Supreme Court delivers key rulings on dreadlocks, Exxon, and Trump appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered several significant rulings recently, including two on June 23, 2026. In one decision, the Court ruled 6-3 that a Rastafarian former inmate, Damon Landor, cannot sue Louisiana prison officials for monetary damages under a federal religious freedom law, despite officials having forcibly shaved his dreadlocks in violation of his religious beliefs. Although the Court condemned the actions, it found the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) does not permit such lawsuits for money. Simultaneously, the Court sided with Exxon Mobil in a 6-3 decision, allowing the company to proceed with a lawsuit against Cuban state-owned entities in U.S. courts to seek compensation for properties seized by Fidel Castro's government decades ago under the Helms-Burton Act.

In a separate key ruling on July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court addressed presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. The Court decided that presidents possess absolute immunity for actions taken under their core constitutional authority and presumptive immunity for all other official acts, but hold no immunity for private conduct. This 6-3 ruling vacated a lower court's decision and sent the case back for further proceedings.