Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the Jibril family's lawsuit, holding they lacked Article III standing to seek prospective injunctive relief. The court ruled that without evidence of current watchlist status or a substantial risk of future injury, the plaintiffs could not demonstrate the concrete injury required for judicial review.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed Stephen Bannon's conviction for contempt of Congress, rejecting his argument that the statute requires bad faith or that advice of counsel is a valid defense. The court held that the statutory term 'willfully' is satisfied by a deliberate and intentional refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena, regardless of the defendant's subjective belief in their legal justification.
The D.C. Circuit reversed the district court's dismissal of a federal employee's due process claim, holding that career appointees in the Senior Executive Service possess a protected property interest in their tenure after completing their probationary period. The court reasoned that because the Civil Service Reform Act limits removals to specific causes for tenured SES employees, they are entitled to constitutional procedural protections before being removed.
The D.C. Circuit denied petitions challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's certification of the Evangeline Pass Expansion Project, ruling that the agency reasonably applied the National Environmental Policy Act. The court also upheld FERC's decision to deny windfall profit credits to existing pipeline customers who would not use the new capacity.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's sua sponte dismissal of Deborah Walton's complaint, holding that she lacks standing to bring a qui tam action under the False Claims Act. The court further ruled that her retaliation claim fails because she is not an employee or agent of the defendants, and that she forfeited other federal claims by failing to adequately brief them.
The D.C. Circuit certified a critical question of District of Columbia tort law to the D.C. Court of Appeals regarding whether a passenger who involuntarily falls from a platform ledge becomes a trespasser. Because no controlling precedent exists to determine the transit authority's duty of care in this specific scenario, the case is remanded pending the higher court's decision.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed Thomas Robertson's conviction for obstructing the Electoral College vote certification, ruling that his participation in the January 6 riot constituted acting "corruptly" through independently felonious means. The court further rejected Robertson's sentencing challenges, upholding an 87-month prison term based on the substantial interference caused to the administration of justice.