After all, even prisoners have certain religious liberties upon which the state cannot infringe.

A judge says the state of Pennsylvania cannot force a seriously ill prison inmate to undergo a blood transfusion - even if it could save his life.

In a ruling made public Wednesday, Commonwealth Court Judge Keith B. Quigley said inmate Anthony Lindsey's wishes must be respected under the First Amendment.

Lindsey suffers from a serious kidney ailment. A doctor at the Laurel Highlands state prison says the 37-year-old prisoner is in imminent danger of dying if he does not have a transfusion.

Lindsey says he refuses to allow a transfusion because it violates his religious beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness. He is serving a 13- to 36-year sentence for drug trafficking.

Now I recognize that the government can limit the exercise of religion in jails and prisons for security purposes, and I am generally supportive of their doing so to some degree. But attempting to limit a decision to forgo medical treatment made on religious grounds makes no sense, as it in no way burdens the state. That litigation was necessary here is just offensive.

Posted by: Greg at 11:56 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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