United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Michael Cunningham v. Trooper Amanda Kahler

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of sovereign immunity against a state superintendent in his official capacity, ruling that Missouri law does not waive immunity for prospective relief regarding expunged records. The court held that while the state cannot be sued for damages, the superintendent remains subject to suit to prevent future dissemination of expunged convictions that lead to unlawful arrests.

Designworks Homes, Inc.; Charles Lawrence James v. Columbia House of Brokers Realty, Inc., doing business as House of Brokers, Inc doing business as Jackie Bulgin & Associates;...

The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's award of attorney's fees against a plaintiff for bringing unnecessarily overbroad copyright infringement claims. The court held that the lower court acted within its broad discretion to deter litigation strategies that do not serve the purposes of the Copyright Act.

Roxana Elizabeth Quijano-Duran; Valeria Nicole Moreno Quijano v. Pamela Bondi

The Eighth Circuit denied a petition for review by Salvadoran nationals seeking asylum, ruling that they waived their due process claim regarding judicial bias by failing to provide specific argument or evidence. The court further held it lacked jurisdiction to review the Department of Homeland Security's exercise of prosecutorial discretion in enforcing removal orders.

United States of America v. Nicolas Oneal Garrett

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of a felon's motion to dismiss his indictment, ruling that binding precedent forecloses Second Amendment challenges to federal firearm possession statutes. The court held that only an en banc panel may overrule prior decisions, preventing the current panel from reconsidering established constitutional interpretations.

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United States of America v. Maurice D. Bell

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the revocation of Maurice Bell's supervised release, ruling that the district court did not commit plain error by relying on public safety considerations. The court found the sentencing factors applied were permissible under the law.

Hauber v. Honkamp Krueger & Co. PC

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's complaint with prejudice due to willful discovery violations. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing severe sanctions, including monetary fines, for failing to comply with discovery orders.

Sandra K. Fiecke-Stifter v. MidCountry Bank; Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Truth in Lending Act claim but reversed the dismissal of a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claim regarding a Minnesota mortgage foreclosure. The court held that while the bank's payment crediting practices did not violate TILA, the district court erred in dismissing the FDCPA claim without resolving whether a state statutory violation suspends a lender's right to possession.

United States of America v. Gabriel Aguirre

The Eighth Circuit affirmed a 300-month sentence for a defendant who coordinated the importation of hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico. The court held that the district court did not clearly err in applying enhancements for the defendant's role as a manager and for engaging in drug trafficking as a livelihood.