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.

Mar 16 2026
2:18-cv-00374-WBS-JDP Unpublished

RODNEY BROOKS v. S. LEE, Correctional Lieutenant; S BEASLEY; J. LEE; E. ARNOLD, Warden

The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment in a prisoner's civil rights case, ruling that the lower court did not abuse its discretion in denying motions to reopen discovery. The appellate court held that the appellant failed to demonstrate the diligence required to justify additional discovery or show that such discovery would have prevented summary judgment.

Civil Civil Rights - PLRA / Prisoner Civil Rights - Section 1983 Summary Judgment
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Mar 16 2026
3:21-cv-01767-RBM-DTF Unpublished

Benjamin Flournoy v. M. Pollard, Warden, Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility; C. Kies Correctional Officer and Kilough, Mr. Miranda Lieutenant, Ralph Diaz, Former CDCR Secre...

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.

Civil Civil Rights - PLRA / Prisoner Civil Rights - Section 1983 Summary Judgment
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Mar 16 2026
3:22-cr-02548- Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CRUZ TORRES-GONZALEZ

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.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal) Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 16 2026
2:24-cv-01348-CDS-EJY Unanimous

Kasey Carroll v. S. Corsaro, et al.

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.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983
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Mar 16 2026
3:23-cv-02235-RSH-JLB Unpublished

John Henry Yablonsky v. Alford, Teacher; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; et al.

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.

Civil Civil Rights - PLRA / Prisoner
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Mar 16 2026
3:17-cr-02201-CAB-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. HUGO SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ

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.

Compassionate Release Criminal
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Mar 16 2026
2:23-cv-10363-RGK-RAO Unpublished

Keyubba Bowman; Rashon Bowman v. Novad Management Consulting, LLC; ISN Corporation; United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; Does, 1 through 50, inclusive

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.

Civil Consumer Protection Contract
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