Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se prisoner's civil rights action alleging unconstitutional prison conditions. The court held that the plaintiff failed to allege facts sufficient to demonstrate deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm.
The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order dismissing a motion to reopen removal proceedings. The court found no abuse of discretion in the denial based on the petitioners' failure to comply with procedural requirements for ineffective assistance of counsel claims.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's civil rights lawsuit because he failed to comply with district court orders. The court held that the district court acted within its discretion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) and that the plaintiff waived any objections to the magistrate judge's report by failing to raise them.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment in a prisoner's civil rights case, ruling that the lower court did not abuse its discretion in denying motions to reopen discovery. The appellate court held that the appellant failed to demonstrate the diligence required to justify additional discovery or show that such discovery would have prevented summary judgment.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a California state prisoner's pro se lawsuit alleging First Amendment retaliation. The court held that the plaintiff failed to allege sufficient facts to establish a plausible causal connection between his protected conduct and the adverse actions taken against him.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's lawsuit alleging that prison officials interfered with his constitutional right to marry. The court held that the plaintiff failed to allege sufficient facts to state a plausible claim under the Turner v. Safley standard.
The Federal Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a patent infringement suit because the plaintiff lacked constitutional standing. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove it owned the patents at the time the lawsuit was filed.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a plaintiff's federal civil rights lawsuit challenging a state court child support order. The court ruled that the claims constituted a forbidden de facto appeal of the state judgment under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se complaint filed by George E. McDermott. The court held that the district court properly dismissed the action as frivolous under federal statute.
The Ninth Circuit vacated a district court's summary judgment in a prisoner's civil rights case, ruling that the lower court erred by dismissing the plaintiff's factual declaration as merely self-serving. The appellate court clarified that credibility determinations are functions reserved for a jury, not a judge, at the summary judgment stage.
