Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Jerry Boylan's conviction for seaman's manslaughter, clarifying that the statute requires only simple negligence rather than gross negligence. The court further held that any potential error in the jury instructions regarding the term 'misconduct' was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Jerry Boylan's conviction for seaman's manslaughter, clarifying that the statute requires only negligence rather than gross negligence. The court further held that any error in the jury instructions regarding the term 'misconduct' was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that held a school district had no duty to offer a free appropriate public education because parents requested an IEP meeting rather than an IEP document. The panel clarified that the purpose of an IEP meeting is to develop and offer an IEP, making the specific terminology used by parents irrelevant to the district's obligation.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a writ of error coram nobis for a petitioner convicted of possessing a firearm as an alien unlawfully present. The court held that the failure to give a Rehaif instruction was not fundamental error because the evidence of the petitioner's knowledge of his status was overwhelming.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to apply a fluctuating federal interest rate to a mixed federal and state law judgment. The court held that when a verdict does not distinguish between state and federal claims, the district court retains discretion to select the rate that most accurately compensates the plaintiff for lost wages.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity for police officers involved in a high-speed chase where a fleeing suspect crashed into innocent bystanders. The court held that plaintiffs plausibly alleged a Fourteenth Amendment substantive due process violation by claiming the officers chased with a purpose to harm the suspect in a manner exceeding legitimate law enforcement needs, and that this right was clearly established.
The Ninth Circuit held that the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act authorizes the government to seize funds accumulated gradually from multiple sources in an inmate's trust account. The court affirmed the district court's order turning over over $1,200 to satisfy unpaid restitution obligations.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment quieting title to riverbeds, holding that only the Sun River to Black Eagle Falls Segment was navigable in fact at the time of Montana's statehood. The court rejected the State's argument that actual river use alone establishes navigability and confirmed that the segment-by-segment analysis required by PPL Montana was correctly applied to all disputed reaches.