Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
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.
The Sixth Circuit reversed the district court's denial of qualified immunity, holding that the plaintiffs failed to satisfy the narrow exception to the probable cause defense under Nieves v. Bartlett. The court reasoned that the officers had probable cause for the arrests and the evidence did not sufficiently show that similarly situated individuals were treated differently based on protected speech.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction against Florida's ban on lab-grown meat, holding that the state law does not regulate the ingredients, premises, facilities, or operations of federal establishments. Consequently, the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act does not preempt Florida's prohibition on the sale and distribution of cultivated chicken.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion for release pending the resolution of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion. The court held that Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 9 governs release in a criminal case but does not apply to release pending post-conviction relief.
The Supreme Court held that a §1983 plaintiff seeking purely prospective injunctive relief is not barred by Heck v. Humphrey, even if they have a prior conviction for violating the challenged law. The Court reasoned that Heck only precludes claims where a favorable judgment would necessarily imply the invalidity of the conviction for the purpose of release or damages, not challenges to future enforcement.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment against Tiffany Burnett on her retaliation and Equal Pay Act claims. The court held that Burnett failed to provide evidence beyond conclusory allegations to prove a causal connection between her protected activity and her termination, or that her job duties were substantially similar to those of her comparators.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed the appeal because the plaintiff failed to timely challenge the dismissal of most defendants that occurred nearly four years prior. The court found it lacked jurisdiction to review the orders due to the significant delay and confusion in the notice of appeal.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Lockheed Martin, ruling that an employee's communications regarding policy disagreements did not constitute protected whistleblowing under the NDAA. Even assuming the activity was protected, the court held the employer proved by clear and convincing evidence that the termination was based on repeated insubordination.
The Fifth Circuit held that the Federal Trade Commission lacks constitutional authority to adjudicate deceptive advertising claims before an administrative law judge. Following the Supreme Court's decision in SEC v. Jarkesy, the court vacated the agency's cease-and-desist order against Intuit and remanded the case for proceedings in an Article III court.
