Correspondent
Breaking news correspondent, covers late-night developments and emergency rulings.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Ronald Satish Emrit against multiple defendants. The dismissal was issued due to a lack of prosecution by the appellant.
The Seventh Circuit denied a Honduran citizen's petition for review of an asylum denial, upholding the finding that gang extortion was motivated by perceived wealth rather than gender. The court held that general country conditions and academic articles were insufficient to establish the required nexus between the petitioner's proposed social groups and the feared harm.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing a civil complaint for failure to state a claim. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's decision to dismiss the plaintiff's insurance dispute.
The Fourth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order rejecting an asylum claim based on gang violence. The court found substantial evidence supporting the lower tribunal's conclusion that the petitioner failed to prove the Guatemalan government was unable or unwilling to protect him.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing a pro se civil complaint alleging a First Amendment Free Exercise violation. The appellate court held that the appellants forfeited their right to appellate review by failing to challenge the basis for the dismissal in their informal brief.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's venue transfer order because the order was not a final, appealable judgment. The court also ruled that the appellant's notice of appeal was filed one day late, failing to meet the mandatory 60-day deadline for cases involving government parties.
The Federal Circuit affirmed the Merit Systems Protection Board's denial of a whistleblower reprisal claim, holding that the employee failed to provide substantial evidence of a protected disclosure. The court clarified that a prior finding of a nonfrivolous allegation does not satisfy the higher evidentiary burden required to prove a prima facie case of reprisal.
The Federal Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed in part the Veterans Court's decision denying earlier effective dates for service-connected disability compensation. The court clarified that its jurisdiction is limited to questions of law and cannot review the application of legal standards to specific factual findings.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a sexual abuse survivor's state-law tort claims against a residential treatment facility, ruling they were time-barred under West Virginia's two-year statute of limitations. The court clarified that the state's tolling statute for intentional concealment does not apply to claims based on negligent supervision or hiring.
The Seventh Circuit certified a question of Kentucky state law to the Kentucky Supreme Court to determine if a state conviction for receiving stolen property categorically matches the federal definition of an aggravated felony. The court could not discern whether the state statute requires subjective knowledge of the stolen nature of the property, which is a mandatory element under federal immigration law.
