Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
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 Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for law enforcement officers in a Fourth Amendment excessive force case. The court held that the deputies were entitled to qualified immunity because their use of force was objectively reasonable and the law was not clearly established.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reviewed a district court dismissal based on the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. The appellate court affirmed the dismissal of one sub-claim but reversed the dismissal of all other claims and remanded the case for further proceedings.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to dissolve a limited filing injunction against a licensed attorney. The court held that a letter clearing the attorney of professional misconduct did not constitute a significant change in circumstances warranting relief.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed a district court order denying a motion to compel arbitration in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act case. The appellate court held that the defendant was a third-party beneficiary of an online agreement and could enforce its arbitration clause against the plaintiff.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a race-discrimination employment claim brought under Title VII and federal civil rights statutes. The court held that the plaintiff failed to plead sufficient facts to state a plausible claim of discrimination.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a takings claim brought by oyster farmers. The court held that Louisiana statutes subordinate oyster leases to government actions taken for coastal protection, preventing a cognizable property interest under the Fifth Amendment.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil rights action alleging deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.
