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Cooper v. Pate
Citations: 12 L. Ed. 2d 1030; 84 S. Ct. 1733; 378 U.S. 546; 1964 U.S. LEXIS 832Docket: 1134 M
Court: Supreme Court of the United States; June 22, 1964; Federal Supreme Court; Federal Appellate Court
The Supreme Court granted the petitioner's motion to proceed in forma pauperis and the petition for a writ of certiorari in the case of Cooper v. Pate. The petitioner, an inmate at the Illinois State Penitentiary, filed a complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1343 and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, claiming that he was denied the right to purchase religious publications and other privileges solely based on his religious beliefs. The District Court dismissed the case for failure to state a claim, which was affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court reversed the lower courts’ judgments, stating that the allegations in the complaint were sufficient to establish a cause of action. The Court emphasized that the petitioner's claims must be taken as true at this stage, and it was an error to dismiss the case.