Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed Michael Haspel's appeal sua sponte because the district court's order was not a final judgment. The court held that claims against three defendants remained pending, preventing immediate appellate review under the final judgment rule.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a plaintiff's civil rights claims, ruling that law enforcement officers had probable cause to arrest him for domestic violence. The court held that the officers' reliance on the victim's statements and body-camera footage satisfied the Fourth Amendment requirements for a warrant.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court order compelling arbitration and denying a motion to vacate an arbitration award in favor of Dell Technologies. The court also issued a stern warning to the pro se appellant regarding the fabrication of legal citations using generative artificial intelligence.
The First Circuit affirmed summary judgment for an employer, ruling that an employee failed to prove his termination was caused by his request for a disability accommodation. The court held that the chronological sequence of events demonstrated the employer had already decided to terminate the employee before he asserted his protected rights.
The Fifth Circuit vacated the district court's grant of summary judgment on Greg Murphy's due process claims, finding a genuine dispute of material fact regarding his entitlement to premium pay under school district policy. The court affirmed summary judgment on Murphy's First Amendment and Fourth Amendment claims, holding that the record supported the district's legitimate reasons for his termination and arrest.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a university in an ADA disability discrimination case, ruling that a nursing student failed to establish that the school knew of her need for accommodations. The court further held that the district court properly denied the student's motion for additional discovery because she did not diligently pursue the process.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se § 1983 complaint filed nearly thirty-five years after the underlying state conviction. The court held that the appellant forfeited new arguments regarding ongoing enforcement actions and SSI benefits by failing to raise them in the district court.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's § 1983 claims for false arrest and unlawful search, ruling that the Heck v. Humphrey bar precludes the suit because it would imply the invalidity of his underlying criminal convictions. The court also rejected the plaintiff's request for equitable tolling of the statute of limitations, finding no exceptional circumstances under Louisiana law to justify the delay.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to Florida A&M University on Maritza Reyes's Title VII claims. The court held that Reyes failed to demonstrate excusable neglect for missing deadlines and presented insufficient evidence to prove discrimination, retaliation, or a hostile work environment.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a jury verdict for police officers in a Section 1983 civil rights case, upholding the legality of a traffic stop and arrest. The court rejected the plaintiff's arguments that jury instructions were legally erroneous and that a new trial was warranted due to witness testimony inconsistencies.
