Aisha Johnson

Correspondent

Aisha Johnson

Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.

Civil Rights & Constitutional

Decisions covered by Aisha Johnson

1,080 decisions
Apr 29 2026
9th Cir. 2:03-cv-00978- Published

James Scott v. Ron Broomfield

The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court's grant of habeas corpus relief, holding that the California Supreme Court reasonably concluded that trial counsel's performance was not deficient and did not prejudice the defendant. The panel remanded the case for the district court to consider Scott's remaining claims while affirming the denial of relief on the guilt-phase ineffective assistance of counsel claim.

Constitutional Fifth Amendment - Self-Incrimination Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241) Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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Apr 29 2026
8th Cir. 25-1533 Panel Decision

Jabbok Schlacks; William Schlacks v. Neil Chheda; Schlacks 2020 Transfer, LLC; RC Opportunity, LLC

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to compel arbitration, holding that the Schlacks brothers were not parties bound by the partnership agreement's arbitration clause. The court found no clear and unmistakable evidence that the brothers agreed to delegate arbitrability questions to an arbitrator or that equitable estoppel and agency principles applied to bind them.

Constitutional Second Amendment
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Apr 29 2026
8th Cir. 24-3345 Panel Decision

Judith Etelvina Cancinos Guinac v. Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General of the United States

The Eighth Circuit denied petitions for review of Board of Immigration Appeals orders rejecting motions to reopen immigration proceedings. The court held that the petitioner failed to exercise the due diligence required to equitably toll the filing deadline for her ineffective assistance of counsel claim.

Civil Immigration (Civil) Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 29 2026
1st Cir. 25-1578 Panel Decision

ED FRIEDMAN v. CENTRAL MAINE POWER COMPANY

The First Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Central Maine Power Company, ruling that the plaintiff failed to provide admissible evidence linking smart meter radiation to his specific health condition. Without proof of specific causation, the court held that the plaintiff could not establish that an analog meter was a necessary reasonable accommodation under federal disability laws.

Civil Civil Rights - Housing Summary Judgment
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Apr 29 2026
11th Cir. 25-11259 Per Curiam

Santos Ramiro Hernandez-Galindo v. U.S. Attorney General

The Eleventh Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision refusing to rescind a 2002 in absentia removal order. The court held that the petitioner failed to overcome the presumption of receiving notice of his hearing and did not demonstrate materially changed country conditions in El Salvador.

Civil Immigration (Civil) Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 29 2026
11th Cir. 8:25-cv-00444-WFJ-SPF Per Curiam

Blair Clark v. David Bell

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Blair Clark's malicious prosecution claim because his complaint failed to identify a specific legal process that was constitutionally infirm. The court held that an officer's probable cause affidavit submitted to a prosecutor does not constitute the legal process required to sustain a Fourth Amendment malicious prosecution claim.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983 Qualified Immunity
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Apr 29 2026
11th Cir. 2:24-cr-14037-DMM-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. OTIS FURMAN CRABBE

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Otis Crabbe's conviction for methamphetamine distribution, rejecting his claim that a stationhouse interrogation statement was involuntary. The court found the government met its burden to prove voluntariness and that the district court properly handled expert testimony, jury selection challenges, and lesser-included offense instructions.

Constitutional Fifth Amendment - Self-Incrimination
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Apr 29 2026
11th Cir. 8:23-cv-00687-KKM-CPT Per Curiam

Grey v. Vengroff Williams, Inc.

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the employer, holding that the plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case of disability discrimination under the ADA. The court further ruled that the plaintiff's proposed comparator was not similarly situated, defeating her age discrimination claim under the ADEA.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment Summary Judgment
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Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-7000 Per Curiam

Weldon Eugene Holtzclaw, Jr. v. Judge Stokes; Judge Stone; Wendy Moses; Marjorie Morgan; Jerri

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se civil rights complaint because the appellant failed to challenge the specific legal basis for the lower court's order in his informal brief. Under Fourth Circuit Rule 34(b), this omission forfeited appellate review, leaving the district court's dismissal and denial of postjudgment motions intact.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983 Forfeiture / Penalty
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