8th Cir.

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

May 1 2026
25-2665 Panel Decision

John Carl Michel, Jr. v. Honeywell International Cigna Life Insurance Company of North America 1-10 Does

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of wrongful termination and defamation claims against Honeywell and summary judgment for the insurers regarding disability benefits. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove an employment contract exception, missed the statutory deadline for discrimination claims, and could not overcome statutory privilege for defamation.

Civil ERISA / Employee Benefits Securities Summary Judgment
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May 1 2026
24-3400 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Quivadas Quadell-Lee Gaines

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the 115-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting a facial constitutional challenge under Bruen. The court also upheld a sentencing enhancement for possessing a firearm in connection with another felony based on sufficient evidence linking the gun to the defendant's theft.

Criminal Firearms
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Apr 30 2026
25-2709 Panel Decision

Allen Pyron v. Johnston

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a pro se civil rights lawsuit brought by civilly committed individuals against Minnesota Sex Offender Program officials and JPay LLC. The court held that the plaintiffs failed to state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and that the district judge did not err in dismissing the case without referring it to a magistrate judge.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983
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Apr 30 2026
25-3314 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Txong Thor

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentence imposed on a defendant convicted of drug and firearm offenses, finding no abuse of discretion by the district court. The court also conducted an independent review of the record and determined there were no non-frivolous issues to pursue on appeal.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 30 2026
25-1645 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Christopher William Weigert

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the revocation of supervised release and a 12-month sentence, ruling that the district court did not clearly err in finding drug use and new law violations based on witness testimony. The court further held that the sentence was substantively reasonable given the defendant's refusal to take responsibility for his actions.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
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Apr 29 2026
25-6017 Panel Decision

In re: Robert Duane Wagner

The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Eighth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the debtor-appellant died and no personal representative was substituted within a reasonable time. The court held that without a party to prosecute the case, continuing the proceedings is improper under Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 8023.1.

Bankruptcy Civil
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Apr 29 2026
25-1533 Panel Decision

Jabbok Schlacks; William Schlacks v. Neil Chheda; Schlacks 2020 Transfer, LLC; RC Opportunity, LLC

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to compel arbitration, holding that the Schlacks brothers were not parties bound by the partnership agreement's arbitration clause. The court found no clear and unmistakable evidence that the brothers agreed to delegate arbitrability questions to an arbitrator or that equitable estoppel and agency principles applied to bind them.

Constitutional Second Amendment
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Apr 29 2026
25-1143 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Jersom Andu Mena

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of Jersom Andu Mena's motion to dismiss his federal firearms indictment, holding that facial Second Amendment challenges to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) are foreclosed by binding circuit precedent. The court clarified that the Supreme Court's recent decision in United States v. Rahimi does not undermine the established authority of United States v. Veasley.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Firearms
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