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

1,757 decisions
Apr 17 2026
9th Cir. 17-72643 Unpublished

CARLOS GONZALEZ-BENITEZ v. TODD BLANCHE, Acting Attorney General Nos. 17-72643; 18-71411

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order rejecting a motion to reopen removal proceedings based on ineffective assistance of counsel. The court affirmed that the petitioner failed to satisfy the procedural requirements of Matter of Lozada because he did not provide his former counsel sufficient time to respond to allegations before filing his motion.

Civil Immigration (Civil) Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 16 2026
4th Cir. 25-1065 Per Curiam

Bomar v. Board of Education of Harford County

The Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Harford County School Board, ruling that four former assistant principals failed to provide sufficient evidence that their reassignment was motivated by discrimination or retaliation. The court held that the plaintiffs could not prove the school board's stated reasons for the reduction in force were pretextual, nor could they establish a causal link for their retaliation claims.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment Summary Judgment
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Apr 16 2026
9th Cir. 3:17-cr-00291-MO-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. HENRY KONAH KOFFIE

The Ninth Circuit affirmed Henry Konah Koffie's drug trafficking convictions, ruling that constitutional errors at trial were harmless due to overwhelming independent evidence of guilt. The court addressed issues involving the Confrontation Clause, Fourth Amendment suppression, and the denial of a Franks hearing.

Constitutional Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Sixth Amendment - Confrontation Clause
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Apr 16 2026
11th Cir. 2:25-cv-00070-ECM-KFP Per Curiam

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company v. Thomason

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's order remanding a foreclosure ejectment case to state court, ruling that the defendant's removal attempt violated a prior filing injunction. The court held that the injunction expressly barred future filings regarding the property and warned of summary dismissal for non-compliance.

Constitutional Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 16 2026
10th Cir. 4:21-CR-00351-GKF-3) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JAMES WILLIAM BUZZARD

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a hearing on ineffective assistance of counsel because the rejected plea offer lacked a firm expiration date. The court dismissed the ineffective assistance claim without prejudice, directing the defendant to pursue such constitutional challenges through a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion rather than on direct appeal.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255) Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 16 2026
6th Cir. 24-4068 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CHRISTEN L. CLARK

The Sixth Circuit vacated the district court's denial of a defendant's motion to withdraw a guilty plea, ruling that the sudden resignation of counsel due to pending disciplinary action created a presumption of ineffective assistance requiring an evidentiary hearing. The court held that the district court abused its discretion by relying solely on the plea colloquy without resolving factual disputes regarding the voluntariness of the plea.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255) Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-50671 Per Curiam

Sheets v. Scott & White Hospital of Marble Falls

The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Baylor Scott & White Hospital, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove a causal link between her protected activity and subsequent adverse employment actions. The court held that significant temporal gaps between the employee's reports of racial discrimination and the disciplinary measures taken against her rendered the retaliation claim insufficient as a matter of law.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment Summary Judgment
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Apr 16 2026
9th Cir. 2:23-cv-07851- Published

Nicholas Brown v. The Brita Products Company

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action alleging that Brita Products Company violated California consumer protection laws through misrepresentations and omissions regarding its water filters. The court held that no reasonable consumer would expect the low-cost filters to remove or reduce hazardous contaminants to below lab detectable limits, especially given the company's clear disclosures.

Civil Civil Rights - Voting Consumer Protection
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