Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that limited an insurer's liability for a mansion fire to twenty-five thousand dollars. The court held that the property's contents were business property because the estate operated as a commercial lodging and events venue.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Troy Shelvin Cannon for sex trafficking. The panel rejected arguments regarding the admission of prior acts evidence, hearsay exclusion, and the sufficiency of the evidence presented at trial.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court order denying attorney's fees to a plaintiff under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The appellate court held that obtaining an injunction requiring a business to modify its premises for accessibility confers prevailing party status.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Walmart on most employment discrimination claims but reversed on the hostile-work-environment claim. The court held that the evidence supported a jury finding that the plaintiff was subjected to a hostile work environment based on sexual orientation.
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in an employment discrimination case involving a Dartmouth College professor. The court held that the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence that the university's denial of tenure and subsequent research misconduct investigation were motivated by discrimination or retaliation.
The First Circuit affirmed a district court's judgment as a matter of law in an Americans with Disabilities Act case involving a deaf job applicant. The court held that no reasonable jury could find a reasonable accommodation existed that would allow the applicant to perform the essential functions of a Chair Car Driver without imposing an undue hardship on the employer.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil rights employment case. The panel rejected the plaintiff's claims of discrimination and retaliation, finding insufficient evidence to support a reasonable jury verdict.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a pregnancy discrimination case. The court held that the employee failed to raise a genuine issue of material fact regarding pretext after violating company policies on pricing and discounts.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a plaintiff proceeding in forma pauperis. The court found the appeal frivolous because the appellant failed to raise nonfrivolous arguments against the district court's dismissal of her claims.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court grant of summary judgment in a civil rights suit brought by a parent against a school resource officer. The court held that the officer had probable cause to stop and arrest the parent for disobeying a lawful order and resisting arrest, and that the parent failed to prove a retaliatory arrest exception.
