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.

Mar 30 2026
25-30554 Per Curiam

Collett v. Weyerhaeuser Co.

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court order requiring plaintiffs to pay approximately $37,683 in costs to prevailing defendants despite the plaintiffs' claim of indigency. The court held that a disparity in financial resources between the parties is insufficient on its own to overcome the presumption that costs should be awarded to the prevailing party under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(d)(1).

Civil Insurance Summary Judgment
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Mar 27 2026
24-30730 Panel Decision

United States of America Plaintiff— v. Marshall Grace Defendant—

The Fifth Circuit affirmed Marshall Grace's conviction for drug conspiracy, ruling that he failed to prove purposeful racial discrimination under Batson v. Kentucky. The court held that the district court's assessment of the prosecutor's credibility regarding a race-neutral reason for striking a juror was not clearly erroneous.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Fourteenth Amendment - Equal Protection
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Mar 27 2026
25-50552 Per Curiam

United States v. White

The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed the appeal after reviewing the record. The court found no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review under the standard established in Anders v. California.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Mar 27 2026
25-40345 Per Curiam

United States v. Selon

The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed the appeal after determining the case presented no nonfrivolous issues for review. The court applied the Anders procedure to excuse counsel from further responsibilities, leaving the defendant's conviction in place.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Mar 27 2026
25-50231 Per Curiam

United States of America v. Luciano Diaz-Contreras

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a federal sentence, holding that a prior four-year state firearms conviction counts toward criminal history points even if the defendant did not physically serve the full term. The court also rejected a challenge to a supervised release revocation, finding the district court properly considered the defendant's history and the need for public protection.

Criminal Firearms Plain Error Review Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 27 2026
25-10545 Panel Decision

Ira Darlina Baker v. Richard Keith Coborn; Michael Joseph McHugh

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity for officers who fired at a fleeing vehicle after it began moving away from the scene. The court held that under clearly established law, no reasonable officer could believe such shots were justified once the suspect vehicle accelerated.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983 Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Summary Judgment
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Mar 27 2026
25-60606 Per Curiam

Kimberly Monique Ross v. James Christopher Walker

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a § 1983 complaint filed by Kimberly Monique Ross, ruling that the appeal was frivolous because it sought to relitigate claims already decided. The court denied Ross's motion to proceed in forma pauperis because she failed to challenge the district court's finding that her lawsuit was duplicative of a prior action.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983
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Mar 27 2026
25-60522 Per Curiam

United States v. Sierra-Torreblanca

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 180-month prison sentence for child pornography possession and illegal reentry, rejecting the defendant's claim that the term was substantively unreasonable. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion because it properly considered the statutory sentencing factors and cited specific facts justifying the upward variance.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
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