AR-News: (US-NY) NY Times on vegan suit

[marisul]

Three at Rikers Sue for Vegan Food
By BENJAMIN WEISER


Three Jewish inmates at Rikers Island have filed a federal lawsuit saying their constitutional rights were violated by prison officials' refusal to provide them a vegan diet, which the inmates say is required by their religious beliefs.

In a brief hearing yesterday, Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of Federal District Court in Manhattan refused a request that she immediately order the city prison to provide vegan diets to the three prisoners, but the judge did agree to hold a full hearing on the matter on Wednesday.

The plaintiffs, Joshua Schwartz, 20, Benjamin Persky, 24, and Jennifer Greenberg, 17, were originally arrested on charges that they damaged property during an animal rights protest about a laboratory that uses animals in drug and chemical testing, their lawyers, Amy Trakinski and Leonard Egert, said in court papers. Mr. Schwartz and Ms. Greenberg are serving one-year sentences; Mr. Persky is serving two to six years. All have been in custody since last year

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/04/nyregion/04VEGA.html
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