Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed an above-Guidelines sentence of one hundred twenty-one months for a large-scale drug trafficker. The court held that the district court properly varied upward based on the defendant's extensive criminal history and the volume of drugs involved.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a 121-month prison sentence for a large-scale drug trafficker, ruling the district court properly exercised its discretion to impose an above-Guidelines sentence. The court found no procedural or substantive unreasonableness in the sentence, which was based on the defendant's leadership role and the extraordinary volume of drugs involved.
The Sixth Circuit reversed the district court's certification of a class action against State Farm, holding that individualized issues regarding the unique value of each insured vehicle predominate over common questions. The court reasoned that because determining actual cash value requires case-by-case analysis, a class-wide resolution is unmanageable under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(3).
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a 360-month prison sentence for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. The court rejected the defendant's arguments regarding drug weight calculations and the dangerous weapon enhancement.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a 131-month sentence for drug trafficking, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing an upward variance. The court held that the judge properly considered the defendant's extensive uncharged criminal history and recent jail violence under the statutory sentencing factors.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers who entered a home to conduct a welfare check, ruling that their actions were objectively reasonable under the emergency aid exception. The court held that the officers were shielded by qualified immunity because a reasonable officer could have believed immediate force was necessary to prevent harm given the dispatch warnings and the plaintiff's behavior.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of Deputy Smiley's qualified immunity motion, holding that a reasonable officer could not have known that shooting an unarmed, non-dangerous man with evident diminished capacity violated clearly established law. The court concluded that the deputy's belief that the plaintiff was drinking gasoline was objectively unreasonable, rendering the use of deadly force unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment.
The Sixth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel affirmed the lower court's judgment, holding that elderly investors received funds in good faith and that a garnishment perfected their claims outside the bankruptcy preference period. The court rejected the Trustee's attempt to recover settlement proceeds, emphasizing that actual knowledge of a Ponzi scheme is required to defeat the good faith defense.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court dismissal, holding that an Oklahoma law firm purposefully directed its debt collection activities at a Michigan resident. The court found that garnishing wages earned by a Michigan employee established sufficient minimum contacts for personal jurisdiction.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a commercial fisherman's claims against Ohio state officials, ruling that sovereign immunity bars suits against the state for takings and state law claims. The court reversed the dismissal with prejudice, instructing the district court to dismiss the claims against state defendants without prejudice due to lack of subject matter jurisdiction.