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Convicted Murderer Sues MA Prison For Lack Of Dragon's Blood
A convicted murderer in jail for killing three people more than two decades ago is taking a state department to court because he claims they won’t allow him to have spiritual healing medicines and items like “dragon’s blood” to practice his religious beliefs.
Daniel LaPlante, a prisoner currently in custody at the MCI-Norfolk jail, where he is spending life behind bars for the murder of a Townsend woman and her two children in 1987, is suing the state’s Department of Corrections claiming they have kept him from carrying out Wiccan rituals while serving time.
The Wiccan faith is a neo-pagan religion that focuses on nature using “mysticism, and natural magic or ritual.”
According to court documents, there has been a recognized Wicca presence at the jail where LaPlante is since the 1980s. In a document filed in U.S. district court, LaPlante, who is representing himself, claims the DOC has “hindered” his ability to practice his faith by not allowing him to obtain ritual oils for worship like “dragon’s blood,” “black opium,” and “honeysuckle.” In his court complaint, LaPlante lists more than 30 oils he says are essential to practicing his faith during the various cycles of the moon recognized by Wiccans.
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/05/14/wiccan-rituals-daniel-laplante-lawsuit/
Daniel LaPlante, a prisoner currently in custody at the MCI-Norfolk jail, where he is spending life behind bars for the murder of a Townsend woman and her two children in 1987, is suing the state’s Department of Corrections claiming they have kept him from carrying out Wiccan rituals while serving time.
The Wiccan faith is a neo-pagan religion that focuses on nature using “mysticism, and natural magic or ritual.”
According to court documents, there has been a recognized Wicca presence at the jail where LaPlante is since the 1980s. In a document filed in U.S. district court, LaPlante, who is representing himself, claims the DOC has “hindered” his ability to practice his faith by not allowing him to obtain ritual oils for worship like “dragon’s blood,” “black opium,” and “honeysuckle.” In his court complaint, LaPlante lists more than 30 oils he says are essential to practicing his faith during the various cycles of the moon recognized by Wiccans.
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/05/14/wiccan-rituals-daniel-laplante-lawsuit/
