Posner Judges Dreads
by Justin Shubow
Posted January 13, 2012, 7:11 PM
No sheriffs were shot, but a photo of reggae star Bob Marley made an appearance in a recent decision written by Judge Richard Posner. In a ruling regarding a prison inmate's pro se suit to be permitted to wear dreadlocks on religious grounds despite his not being a Rastafarian, the judge included the photo to demonstrate that "Dreadlocks can attain a formidable length and density," and thus can be a hiding place for weapons. However, Posner ruled that since the prison permits Rastafarians to wear dreadlocks for religious reasons, if the prisoner genuinely believes his religion similarly obligates such hair, he ought to be permitted to wear it as well.