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Alabama DOC Settles Wicca Suit

On August 20, 2004, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) agreed to settle a suit seeking recognition and accommodation of Wiccan religious practices. In 1995, Timothy Hornsby sued the ADOC arguing that its refusal to recognize Wicca as a religion violated his constitutional and statutory rights. The suit dragged for nine years until it was finally settled in 2004.

As part of the settlement, the DOC agreed to “recognize the Wiccan religion and permit the practice of Wicca in its institutions.” The settlement also requires the ADOC to provide Hornsby with a litany of different items related to the Wiccan religion in order to facilitate his religious practice.

In addition, the settlement requires the ADOC to pay Hornsby $7,500, and it puts the ADOC on the hook for attorney’s fees. Hornsby was represented by Mark Sabel of Sabel & Sabel PC, a Montgomery, Alabama firm.

See: Hornsby v. Alabama, No. 95-T-385-N, (M.D. Ala. 2004).

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Related legal case

Hornsby v. Alabama