Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Daekun Cho's convictions for extortion and carjacking, ruling that any evidentiary errors at trial were harmless given the overwhelming proof of guilt. The court also upheld the sentencing enhancement for victim vulnerability, finding that Cho targeted victims based on their immigration status and language barriers.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment against a prisoner who alleged constitutional violations during transport and medical care. The court held that the prisoner failed to exhaust administrative remedies for some claims and that the remaining claim was barred by qualified immunity.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment on a prisoner's First Amendment claim for damages due to untimely exhaustion of administrative remedies. The court dismissed her RLUIPA damages request as legally unavailable and dismissed her claims for injunctive relief as moot following her release from prison.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to dismiss an illegal reentry charge, holding that a California rape conviction categorically matches the federal definition of rape as an aggravated felony. Because the state offense qualifies as an aggravated felony, the defendant could not satisfy the fundamental unfairness requirement necessary to collaterally attack his removal order.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Title VII religious accommodation claim because the plaintiff failed to plead a bona fide religious belief sufficiently distinct from secular medical concerns. The court held that general prayer and broad religious tenets, without a clear nexus to specific religious doctrine, cannot elevate personal medical judgments to the level of protected religious conviction.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of disability benefits, holding that the administrative law judge properly evaluated medical evidence and discounted the claimant's subjective testimony. The court found the ALJ's decision supported by substantial evidence under the applicable regulations.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court's denial of a motion to compel arbitration, holding that the burden of proving involuntary acceptance of terms lies with the parents, not the company. However, the court affirmed that the school districts were not authorized agents to bind parents to the arbitration clause.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's application of Younger abstention for most claims while the plaintiffs had ongoing state proceedings, but reversed the dismissal of specific First Amendment retaliation claims. The court remanded the retaliation claims for adjudication because they were sufficiently separable from the state enforcement actions and did not pose a risk of enjoining those proceedings.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's application of Younger abstention for most claims but reversed the dismissal of a First Amendment retaliation claim. The court held that while ongoing state proceedings generally preclude federal intervention, the unique nature of the retaliation injury created an exceptional circumstance allowing the federal case to proceed on that specific issue.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that upheld an insurance company's denial of ERISA benefits, finding the administrator abused its discretion by failing to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the claimant. The court also vacated the lower court's denial of attorneys' fees and statutory penalties, ordering the insurer to produce the full administrative record and pay the claimant's legal costs.