Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed a district court decision upholding a federal agency order regarding natural gas royalties. The court held that the agency acted arbitrarily and capriciously by failing to consider a prior settlement agreement when calculating deductible costs.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed Michael Anthony Rangel's conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting his Second Amendment challenge. The court held that binding precedent remains unchanged following recent Supreme Court decisions, meaning the statute's constitutionality stands.
The Tenth Circuit reversed the district court's denial of the City of Aurora's motion to dismiss, holding that an officer on administrative leave lacked the actual authority required to act under color of law. The court clarified that under the Supreme Court's decision in Lindke v. Freed, apparent authority or subjective belief is insufficient to establish state action for a Section 1983 claim.
The Tenth Circuit reversed the district court's denial of a motion to dismiss in a Section 1983 case, holding that an administratively suspended police officer who acted without actual authority did not act under color of state law.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's order enforcing a handwritten settlement term sheet between an employee and her employer. The appellate panel held that the appellant failed to provide reasoned arguments or legal authority to challenge the district court's discretion in enforcing the agreement.
The Tenth Circuit reversed the conviction of Thomas Edward Petro due to prosecutorial misconduct during closing arguments that improperly suggested the presumption of innocence had been eliminated before jury deliberations.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Wesley Medical Center, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove discrimination or retaliation under the ADA and FMLA. The court held that the plaintiff could not establish causation because he did not timely provide medical documentation and failed to respond to employer requests for verification.
The Tenth Circuit reversed Thomas Petro's conviction because the prosecutor's closing argument improperly declared that the defendant's presumption of innocence had been removed before deliberations began. The court held that these remarks, combined with the presentation of a nude photo, unfairly shifted the burden of proof and prejudiced the jury's impartiality.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed Lee Holt's conviction for drug and firearm offenses, ruling that officers reasonably relied on a tribal search warrant despite a prior state court denial of a similar application. The court further held that probable cause supported the warrant and that the district court correctly refused to compel the disclosure of a confidential informant's identity.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Ryan-Michael Jarvis's civil rights complaint, ruling that law enforcement officers had probable cause to arrest him based on witness reports of threats and aggression at a music festival. The court held that the officers' actions were reasonable under the Fourth Amendment and that the district court correctly applied absolute prosecutorial immunity and qualified immunity to the defendants.