Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Supreme Court held that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, as applied to licensed talk therapists, constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment. The Court reversed the lower courts, ruling that the state law impermissibly prescribes what views counselors may express to clients rather than merely regulating professional conduct.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's claims challenging actions by judges of another federal district. The court held that federal courts lack subject-matter jurisdiction to review the decisions of other federal judges and that the complaint failed to state a claim due to redundancy and insufficient factual allegations.
The Fourth Circuit reversed the district court's dismissal of a Title VII failure-to-accommodate claim, holding that the plaintiff's objections to fetal cell therapy and constitutional rights plausibly established a sincerely held religious belief. The court clarified that an employee need not provide a detailed theological treatise to satisfy the pleading standard if they assert a common religious objection within a formal accommodation request.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a federal lawsuit challenging a state court foreclosure judgment, ruling that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine bars federal courts from acting as appellate bodies over state court decisions. The court further held that absolute judicial immunity protects state judges from liability for official acts, even when the plaintiff alleges the judge lacked a proper oath of office.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Jordan Pulido's convictions for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The court held that an indictment under 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a) is legally sufficient even if it does not specify the underlying criminal sexual offenses.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a prison nurse, ruling that her management of an inmate's irritable bowel syndrome did not constitute deliberate indifference under the Eighth Amendment. The court held that the record demonstrated consistent medical evaluation and treatment, distinguishing a disagreement over care from constitutional violation.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's Equal Protection claim challenging a prison policy delaying sex-offender therapy eligibility. The court held that the plaintiff failed to plead sufficient factual allegations to show invidious discrimination or that he was similarly situated to other prisoners who received more favorable treatment.
The Seventh Circuit reversed a district court's grant of habeas relief, holding that the Wisconsin Court of Appeals reasonably applied federal standards in rejecting a defendant's claims regarding excluded evidence and ineffective assistance of counsel. The appellate court found that the state court's decision was not an unreasonable application of Supreme Court precedent under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se prisoner's complaint, holding that district courts must construe pleadings liberally but are not required to act as legal advocates. The court determined the plaintiff's essential grievance was an Eighth Amendment claim for deliberate indifference, not an Americans with Disabilities Act claim.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress text messages, ruling that the government's one-year retention of a defendant's cellphone was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The court held that the prompt initial seizure, pandemic-related delays, and the defendant's failure to request the device's return outweighed the duration of the hold.
