Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of Trevor Andrew Jones's civil rights complaint for failure to state a claim. The court declined to address the merits of the constitutional allegations, upholding the procedural dismissal while denying related motions to strike and appoint counsel.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a negligence judgment in favor of a truck driver's victim, ruling that the driver's conduct lacked the 'evil mind' required for punitive damages under Arizona law. The court further held that sufficient medical evidence supported the causal link between the accident and the plaintiff's vision loss, rejecting arguments for a new trial or judgment as a matter of law.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Emmanuel Adeyinka's § 1983 false arrest and conspiracy claims because his complaint failed to allege sufficient factual matter to state a plausible claim. The panel applied de novo review and found the plaintiff did not provide enough facts to support the necessary elements for Fourth Amendment violations or municipal liability.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a pro se civil rights lawsuit brought by civilly committed individuals against Minnesota Sex Offender Program officials and JPay LLC. The court held that the plaintiffs failed to state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and that the district judge did not err in dismissing the case without referring it to a magistrate judge.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to Netflix, ruling that the use of a funeral video clip in the documentary Tiger King constituted fair use. The court also held that the plaintiffs waived their argument regarding the scope of employment for seven other videos, leaving the lower court's work-for-hire determination intact.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's denial of a temporary restraining order because the order was not a final decision. The appellate court lacks jurisdiction to review the ruling until the underlying litigation concludes.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of multiple civil actions filed by pro se appellant Tremel Marquis Rosser against various federal officials. The court held that Rosser forfeited his right to appellate review because his informal brief failed to challenge the specific legal basis for the district court's dispositions.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Jasper Jermaine Stuckett's conviction for possessing a machinegun, rejecting his facial Second Amendment challenge. The court held that binding precedent establishes the Second Amendment does not protect the possession of machineguns.
The Ninth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging the denial of a renewed temporary restraining order because such denials are generally not appealable. The court found the district court's ruling was procedural and did not resolve the merits of the case, meaning the plaintiffs retain the right to seek a preliminary injunction.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed that Transamerica Premier Life Insurance Company violated Florida contract law by unilaterally annuitizing Quin Briscoe's annuity without her selection of a payment option. The court held that the contract required the owner to elect a specific payout method before payments could begin, making the insurer's default action a breach of the agreement.
