Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se prisoner's Eighth Amendment claim regarding prison safety. The court held that the plaintiff failed to allege sufficient facts to prove defendants were deliberately indifferent to a substantial risk of serious harm.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a prisoner's civil rights lawsuit alleging that prison officials were deliberately indifferent to his health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court held that the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence that officials knew of and disregarded an excessive risk to his safety.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a sentence for illegal reentry, rejecting the argument that concurrent sentencing for a prior false-statement conviction precludes applying an eight-level sentencing enhancement. The panel held that the text of the Sentencing Guidelines requires using the actual sentence length imposed for the prior non-reentry offense, regardless of how grouping rules affected the original sentence.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's civil rights lawsuit because he failed to comply with district court orders. The court held that the district court acted within its discretion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) and that the plaintiff waived any objections to the magistrate judge's report by failing to raise them.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's substantive due process claim, holding that his allegations failed to state a plausible violation of constitutional rights. The court reiterated that government conduct must shock the conscience or interfere with rights implicit in ordered liberty to constitute a substantive due process violation.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a California state prisoner's pro se lawsuit alleging First Amendment retaliation. The court held that the plaintiff failed to allege sufficient facts to establish a plausible causal connection between his protected conduct and the adverse actions taken against him.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se prisoner's civil rights lawsuit alleging due process violations in prison disciplinary proceedings. The court held that the plaintiff failed to allege facts sufficient to state a plausible claim, even under the liberal construction required for pro se filings.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a defendant's motion for compassionate release, ruling that the district court's reliance on sentencing factors outweighed any potential error in assessing extraordinary circumstances. The court held that the seriousness of the offense and the nature of the drugs involved provided an independent, valid basis to deny relief.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of the Bowmans' claims under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The appellate panel held that the lower court properly denied the plaintiffs' motions for default judgment and a continuance based on the specific legal standards governing those requests.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Oscar Bernabe-Martinez's conviction for possessing a firearm while unlawfully in the United States. The court held that his Second Amendment challenge is legally foreclosed by the panel's recent decision in United States v. Vazquez-Ramirez.