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 23 2024
9th Cir. 9:23-cv-00101- Published

Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force; WildEarth Guardians v. State of Montana; Lesley Robinson; Greg Gianforte

The Ninth Circuit affirmed a preliminary injunction banning wolf trapping in Montana during grizzly bear denning season but vacated the order's geographic scope and prohibition on research trapping. The court held that while plaintiffs raised serious questions regarding unlawful grizzly bear take under the Endangered Species Act, the district court's injunction was overbroad in its application to areas outside the occupied grizzly range and to state research activities.

Mar 6 2024
9th Cir. 3:21-cv-01718- Published

B & L PRODUCTIONS, INC., DBA Crossroads of the West; BARRY BARDACK; RONALD J. DIAZ, Sr.; JOHN DUPREE; CHRISTOPHER IRICK; ROBERT SOLIS; LAWRENCE MICHAEL WALSH; CAPTAIN JON’S LOCK...

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a challenge to California statutes banning firearm sales on state property, ruling that the laws regulate nonexpressive conduct and do not violate the First or Second Amendments. In a related consolidated appeal, the court vacated a preliminary injunction, finding the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on their constitutional claims.

Feb 29 2024
9th Cir. 6:23-cv-01624- Per Curiam

Linthicum v. Wagner

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction, holding that legislators' walkouts to deny a quorum are official acts protected by Nevada Commission on Ethics v. Carrigan rather than personal speech under the First Amendment. Consequently, the Senators could not claim retaliation for absences incurred during their protest, meaning Oregon's constitutional disqualification provision applies without violating free speech rights.

Feb 24 2024
9th Cir. 1:24-cv-00066- Published

THOMAS EUGENE CREECH v. IDAHO COMMISSION OF PARDONS AND PAROLE and JAN M BENNETTS, Ada County Prosecuting Attorney

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction, rejecting a death row inmate's due process claims regarding Idaho's commutation proceedings. The court held that the state's procedures satisfied constitutional minimums and that any alleged prosecutorial errors were harmless given the overwhelming evidence supporting the denial of clemency.

Feb 24 2024
9th Cir. 1:20-cv-00114- Per Curiam

THOMAS E. CREECH v. JOSH TEWALT, Director, Idaho Department of Correction; TIM RICHARDSON, Warden, Idaho Maximum Security Institution; CHAD PAGE, Chief, Division of Prisons, Ida...

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of preliminary injunctive relief to death row inmate Thomas Creech regarding his scheduled lethal injection. The court held that Creech failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on his Due Process and Eighth Amendment claims because his arguments about drug provenance were speculative and he offered no viable alternative execution method.

Feb 20 2024
9th Cir. 23-137 Published

NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD v. VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM, LLC DBA DESERT SPRINGS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER; VALLEY HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. DBA VALLEY HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER

The Ninth Circuit enforced the National Labor Relations Board's order finding that hospitals committed an unfair labor practice by unilaterally stopping union dues checkoff after their collective bargaining agreements expired. The court ruled that the Taft-Hartley Act does not require specific revocability language to be written into employee authorization forms for the deduction to remain valid.

Feb 14 2024
2nd Cir. 22-3094-cv Panel Decision

Saint-Jean v. Emigrant Mortgage Co., Inc.

The Second Circuit affirmed a jury verdict in a reverse redlining case where Black and Latino homeowners successfully sued a lender for violating antidiscrimination laws by targeting them with predatory mortgage refinancing loans. The court held that equitable tolling applied to the statute of limitations and that a release-of-claims provision in a loan modification agreement was unenforceable as a matter of law.

Dec 14 2023
2nd Cir. 22-1076-cv Panel Decision

CompassCare v. Hochul

The Second Circuit vacated the dismissal of three religious organizations' expressive-association claims against New York's reproductive health anti-discrimination law, recognizing that employers may assert associational rights when forced to retain employees who contradict their mission. The Court affirmed the dismissal of free speech and free exercise claims while remanding the case to determine if the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that the law burdens their specific organizational missions.

Nov 17 2023
9th Cir. 21-352 Published

JOSE MARIA ZUNIGA DE LA CRUZ v. MERRICK B. GARLAND, Attorney General

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a petition for review, holding that Miranda warnings and the exclusionary rule do not apply in civil immigration removal proceedings. The court rejected the petitioner's argument that an administrative arrest warrant transformed the civil nature of the proceeding into a criminal one.