Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that an insurance company had no duty to defend or indemnify homeowners against a liability claim arising from a social host incident. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's grant of summary judgment.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a motion for relief from judgment. The appellate court held that the motion could not be used to relitigate jurisdictional arguments or extend the time for appeal.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied a certificate of appealability to an Oklahoma prisoner seeking to challenge his state court convictions. The court affirmed the district court's denial of the habeas petition, finding no reasonable jurists could debate the lower court's resolution of the constitutional claims.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Title VII hostile work environment claim. The court held that the plaintiff failed to timely exhaust administrative remedies for earlier incidents and that the remaining timely acts were insufficient to state a claim.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ordered an initial hearing en banc for this First Amendment case. The court also consolidated this matter with a related appeal for oral argument purposes.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued a correction order to amend its prior opinion regarding briefing compliance. The court clarified that the appellant failed to fully comply with Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure twenty-eight by omitting required components from his brief.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil rights suit arising from a police shooting of a suicidal man. The court held that officers were entitled to qualified immunity because no clearly established law prohibited their use of force or show of force under the specific circumstances.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's award of attorney fees to a defendant whose plaintiffs filed a frivolous lawsuit to recover property they deeded to evade creditors. However, the court vacated the portion of the award covering appellate fees because the request was filed more than fourteen days after judgment.
The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Quest Diagnostics in an ERISA fiduciary duty case. The court held that the plan administrators followed a prudent process in maintaining investment options despite their underperformance.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that denied qualified immunity to two law enforcement officers involved in a fatal welfare check. The appellate court held that the law was not clearly established at the time regarding the use of less-lethal force against an armed, suicidal individual.
