Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a prisoner's motion for free case files, ruling that the argument was waived because it was not raised in the lower court. The court clarified that while there is no constitutional right to free transcripts for preparing § 2255 motions, statutory avenues remain available for indigent prisoners.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Major Andrew Dudt from an Army training course, ruling that the Army Board for Correction of Military Records acted within its authority. The court held that any procedural deficiencies in the Board's decision were harmless given the overwhelming evidence of Dudt's failure to meet operational standards.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of the appellant's complaint, ruling that the appellant forfeited challenges to personal jurisdiction and venue by failing to properly raise them in his opening brief. The court also denied the motion for appointment of counsel and dismissed the motion to compel as moot.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order regarding the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The court rejected challenges to the Quality Bank formula used to value crude oil and upheld a finding that the pipeline administrator violated tariff terms.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the convictions of Haotian Sun for mail fraud and conspiracy, ruling that the evidence was sufficient to prove he knowingly participated in a scheme to exchange counterfeit iPhones for authentic replacements. The court also rejected all sentencing and Fourth Amendment challenges raised by co-defendant Peng Fei Xue, upholding his conviction and sentence.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a decades-long lawsuit by the de Csepel family seeking the return of Holocaust-era artwork seized by Hungary. The court held that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act because the family failed to prove the takings violated the specific international law of expropriation.
The D.C. Circuit reversed the dismissal of a civil suit alleging pharmaceutical companies aided terrorism in Iraq by knowingly providing substantial assistance to a terrorist-controlled ministry. The court held that the plaintiffs adequately pleaded a nexus between the defendants' corrupt payments and specific terrorist attacks, satisfying the secondary liability standard set forth in Twitter v. Taamneh.
The D.C. Circuit denied a petition challenging the TSA's emergency cybersecurity rules for airports, ruling that the agency acted within its broad statutory authority. The court also held that the petitioner waived several arguments by failing to raise them during the administrative reconsideration process.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment, holding that the Secretary of Health and Human Services lacked the authority to unilaterally direct contractors to reopen final Medicare cost determinations outside the specific regulatory framework. The court ruled that the agency's attempt to apply a new reimbursement formula to settled reports was barred by explicit time limits and a prohibition on reopening based on changes in legal interpretation.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the denial of a writ of coram nobis, holding that the appellant failed to prove fundamental error or ineffective assistance of counsel regarding his guilty plea. The court further ruled that the appellant waited too long to challenge the conviction, offering no valid reason for the three-decade delay.