Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of Social Security disability benefits, holding that the Administrative Law Judge's decision was supported by substantial evidence. The court found the ALJ provided specific and legitimate reasons for weighing medical opinions and correctly excluded asthma-related work restrictions based on uncontradicted record evidence.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for JPMorgan Chase on a conversion claim, ruling that a bank acts within its account agreement when freezing funds to investigate suspicious deposits. The court held that the bank's reasonable suspicion and active verification efforts negated the 'wrongful act' element required for conversion liability.
The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review, holding that the statutory 'good moral character' catchall provision is not unconstitutionally vague as applied to a petitioner with four DUI arrests and convictions. The court affirmed the Board of Immigration Appeals' denial of cancellation of removal and voluntary departure, finding the petitioner had fair notice that such conduct reflected poorly on his character.
The Ninth Circuit denied a Guatemalan national's petition for asylum and withholding of removal, ruling that anonymous threatening phone calls without physical harm do not constitute past persecution. The court further held that the petitioner failed to demonstrate a well-founded fear of future persecution or eligibility for protection under the Convention Against Torture.
The Ninth Circuit vacated the denial of Defendants' motions for a new trial, ruling that the district court abused its discretion by strictly enforcing local rules without weighing the parties' conduct. The appellate court remanded the case for the district court to evaluate the merits of the new trial motions rather than dismissing them on procedural grounds.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the BIA's denial of a motion to reopen, ruling that a Supreme Court decision did not constitute an extraordinary circumstance for equitable tolling because the legal principle was already established by circuit precedent. The court further dismissed the petition because the petitioner failed to prove he acted diligently in filing within the statutory ninety-day window.
The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order denying asylum and related protections to a dual national of Venezuela and Colombia. The court held that substantial evidence supported the agency's finding that the petitioner could safely relocate to Colombia and failed to prove persecution in either country.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Bradley Monical's civil rights claims, ruling that his suit was barred by Oregon's two-year statute of limitations and his failure to exhaust administrative remedies. The court further held that his access-to-courts claim failed due to a lack of evidence showing actual injury.
The Ninth Circuit granted the United States' motion for an injunction pending appeal, temporarily barring California from enforcing its identification requirement for federal law enforcement officers. The court held that the state statute likely violates the Supremacy Clause because it directly regulates the federal government in the performance of its governmental functions.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment for the City of Oxnard, holding that its campaign contribution limits under Measure B do not violate the First Amendment. The court found the limits were closely drawn to prevent quid pro quo corruption and were not unconstitutionally low compared to similar municipalities.