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 dismissed an appeal filed by a pro se prisoner challenging a district court order. The court held that the order appealed was neither a final order nor an appealable interlocutory or collateral order.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a jury verdict awarding compensatory and punitive damages to an employee subjected to severe sexual harassment. The court held that Title VII plaintiffs have no duty to mitigate emotional distress damages and that the employer failed to make good-faith efforts to comply with federal law.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied a petition for rehearing en banc in a qualified immunity dispute. The court declined to intervene in a case where the district court issued a mediation order that the panel treated as a non-conclusive case management deferral.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's civil rights claims alleging employment and housing discrimination. The court held that the plaintiff lacked standing to assert claims on behalf of others and failed to plead sufficient facts to support the allegations.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a Houston police officer who fatally shot a suspect during a warrant execution. The court held that the officer was entitled to qualified immunity because no clearly established law prohibited his actions under the specific, split-second circumstances.
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.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The court held that the appellant forfeited her claims by failing to address the district court's reasoning in her appellate brief.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment in a Fourth Amendment excessive force claim. The court held that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity because no clearly established law prohibited their use of non-lethal force against the plaintiff.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers and the City of Green Bay in a Fourth Amendment excessive force and medical care case. The court held that no reasonable jury could find the officers objectively unreasonable in their conduct or that the officers violated clearly established law.
