Correspondent
Federal courthouse correspondent, covers civil rights, employment discrimination, housing rights, and Second Amendment disputes.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal sua sponte because the district court's orders were interlocutory and not final judgments. The court held that the challenged rulings were not immediately appealable under the collateral order doctrine as they could be reviewed after a final judgment.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity to school officials who allegedly refused to implement a settlement agreement due to racial animus. The court held that officials were on notice that interfering with a contract because of race was illegal, regardless of uncertainty regarding personal liability under 42 U.S.C. § 1981.
The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a class action challenging Massachusetts's Unclaimed Property Act under the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause. The court held that the plaintiff's claims were either unripe or barred by a lack of standing to seek prospective relief.
The First Circuit affirmed the denial of a habeas petition challenging a first-degree murder conviction, ruling that the Sixth Amendment speedy-trial clock did not begin until Carr's 1997 indictment. The court further held that Carr's claims of ineffective assistance of counsel failed because his attorneys' strategic choices were not objectively unreasonable and the additional evidence would not have changed the outcome under state law.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a Minneapolis police officer who used a less-lethal projectile against a protester during the 2020 riots, ruling the force was objectively reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The court also upheld the dismissal of the officer's qualified immunity defense and the district court's refusal to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over state law claims.
The Eighth Circuit reversed the National Labor Relations Board's order finding that a hospital violated the National Labor Relations Act by withdrawing union recognition immediately after a decertification election vote. The court held that an employer may withdraw recognition at its peril before formal certification, meaning no violation occurs if the election results are ultimately upheld.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a complaint filed by a pro se litigant who sought to assert claims on behalf of others. The court held that the appellant lacked Article III standing because he failed to allege a particularized injury to himself.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se civil rights lawsuit brought against Maryland state officials and entities. The court upheld the lower court's ruling based on sovereign immunity, failure to state a claim, and the plaintiff's refusal to amend her complaint to sue the Sheriff in his individual capacity.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a pro se prisoner's motion to reopen a dismissed civil rights lawsuit under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b). The appellate court found no abuse of discretion where the plaintiff repeatedly failed to amend a deficient complaint or respond to court orders over a period of nearly ten months.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the district court's order to file a second amended complaint was not a final, appealable order. The appellate court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case under federal statutes governing final judgments and interlocutory orders.
