Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Timothy Hall regarding a district court order that granted defendants motions to dismiss and compelled arbitration. The court held that the order was not a final judgment or an appealable interlocutory order, leaving the appellate court without jurisdiction.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order granting summary judgment in an employment discrimination case. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's decision to dismiss the plaintiff's claims.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed this appeal as moot after the district court granted the plaintiff leave to file a Fourth Amended Complaint. The court held that the new pleading superseded the Third Amended Complaint, which was the basis for the original qualified immunity appeal.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order denying relief in a civil rights complaint. The court found no reversible error in the lower court's handling of the case.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a mixed ruling on Starbucks Corporation's petition to review an order from the National Labor Relations Board. The court granted enforcement of some findings regarding coercive threats and interrogation while denying enforcement of others and dismissing the request for a new election.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of unlawful search and seizure claims against three officers but reversed the dismissal of a false arrest claim against the arresting officer. The court vacated the dismissal of failure to intervene and malicious prosecution claims, remanding them for consideration on the merits.
The Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's denial of qualified immunity for two officers involved in a fatal welfare check. The court held that the law was not clearly established regarding the use of less-lethal force against an armed, suicidal individual.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a permanent filing injunction and dismissal against a serial litigant who failed to post a required contempt bond. However, the court reversed the denial of a motion to modify the injunction and remanded for consideration of the litigant's indigence arguments.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal habeas corpus petition filed by a death row inmate claiming a violation of his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial. The court held that the state court's application of the Barker factors was not unreasonable under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
The Tenth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that denied qualified immunity to a fire chief. The appellate court held that the official did not violate clearly established law by terminating a firefighter without a post-termination hearing under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
