Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a tribal member's federal lawsuit against her tribe and council members. The court held that the district court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction because the plaintiff failed to allege claims under color of state law or a cognizable federal cause of action.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a civil rights action brought by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints against law firms and media entities. The court held that the appellants waived appellate review of the district court's reasoning by failing to challenge it in their brief.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that a school district violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by proposing to place a student with disabilities in a restrictive therapeutic day school. The court held that the student could receive a satisfactory education in a less restrictive special education classroom with the addition of a one-on-one aide.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Igloo Products Corp. in a false advertising case, holding that the Lanham Act does not cover claims regarding the origin of an idea or inventorship of a product.
The Eleventh Circuit held that unadmitted aliens present in the interior of the United States are not subject to mandatory detention without bond under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The court affirmed the district court's grant of habeas relief, ruling that the petitioners were not seeking admission when detained.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a healthcare system that denied religious exemptions from a COVID-19 vaccination policy. The court held that the system demonstrated undue hardship by showing realistic risks to patient safety and staffing during a surge of the Delta variant.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment in a prisoner's excessive force claim. The court held that the plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies before filing suit.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a prisoner's civil rights action alleging a First Amendment free exercise violation. The court held that the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence that a parole psychologist's refusal to credit faith-based programs as rehabilitation substantially burdened his religious practice.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's civil rights lawsuit alleging deliberate indifference to serious medical needs. The panel concluded the plaintiff failed to allege facts showing defendants disregarded an excessive risk to his health.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a civil rights lawsuit brought by a pro se plaintiff challenging his arrest and prosecution. The court held that the claims were barred under Heck v. Humphrey because success would imply the invalidity of the plaintiff's conviction, which remains intact.
