Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
The Eleventh Circuit denied a pro se petition for permission to appeal bankruptcy court orders because the mandatory statutory certification required for direct review was never obtained. Without this certification from the bankruptcy court, district court, or a bankruptcy appellate panel, the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 168-month sentence for firearm possession by a convicted felon, rejecting claims that the sentence was procedurally or substantively unreasonable. The court held that the district court did not clearly err in finding the defendant contributed to his girlfriend's death during a high-speed chase and that the upward variance was justified under the abuse-of-discretion standard.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Renell Jones's habeas petition, ruling that Florida state courts reasonably applied federal law regarding his Miranda waiver and invocation of counsel. The court held that a detective's mischaracterization of a rights form as a literacy test did not invalidate the waiver, and that Jones's statements regarding an attorney were too equivocal to require police to stop questioning.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed Juan Sebastian Perez's appeal of his 360-month sentence because he signed a knowing and voluntary plea agreement containing an enforceable waiver of his right to appeal. The court found the waiver barred Perez's challenge to the sentence's reasonableness and the district court's consideration of sentencing factors.
The Eleventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw from representation after an independent review found no arguable issues of merit for the appeal. The court affirmed the district court's denial of the defendant's motion for sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2).
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's award of attorneys' fees to a relator under the False Claims Act, rejecting a defense based on the relator's unrelated prior misconduct. The court held that the unclean hands doctrine does not apply when the relator's past crimes have no immediate relation to the specific qui tam suit at issue.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed a habeas appeal because the petitioner filed his notice of appeal before the district court adopted the magistrate judge's report and recommendation. The court held that a magistrate's recommendation is not a final order until adopted, and a subsequent adoption cannot cure a premature filing.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se prisoner's Eighth Amendment Bivens claim, ruling that courts must interpret pleadings based on the specific causes of action asserted rather than rewriting them as alternative theories. The court also upheld the denial of the prisoner's request for appointed counsel, finding the argument waived due to a failure to object to the magistrate judge's order within the required timeframe.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal from a district court order remanding a foreclosure case to state court because the remand was based on a lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The court held that such remand orders are generally unreviewable on appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1447(d) unless the case was removed under specific statutory exceptions.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's refusal to compel arbitration, holding that VyStar Credit Union failed to prove the formation of a valid arbitration agreement under Florida state law. The court ruled that unilateral amendments to membership agreements via notice attached to account statements were insufficient to establish mutual assent to the new arbitration provision.