United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

JOAO PEDRO MARTINS; T. M. M v. PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General

JOAO PEDRO MARTINS; T. M. M v. PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CHRISTIAN FERRARI

The Ninth Circuit affirmed a firearms trafficking sentencing enhancement, holding that the defendant need only have reason to believe the transferee was an unlawful possessor, not that the transferee was actually unlawful. The court rejected arguments relying on other criminal statutes, emphasizing that the plain text of the Sentencing Guidelines focuses on the defendant's subjective belief.

JOSE GUADALUPE NAVARRETE v. PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General

The Ninth Circuit dismissed a petition for review challenging only a denial of Convention Against Torture protection because such an order does not merge into a final order of removal. The court held that appellate jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(1) requires a challenge to the underlying removal order, not a standalone challenge to the CAT denial.

DAVID JAY DEARINGER Sr.; GANNA P. DEARINGER v. ELI LILLY AND COMPANY, a corporation

The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Eli Lilly in a products liability case involving Cialis, holding that the plaintiffs failed to prove proximate causation under Washington's learned intermediary doctrine. The court further ruled that any potential errors regarding the appointment of counsel and the sham affidavit rule were harmless given the merits of the decision.

CHURCH OF THE EAGLE AND THE CONDOR, et al v. PAMELA J. BONDI, Attorney General, et al

The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court order denying attorney's fees to religious plaintiffs who reached a settlement with the government. The appellate court held that the plaintiffs qualified as prevailing parties because the settlement agreement materially altered their legal relationship and the district court retained jurisdiction to enforce it.

AMERITAS LIFE INSURANCE CORP v. WILMINGTON TRUST, N.A

The Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's dismissal of a declaratory judgment action, holding that a permanent life insurance policy issued in 2024 was a distinct contract from a prior term policy issued in 2004. Because the permanent policy was a new contract and the policyholder lacked an insurable interest at the time of its issuance, the court ruled the policy void as an illegal wager.

JUN DAM v. MARK D. WALDRON, Chapter 7 Trustee; Ms. PAMELA MARIE EGAN Esquire Bankruptcy Counsel; POTOMAC LAW GROUP, PLLC; GIGA WATT BANKRUPTCY ESTATE

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Jun Dam's claims against a bankruptcy trustee and counsel, ruling that Dam lacked prudential standing to assert third-party rights. However, the court vacated the dismissal with prejudice, instructing the district court to dismiss the claims without prejudice due to a lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.

Alice Helen Brown v. Police Officer Ethan Miller and State of California, County of Del Norte, City of Crescent City, Crescent City Manager Eric Wier, Crescent City Police Depar...

The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment in a Fourth Amendment traffic stop case, holding that an officer's subjective motivation is irrelevant to the constitutional reasonableness of a stop. The court further ruled that the plaintiff waived any challenge to the bill of costs by failing to object in the district court.

Sandler v. Modernizing Medicine, Inc.

The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court's denial of a motion to compel arbitration, holding that a severability clause does not negate a clear and unmistakable delegation of validity challenges to an arbitrator. The court ruled that federal law, not state law, governs the interpretation of such delegation clauses under the Federal Arbitration Act.