Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order granting summary judgment in an employment discrimination case. The court also denied a petition for review of a Merit Systems Protection Board decision affirming the appellant's termination.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a civil rights lawsuit filed by Robert Lee Hale. The court held that the action was time-barred because the plaintiff failed to file within the applicable statute of limitations.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a stay of a preliminary injunction pending appeal in a challenge to a Texas law restricting public investment. A concurring opinion by Judge James C. Ho emphasized that the statute regulates conduct rather than speech and aligns with Supreme Court precedent on nondiscrimination conditions for public funds.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's civil rights lawsuit against state court officials. The court held that the claims were barred by judicial immunity and the applicable statute of limitations.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a complaint alleging disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act because the plaintiff failed to plead specific facts regarding proposed reasonable accommodations.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment in a civil rights action alleging Fourth Amendment violations. The panel held that the plaintiff failed to raise a genuine dispute regarding reasonable suspicion for detention and that the right to refuse identification was not clearly established.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court grant of summary judgment in a race discrimination and retaliation case. The court held that the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case for either claim.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that denied qualified immunity to police officers involved in a struggle with a suspect. The court held that the officers did not violate any clearly established law when using force to subdue a suspect who actively resisted a frisk and attempted to flee.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit certified two questions of Ohio law to the Supreme Court of Ohio regarding the voluntary-payment defense in consumer lending disputes. The court addressed whether a bank could bar recovery for breach of contract when customers paid a flat fee while unaware of the actual annual percentage rate.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit certified two questions of Ohio law to the Supreme Court of Ohio regarding the voluntary-payment defense in consumer lending disputes. The court determined that existing state precedents are too unsettled to allow a federal court to guess how the defense applies to contracts with conflicting price terms.
