely clear from his Opposition, Plaintiff contends that Defendants have not complied with the settlement agreement in a handful of instances.” The court concluded that, even assuming these 32 ROUSER V. WHITE allegations to be true, they did not overcome Defendants’ showing of substantial compliance.