9th Cir.

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Apr 8 2026
2:22-cr-00597-RGK-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JOSE MANUEL PEREZ

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a defendant's second request for substitute counsel but reversed the denial of a third request due to the district court's failure to conduct a required inquiry. The court also vacated the defendant's sentence because the district court incorrectly applied the Sentencing Guidelines regarding what constitutes a crime of violence.

Criminal Firearms Sentencing Guidelines
Read summary →
Apr 8 2026
3:19-cr-00226-RS-13 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. TIMOTHY PEOPLES

The Ninth Circuit affirmed Timothy Peoples' cocaine trafficking conviction, ruling that any error in excluding evidence of a police officer's misconduct was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt. The court further held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in instructing the jury that the evidence was legally obtained.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
Read summary →
Apr 8 2026
2:23-cv-02767-KJM-SCR Unpublished

UNITE HERE INTERNATIONAL UNION v. WILTON RANCHERIA

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of the Wilton Rancheria's motion to vacate an arbitration award requiring the Tribe to cooperate with a specific union election procedure. The court held that the arbitrator did not manifest a disregard of the law or issue a completely irrational decision by determining that the Tribal Labor Relations Ordinance procedure was not the exclusive method available under the parties' Memorandum of Agreement.

Civil Civil Rights - Voting
Read summary →
Apr 8 2026
24-3113 Unpublished

MARICELA ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ DOMINGUEZ; KIMBERLY MICHELLE MORAN RODRIGUEZ; CHRISS ENRIQUE MORAN RODRIGUEZ v. PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision rejecting asylum and related relief for an El Salvadorian family targeted by gang extortion. The court held that the harm was motivated by economic interest rather than a protected ground, failing the statutory nexus requirement for asylum.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
Read summary →
Apr 8 2026
1:23-cv-00277-JLT-CDB Unpublished

PALLA FARMS, LLC v. GEMINI INSURANCE COMPANY

The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for an insurance company, ruling that saltwater qualifies as a pollutant under commercial general liability policies. The court held that because the plaintiff conceded saltwater was an irritant or contaminant, it met the policy definition regardless of whether it constituted waste.

Civil Insurance Summary Judgment
Read summary →
Apr 8 2026
2:23-cv-06435-WLH-E Unpublished

Brothers Market LLC No. 1 v. United States

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment against a grocery store and its owner, holding that they failed to rebut the government's evidence of SNAP trafficking. The court ruled that statistical patterns of unusually large and rapid transactions supported an inference of trafficking without requiring expert testimony.

Civil Fraud Other Civil Summary Judgment
Read summary →
Apr 8 2026
21-70145 Unpublished

AUDEL HERNANDEZ AVELLANEDA; RUBI VALDEZ GARCIA; Y. H. V v. PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review seeking asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture relief for three Mexican nationals. The court found that the petitioners waived key arguments regarding government protection and failed to meet the high legal threshold required to prove a likelihood of future torture.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
Read summary →
Apr 7 2026
3:21-cv-00753-MO Unanimous

Julio Aguilar-Padilla v. Boydstun Equipment Manufacturing, LLC

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the jury's finding that an employer violated the Oregon Safe Employment Act by retaliating against an employee for taking COVID-19 quarantine leave. However, the court vacated the district court's award of full attorney's fees, remanding the issue to determine which legal work was exclusively devoted to the state retaliation claim versus the federal claim.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment Summary Judgment
Read summary →