Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court's dismissal of an indictment charging a Roblox user with transmitting threats in interstate commerce. The appellate court held that determining whether online statements constitute unprotected true threats requires a trial to resolve disputed factual questions about context and intent.
The Fifth Circuit reversed the district court's grant of summary judgment for protest organizer DeRay Mckesson, holding that sufficient evidence exists for a jury to determine if his negligence in leading a violent protest proximately caused injuries to Officer John Ford. The court emphasized that after eight years of litigation, the case must proceed to trial to resolve factual disputes regarding Mckesson's leadership role and the foreseeability of the violence.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by the Federal Public Defender to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment dismissing a pro se civil rights lawsuit against two cities and an individual. The appellate court found no reversible error after reviewing the briefs with the benefit of liberal construction.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the defendant's life sentence for drug trafficking and murder-for-hire, ruling that evidence of prior drug dealings was intrinsic to the charged conspiracy. The court further held that the district court did not commit plain error by omitting a jury instruction on the overt act element of the murder-for-hire conspiracy.
The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court's dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's Title VII racial discrimination lawsuit, holding that his complaint adequately alleged hostile work environment and retaliation claims. The court emphasized that pro se pleadings must be liberally construed and need not meet the strict standards of formal legal drafting to survive a motion to dismiss.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the revocation of Calvin Easley's supervised release, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding he violated a mandatory condition by assaulting a pregnant person. The court concluded that viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, a reasonable trier of fact could find it more likely than not that Easley committed the assault under Texas law.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of Henry Berrocal's pro se complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e). The appellate court found no reversible error after reviewing the record with the requisite liberal construction afforded to pro se litigants.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed portions of Henry Berrocal's appeal regarding sanctions and recusal as non-appealable interlocutory orders lacking jurisdiction. The court also dismissed the appeal of the preliminary injunction denial as frivolous, finding the district court properly relied on judicial notice of a completed foreclosure sale.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.