Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Damon Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, et al.
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, No. 22-30686 · judgment September 14, 2023
Decided · June 23, 2026
Pre-decision estimate: 2% cert probability
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Question presented
Congress has enacted two "sister" statutes to protect religious exercise: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. 2000cc et seq. In Tanzin v. Tanvir, 592 U.S. 43 (2020), this Court held that an individual may sue a government official in his individual capacity for damages for violations of RFRA. RLUIPA's relevant language is identical. The question presented is whether an individual may sue a government official in his individual capacity for damages for violations of RLUIPA.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Zachary D. Tripp
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
For respondent
Jorge Benjamin Aguinaga
Louisiana Department of Justice
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 3 conferences
Amicus briefs
9 cert-stage · 23 merits
(22 supporting pet./neither, 1 respondent)
Argument & decision
Argued November 10, 2025 — Zachary D. Tripp · J. Benjamin Aguiñaga. Audio and transcript
Decided June 23, 2026. Opinion by Gorsuch.
Proceedings
- Jul 27 2026Judgment Issued.
- Jun 23 2026Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Gorsuch, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, JJ., joined. Jackson, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Sotomayor and Kagan, JJ., joined.
- Nov 10 2025Argued. For petitioner: Zachary D. Tripp, Washington, D. C.; and Libby A. Baird, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondents: J. Benjamin Aguiñaga, Solicitor General, Baton Rouge, La.
- Oct 27 2025Reply of petitioner Damon Landor filed. (Distributed)
- Oct 20 2025Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
- Oct 02 2025Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
- Oct 01 2025Brief amicus curiae of National Sheriffs’ Association filed. (Distributed)
- Oct 01 2025Brief of respondents Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- Sep 30 2025CIRCULATED
- Sep 15 2025Record received electronically from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana and available with the Clerk.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of 44 Religious Organizations filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of American Association for Justice filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Christian Legal Society filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Rastafari Scholars filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of Agudath Israel of America filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Dr. Denny Autrey, et al. filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Religious and Civil-Rights Organizations filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of United States Senator Ted Cruz, et al. filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of Professor Byron R. Johnson filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of National Congress of American Indians, et al. filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of Hindu American Foundation filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Rights Behind Bars, et al. filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of National Police Accountability Project filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Major Religious Denominations filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Former Correctional Officials filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of The Bruderhof, et al. filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amici curiae of Seven Religious Liberty Scholars filed.
- Sep 03 2025Brief amicus curiae of American Center for Law and Justice filed.
- Sep 02 2025Brief amicus curiae of Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed.
- Aug 27 2025Brief of petitioner Damon Landor filed.
- Aug 27 2025Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
- Aug 25 2025Record received from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The record is electronic and is available on PACER.
- Aug 21 2025Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
- Aug 12 2025SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, November 10, 2025.
- Jul 16 2025Motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits is granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including August 27, 2025. The time to file respondents' brief on the merits is extended to and including October 1, 2025.
- Jun 30 2025Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
- Jun 23 2025Petition GRANTED.
- Jun 16 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/18/2025.
- May 27 2025DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/12/2025.
- May 22 2025Supplemental brief of respondents Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, et al. filed. (Distributed)
- May 07 2025Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
- Oct 07 2024The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.
- Aug 21 2024DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/30/2024.
- Aug 20 2024Reply of petitioner Damon Landor filed. (Distributed)
- Aug 07 2024Brief of respondents Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, et al. in opposition filed.
- Jun 26 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including August 7, 2024.
- Jun 25 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from July 8, 2024 to August 7, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amicus curiae of The Tayba Foundation filed.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amicus curiae of Dr. Denny Autrey filed.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amici curiae of Seven Religious Liberty Scholars filed.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amicus curiae of Byron R. Johnson filed.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amici curiae of 33 Religious Organizations filed.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amicus curiae of Agudath Israel of America filed.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amici curiae of Bruderhof, et al. filed.
- Jun 06 2024Brief amici curiae of Christian Legal Society, et al. filed. (June 14, 2024)
- May 24 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including July 8, 2024. See Rule 30.1.
- May 22 2024Motion to extend the time to file a response from June 6, 2024 to July 6, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
- May 03 2024Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 6, 2024)