Inmate beards, Facebook threats on U.S. top court’s docket

The U.S. Supreme Court opens on Monday a new term in which the nine justices will decide issues such as whether a Muslim prison inmate can have a beard and whether a man can be prosecuted for making threatening statements on Facebook. The term, which runs to the end of June, is expected to be defined by whatever action the justices take on whether states can ban gay marriage. They have not yet agreed to hear any of the seven cases already decided by federal appeals courts.

I’m more excited about the next 12 months at the Supreme Court than about any Supreme Court term in its modern history.

Thomas C. Goldstein, publisher of Scotus blog

Arkansas inmate Gregory Holt’s challenge to a state prison grooming policy will be heard on Tuesday. Holt, who initially got the court’s attention with a handwritten plea last year, says the policy violates a federal law giving religious rights to prisoners. He wants to grow a 2.5 cm beard in accordance with his Muslim beliefs. Legal experts predict he has a good chance of victory. The Facebook threat case, to be argued on Dec. 1, concerns Anthony Elonis, who posted statements on the social network in 2010 after his wife, Tara Elonis, left him. Aimed at his wife, co-workers and others, the posts were mostly in the form of rap lyrics in which he fantasized about committing violent acts. The legal question is whether prosecutors needed to convince jurors that Elonis intended his statements to be interpreted as threats.

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