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 23 2026
10th Cir. 2:23-CV-00172-SWS Panel Decision

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. Cincinnati Insurance Company

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment, holding that Cincinnati Insurance Company had a duty to defend its subcontractor as an additional insured under Wyoming law. The court found the contractual language and underlying facts clearly triggered the insurer's obligation to cover defense costs because the injuries were caused in part by the subcontractor's ongoing operations.

Civil Insurance Summary Judgment
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Apr 22 2026
4th Cir. 24-1900 Panel Decision

Baby Doe v. Mast

The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court protective order prohibiting defendants from disclosing the identities of Afghan plaintiffs who aided U.S. efforts. The court held that while the order is a content-based prior restraint, it satisfies strict scrutiny by serving the compelling government interest in national security.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment
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Apr 22 2026
9th Cir. 4:22-cv-00057-REP Unpublished

STANFIELD V. CLEMENT

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of Katherine Lea Stanfield's federal habeas petition, ruling that the Idaho Supreme Court did not unreasonably apply federal law when admitting expert testimony about a technician's statements. The court held that the Confrontation Clause was not violated because the testifying expert had personal knowledge of the evidence's accuracy and the technician's labeling served a laboratory purpose rather than a trial purpose.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241) Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254) Sixth Amendment - Confrontation Clause
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Apr 22 2026
9th Cir. 2:23-cv-06528-ODW-MRW Unpublished

MARKOWITZ V. JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for JPMorgan Chase on a conversion claim, ruling that a bank acts within its account agreement when freezing funds to investigate suspicious deposits. The court held that the bank's reasonable suspicion and active verification efforts negated the 'wrongful act' element required for conversion liability.

Civil Insurance Summary Judgment
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Apr 22 2026
9th Cir. 2:20-cv-04122- Published

Moving Oxnard Forward, Inc. v. Lopez

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment for the City of Oxnard, holding that its campaign contribution limits under Measure B do not violate the First Amendment. The court found the limits were closely drawn to prevent quid pro quo corruption and were not unconstitutionally low compared to similar municipalities.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment Summary Judgment
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Apr 22 2026
7th Cir. 25-1776 Panel Decision

KEISHA L. LEWIS v. INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Indiana Department of Transportation, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove her disability was the sole cause of her termination. The court held that the employer's legitimate reasons of poor performance and insubordination were sufficient to defeat claims under the Rehabilitation Act and Title VII.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment Summary Judgment
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Apr 22 2026
6th Cir. 24-8007 Unanimous

In re Wedgewood Properties, LLC Debtor. JEFF A. MOYER, Trustee

The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed the lower court's judgment, holding that elderly investors received funds in good faith and that a garnishment perfected their claims outside the bankruptcy preference period. The court rejected the Trustee's attempt to recover settlement proceeds, emphasizing that actual knowledge of a Ponzi scheme is required to defeat the good faith defense.

Bankruptcy Civil Civil Rights - Education
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Apr 22 2026
Fed. Cir. 25-2160 Panel Decision

Randall v. United States

The Federal Circuit dismissed Ramsey Randall's appeal as untimely because the notice of appeal was not received within the mandatory 60-day jurisdictional deadline. The court refused to apply the prison mailbox rule because Randall failed to provide evidence that he deposited the notice in the prison mail system with prepaid postage before the deadline expired.

Admiralty / Maritime Civil
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Apr 22 2026
6th Cir. 25-3345 Unanimous

White's Landing Fisheries, Inc. v. Ohio Dep't of Nat. Res.

The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a commercial fisherman's claims against Ohio officials based on sovereign immunity, which bars suits against the state in federal court without its consent. The court reversed the lower court's 'with prejudice' designation, instructing that the state claims be dismissed without prejudice to allow for potential refiling if immunity is waived.

Civil Civil Rights - Voting
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