Inmate Sues Henry County Over Pork
An inmate in the Henry County Jail is suing the sheriff and the county because he says he is being discriminated against and his First Amendment Rights violated. Justin Blankenship, 30, of Paris, has been jailed since December of 2009. He says his religious freedom is being violated because he is not offered a “non-pork” option for meals and would like $10,000 a day that he is not given the option to not eat pork. Blankenship says is an “Identity Christian.” The denomination is a common choice for those of the Aryan Nation. In a handwritten letter, he says, “I’m suing Sheriff Monte Belew for establishing and administrating policy which discriminates against my religious freedom and 1st Ammendment (sic) Rights, and I’m suing Henry County, TN for electing Sheriff Monte Belew, who discriminates against my religious freedom and 1st Ammendment (sic) Rights.” Blankenship is jailed on weapons and drug counts.
