Aisha Johnson

Correspondent

Aisha Johnson

Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.

Civil Rights & Constitutional

Decisions covered by Aisha Johnson

1,073 decisions
Dec 3 2025
1st Cir. 23-2011 Panel Decision

REYNALDO CRUZ v. UNIÓN INDEPENDIENTE AUTÉNTICA DE LOS EMPLEADOS DE LA AUTORIDAD DE ACUEDUCTOS Y ALCANTARILLADOS; PUERTO RICO AQUEDUCT AND SEWER AUTHORITY; JENNIFFER A. GONZÁLEZ...

The First Circuit reversed a district court dismissal of a § 1983 lawsuit, holding that the case was not moot despite the defendants depositing the disputed union dues. The court remanded the matter to determine whether the plaintiff qualifies as a prevailing party for attorney's fees, a status that could be lost if the case is deemed moot.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983
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Dec 2 2025
11th Cir. 6:22-cr-00024-CEM-EJK-1 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. RONALD ANTHONY BEASLEY, II

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Ronald Beasley's conviction for health-care fraud and conspiracy, rejecting his claims regarding newly discovered evidence and evidentiary rulings. The court held that the district court properly admitted evidence of uncharged theft as intrinsic evidence and did not err in denying a new trial or failing to hold an in-camera hearing on a witness's Fifth Amendment invocation.

Constitutional Fifth Amendment - Self-Incrimination Fourteenth Amendment - Equal Protection Sixth Amendment - Confrontation Clause
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Dec 1 2025
11th Cir. 1:21-mi-55555-JPB Per Curiam

In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202

The Eleventh Circuit vacated the district court's preliminary injunction regarding Georgia's Election Integrity Act gift ban because the lower court failed to apply the Supreme Court's facial-challenge framework from Moody v. NetChoice. The appellate court remanded the case for a new analysis that weighs the law's constitutional applications against its unconstitutional ones across its full scope.

Civil Civil Rights - Voting
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Nov 20 2025
11th Cir. 6:21-cv-01057-RDP Published

Smothers v. Childers, et al. (Walker County)

The Eleventh Circuit reversed a district court's grant of summary judgment, holding that Alabama state law does not shield Walker County from federal liability under Section 1983 for its policy of contracting with an incompetent medical provider. The court found sufficient evidence for a jury to conclude that the county's deliberate indifference to inmate healthcare violated the Eighth Amendment.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983 Summary Judgment
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Nov 17 2025
11th Cir. 3:20-cv-05358-RH-HTC Published

Alford v. Walton County

The Eleventh Circuit held that a Walton County ordinance banning all access to privately-owned beaches during the COVID-19 pandemic constituted a physical taking under the Fifth Amendment. The court reversed the district court's summary judgment for the County, ruling that public emergencies do not create an exception to the Takings Clause.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983 Mootness Summary Judgment
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Nov 4 2025
11th Cir. 4:23-cv-00208-AW-MAF Published

Shen v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction regarding Florida's registration and affidavit requirements for real property owners. However, the court reversed the lower court's decision on the purchase restriction, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked Article III standing to challenge that specific provision.

Criminal National Defense & Espionage
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Oct 28 2025
10th Cir. 2:24-CV-00113-MV-GBW Panel Decision

VINAY SAINI v. HOSPITAL CARE CONSULTANTS

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Dr. Vinay Saini’s employment discrimination and retaliation claims, ruling that his complaints were time-barred and failed to state plausible causes of action. The court held that the statute of limitations began running at the time of his termination and that his subsequent discovery of the employer's true reasons did not trigger equitable tolling.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment
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Oct 23 2025
1st Cir. 23-1969 Panel Decision

United States Department of Natural Resources of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico v. Ernst Jacob GmbH & Co. KG; Shipowners Insurance & Guaranty Company, Ltd.

The First Circuit held that it possesses appellate jurisdiction over an interlocutory appeal in an Oil Pollution Act case because the litigation includes third-party admiralty claims. On the merits, the court reversed the District Court's grant of summary judgment, ruling that liability for natural resource damages must be determined by a preponderance of the evidence rather than under the deferential arbitrary-and-capricious standard.

Civil Civil Rights - Voting Summary Judgment
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Oct 17 2025
11th Cir. 7:19-cv-00529-LSC Published

Bridges v. Poe

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the grant of summary judgment in favor of jail administrators and the City of Jasper, ruling that plaintiffs failed to prove the supervisors knew of or tolerated widespread sexual abuse by jailers. The court held that without evidence of actual knowledge or a persistent custom of misconduct, the administrators could not be held liable under the Eighth Amendment or the TVPRA.

Criminal Qualified Immunity Sex Offenses Statute of Limitations
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Oct 17 2025
11th Cir. 0:22-cv-60746-RAR Published

Joseph Simone v. Secretary of Homeland Security

The Eleventh Circuit held that the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act abrogated its prior precedent in Castro, extending Rehabilitation Act protections to TSA security screeners. Consequently, the court vacated the district court's dismissal of the plaintiff's disability discrimination claim and remanded the case for further proceedings.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment
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