Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing state-law claims and deferring federal claims under the Pullman abstention doctrine. The panel held that the case involved sensitive land-use policy where a state-court ruling could resolve the controversy.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court order that had denied a motion to remand a class action to state court. The appellate court held that the thirty-day deadline for removing a case to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act cannot be equitably tolled.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the defendants in a Title VII employment discrimination case. The court held that the plaintiff failed to produce evidence that his race was a motivating factor in his removal from a deputy sheriff certification process.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court order confirming an arbitration award in an employment discrimination case. The court held that the district court had subject matter jurisdiction and that the arbitrator did not commit misconduct by admitting evidence the appellant characterized as hearsay.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed in part and denied in part a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision. The court held it lacked jurisdiction over the agency's discretionary denials and found the petitioner's constitutional claims unsupported by the record.
The Ninth Circuit granted in part and denied in part a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision denying asylum and withholding of removal. The court remanded the case for further proceedings regarding family-based claims but affirmed the denial of claims based on race and imputed political opinion.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a conviction for illegal reentry. The court held that the defendant failed to demonstrate prejudice from alleged errors in her prior removal orders.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision. The court found the agency's determination that the petitioner's son would not face exceptional hardship was supported by substantial evidence.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that the Federal Highway Administration adequately consulted with the Narragansett Indian Tribe regarding a bridge reconstruction project. The court held that the Tribe was not a required signatory to the programmatic agreement because the affected historic properties were not on tribal land.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for four police officers in a Fourth Amendment suit arising from a seizure of a suspected overdose victim. The court held that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity because they had an objectively reasonable basis to seize the plaintiff under the emergency-aid doctrine.
