5th Cir.

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

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

Apr 22 2026
24-20495 Panel Decision

Scott Martin v. Marilyn Burgess, Harris County District Clerk, In her Official and Individual Capacities; Judge Genesis Draper, In her Official and Individual Capacities; Judge...

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a challenge to a Harris County administrative order restricting public access to criminal defendants' contact information in bail bond orders. The court held that the order constitutes a permissible denial of access to government information rather than a violation of the First Amendment, and that the presiding judge acted within her statutory authority.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983 Standing
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Apr 21 2026
25-50474 Per Curiam

United States v. Mata

The Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a sentencing enhancement because the defendant's plea agreement contained a valid waiver of that right. The court found the waiver's plain language covered the specific firearm possession circumstances at issue.

Criminal Firearms
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Apr 21 2026
25-40372 Per Curiam

United States v. Popnen

The Fifth Circuit affirmed Sandra Iribhogbe Popnen's 325-month sentence for fraud and money laundering, rejecting her challenges to loss calculations and sentencing guidelines reductions. The court held that the district court properly attributed co-conspirator losses and correctly denied a reduction for acceptance of responsibility.

Criminal Fraud Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 21 2026
25-20012 Per Curiam

United States v. Saavedra-Ramirez

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion to reduce his sentence, holding that Amendment 821 to the Sentencing Guidelines provided no relief because no status points were assessed at his original sentencing. The court further determined that the defendant abandoned arguments regarding Part B of the amendment and procedural errors, leaving only a claim subject to plain error review which failed.

Compassionate Release Criminal
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Apr 21 2026
25-11159 Per Curiam

United States v. Diaz-Cuellar

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a sentence for illegal reentry, rejecting a constitutional challenge to a statutory enhancement because the argument is foreclosed by Supreme Court precedent. The court granted the Government's motion for summary affirmance without oral argument, leaving the district court's judgment intact.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
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Apr 21 2026
25-11003 Per Curiam

United States v. Perez-Checa

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 21-month sentence for illegal reentry, holding that the district court provided sufficient reasons for its within-guidelines ruling. The court applied plain error review to the defendant's forfeited procedural challenge and found no reversible error.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
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Apr 21 2026
24-40599 Panel Decision

Davis v. Warren

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of claims against city officials for failing to state a claim due to insufficient factual specificity regarding municipal liability. However, the court vacated the dismissal against county officials, ruling that the complaint sufficiently alleged malicious prosecution and failure to train under qualified immunity standards.

Civil Rights - Section 1983 Criminal Drug Trafficking Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure
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Apr 21 2026
25-60470 Per Curiam

Gleibys Segura v. Todd Wallace Blanche, Acting U.S. Attorney General

The Fifth Circuit dismissed a petition for review challenging the Board of Immigration Appeals' denial of a waiver of inadmissibility and adjustment of status. The court held that the petitioner's challenge to the weighing of her criminal history against her positive equities was an impermissible attack on discretionary judgment, which is stripped from judicial review under federal statute.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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