Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by airline employees challenging pandemic-era vaccination and masking policies. The court held that the district court lacked personal jurisdiction over one defendant and that the plaintiffs failed to state valid claims against the other.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court judgment upholding a wrongful death verdict against a county sheriff's office. The court held that the officers' failure to notify parents and release a minor to a responsible adult constituted operational negligence rather than a protected planning decision.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court judgment upholding a jury verdict that held a sheriff's office liable for the wrongful death of a teenager ejected from a fair. The court rejected arguments regarding sovereign immunity, probable cause for arrest, and the admissibility of hearsay testimony.
The Ninth Circuit granted a petition for review and remanded an immigration case where the Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed an Immigration Judge's decision. The court found the Immigration Judge abused its discretion by pretermitting applications for asylum and related relief without providing adequate notice of biometrics obligations.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the defendant on most employment claims brought by a former department chair. However, the court vacated the lower court's ruling on a retaliation claim regarding the accelerated timeline of the plaintiff's removal.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in an employment retaliation case. The court held that the plaintiff failed to establish a causal connection between his protected activity and his termination.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment against an appellant alleging retaliation under federal civil rights statutes. The court also granted sanctions against the appellant's counsel for citing non-existent legal authorities in a reply brief.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by firefighters terminated for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The court held that the state agency is immune from suit and that the individual official is protected by qualified immunity.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court's dismissal of a federal habeas petition as untimely. The court held that conflicting communications from the Michigan Supreme Court created a factual dispute regarding equitable tolling that precluded summary dismissal.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentence of a defendant charged with drug trafficking. The court rejected challenges to search warrants, jury selection, and evidentiary rulings.
