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 16 2026
24-10860 Panel Decision

Jessica Clouse; Lindsay Heyman; Meghan Klein; Sydney Severson; Rebekah Tate; Marissa Jennings; Lauren Moore; Laura Kade Plaintiffs— v. Southern Methodist University Defendant—

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's award of litigation costs to Southern Methodist University, ruling that the university qualified as a prevailing party despite one plaintiff's claims surviving summary judgment. The court held that SMU was entitled to recover fees for deposition videos, transcripts, and copying under 28 U.S.C. § 1920 because these expenses were necessary for trial preparation.

Civil Civil Rights - Education Statute of Limitations Summary Judgment
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Mar 16 2026
25-20018 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Nestor Villafana-Mondragon

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a criminal sentence, holding that a district court satisfies notice requirements for supervised-release conditions by orally adopting them from the Presentence Investigation Report. The court further found that the record contained ample evidence that defense counsel had reviewed the report with the defendant, even without a specific on-the-record inquiry to the defendant.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
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Mar 16 2026
25-20199 Per Curiam

Judy Vuong v. United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Douglas A. Collins, Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Department of Veterans Affairs on Judy Vuong's claims of race, color, and sex discrimination and retaliation. However, the court reversed and remanded the case regarding her hostile work environment claim, finding the district court erred by dismissing it sua sponte without notice.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment Summary Judgment
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Mar 16 2026
25-20161 Per Curiam

United States v. Dowell

The Fifth Circuit dismissed Matthew Scott Dowell's appeal as frivolous because his post-judgment motions were filed more than one year after the judgment. The court held that such untimely motions are unauthorized and lack a jurisdictional basis.

Criminal Supervised Release
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