Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Fourth Circuit vacated a district court's dismissal of a civil rights complaint based on an incorrect statute of limitations. The court clarified that West Virginia's two-year personal injury limit applies to the plaintiff's Section 1983 claims.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal of a civil rights complaint against a bail recovery company. The court held that private bail agents are not state actors and that the district court properly declined supplemental jurisdiction over state law claims.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a summary judgment ruling in favor of the Department of Veterans Affairs in a Title VII employment dispute. The court found insufficient evidence that the plaintiff's termination was motivated by race or retaliation for filing an internal discrimination complaint.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a firefighter's First Amendment retaliation claim after he posted racially offensive content on his public Facebook page. While the court found the district court erred in concluding the posts did not address matters of public concern, it held that the City's interest in maintaining public trust and workplace efficiency outweighed the employee's speech rights.
The Ninth Circuit dismissed the State of Nevada's appeal as moot after the state secured a new plea agreement with the petitioner. The court held that reversing the district court's vacatur of the petitioner's felony conviction would provide no effective relief given the intervening misdemeanor conviction and sentence.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's civil rights claims due to service of process defects and failure to state a claim. The court also upheld the denial of the plaintiff's motions for extensions of time to appeal under Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure four and six.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal of a Section nineteen eighty-three claim against the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. The court held that the Sheriff's Office is an arm of the state entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity under binding precedent.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal of a student's suit alleging disability discrimination and retaliation by a university. The court held that federal disability laws do not immunize students from disciplinary sanctions for harassing faculty members.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's civil rights claims against Texas state officials. The court held that the complaint relied on conclusory allegations and failed to state a valid claim for relief.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied a petition for review regarding a disability compensation calculation under the Longshoremen and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. The court affirmed that the Benefits Review Board's determination of the claimant's average weekly wage was supported by substantial evidence.
