Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Sixth Circuit dismissed a petition challenging a removal order because the petitioner failed to exhaust his claims regarding removability. The court also denied a second petition alleging ineffective assistance of counsel due to procedural failures to comply with Lozada requirements.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for defendants in a First Amendment retaliation claim brought by a former city alderman. The court held that a quo warranto petition challenging an officeholder's residency eligibility requires proof of no probable cause to support a retaliation claim.
The Sixth Circuit dismissed a petition challenging a removal order because the petitioner failed to exhaust his administrative remedies regarding removability. The court also denied a second petition alleging ineffective assistance of counsel due to procedural failures under Matter of Lozada.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an employment dispute lawsuit filed by Reginald Grant against Amazon. The court held that the claims were barred by res judicata, preempted by state employment law, or failed to state a valid cause of action under Texas law.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil rights suit alleging illegal arrest. The court held that a valid arrest warrant shields the officer from liability even if the supporting affidavit contained allegedly false statements.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed an appeal regarding qualified immunity in a civil rights case involving prison officials. The court held that it lacked jurisdiction because the defendants challenged factual determinations rather than pure questions of law.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's civil rights lawsuit alleging deliberate indifference to his safety. The court held that the action was time-barred because the plaintiff failed to file within the applicable statute of limitations and did not establish equitable tolling.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a Title VII religious accommodation case involving a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The court held that accommodating the plaintiff's religious objection to vaccination would impose an undue hardship on the employer due to substantial health and safety risks to patients and staff.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a sheriff's deputy and a county in a civil rights suit arising from a decedent's death after being dropped off near a train. The court held that the deputy's actions did not clearly establish a constitutional violation and that the county lacked a longstanding custom of unconstitutional conduct.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied a petition for rehearing en banc regarding a Federal Tort Claims Act suit involving an improper removal to Mexico.
