Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review challenging a Board of Immigration Appeals order that rejected a motion to reopen removal proceedings. The court found the petitioners failed to demonstrate ineffective assistance of counsel or prejudice from the alleged deficiencies.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a First Amendment challenge to a county tax collector's recording policy. The court held that the policy was a reasonable, viewpoint-neutral restriction in a limited public forum and that the plaintiff's second lawsuit was barred by res judicata.
The Sixth Circuit denied a petition for review challenging the Securities and Exchange Commission's sanctions against a securities broker. The court held that the petitioner failed to exhaust his constitutional arguments before the agency, barring judicial review of those claims.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The court found the plaintiff failed to allege state action for a due process claim and did not plead diverse citizenship for diversity jurisdiction.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Samuel Harris for violating the Anti-Kickback Statute. The court held that Harris failed to establish an advice-of-counsel defense because he withheld material facts from his attorney regarding his payment structure.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of a prison psychologist against an inmate's Eighth Amendment claims. The appellate panel found the inmate's allegations of sexual harassment were unsupported by the record or did not constitute constitutional violations.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denied a petition challenging Department of Veterans Affairs regulations governing the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The court held that the petitioners had standing but found their challenges to the new eligibility rules and reassessment procedures failed on the merits.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of claims brought by a lawyer and a mother against prosecutors and police officers following their state convictions for custodial interference, which were later overturned on appeal.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's award of attorneys' fees in a civil rights case. The appellant failed to demonstrate that the lower court abused its discretion in calculating the fees.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an employment discrimination complaint filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The court held that the plaintiff failed to state a plausible claim that the employer regarded him as disabled or retaliated against him.
