Decisions

JAMAL J. KIFAFI, INDIVIDUALLY, AND ON BEHALF OF ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED v. HILTON HOTELS RETIREMENT PLAN, ET AL.

The D.C. Circuit affirmed the District Court's denial of broad post-judgment discovery and equitable accounting requests, finding no abuse of discretion. The court held that the plaintiff failed to demonstrate significant questions regarding the defendant's compliance with a long-standing ERISA injunction.

SHAHNAZ HAERI MEHNEH AND ALIASGHAR NEJAT v. MARCO RUBIO

The D.C. Circuit dismissed consolidated appeals alleging unreasonable delay in visa adjudications because the Department of State completed processing the applications while the cases were pending. The court held that no effectual relief could be granted and that no exceptions to the mootness doctrine applied.

CLEMENTE PROPERTIES, INC.; 21 IN RIGHT, INC.; ROBERTO CLEMENTE JR.; LUIS ROBERTO CLEMENTE; ROBERTO ENRIQUE CLEMENTE v. HON. PEDRO R. PIERLUISI-URRUTIA, Governor of Puerto Rico...: CLEMENTE PROPERTIES, INC.; 21 IN RIGHT, INC.; ROBERTO CLEMENTE JR.; LUIS ROBERTO CLEMENTE; ROBERTO ENRIQUE CLEMENTE v. HON. PEDRO R. PIERLUISI-URRUTIA, Governor of Puerto Rico…

The First Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of the Clemente heirs’ claims, ruling that the Lanham Act does not protect a deceased individual’s legacy from government use and that the Takings Clause does not apply…

UNITED STATES v. ONIC MALDONADO-VELAZQUEZ

The First Circuit affirmed a ninety-six-month sentence for possessing machine guns and being a felon in possession of firearms, rejecting the defendant's claim that the district court failed to adequately explain an upward variance. The court held that the district court provided a plausible rationale based on the severity of the offenses, the defendant's criminal history, and the specific circumstances of the arrest.

KEFIM DEXTER DAVID v. CHARLOTTE A. BURROWS, Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); DR. CHRISTOPHER SCOLESE, Former Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)...: KEFIM DEXTER DAVID v. CHARLOTTE A. BURROWS, Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); DR. CHRISTOPHER SCOLESE, Former Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)…

Case v. Montana

The Supreme Court clarified that the Fourth Amendment permits warrantless home entries for emergency aid when officers have an objectively reasonable basis to believe someone needs help, rejecting a probable cause requirement. The Court affirmed a conviction for assaulting an officer after police entered a home to prevent a suspected suicide based on a 911 call and visible evidence.

BARRETT v. UNITED STATES

The Supreme Court held that Congress did not clearly authorize cumulative convictions under both 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and § 924(j) for a single act. The Court reversed the Second Circuit, ruling that a single fatal violation yields only one conviction despite the provisions satisfying the Blockburger test for separate offenses.

Galette v. New Jersey Transit Corp.

The Supreme Court held that the New Jersey Transit Corporation is not an arm of the State entitled to sovereign immunity. The Court ruled that despite its public functions and state control, NJ Transit's corporate structure and independent liability shield it from the State's immunity.

United States v. Christian Del-Valle-Camacho

The First Circuit affirmed a sixty-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm and escape from a re-entry program. The court held that the district judge provided sufficient justification for a nineteen-month upward variance based on the defendant's possession of a modified machine gun, high-capacity magazines, and a large quantity of ammunition.

United States v. Christian Del-Valle-Camacho

The First Circuit affirmed a sixty-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm and escape from a re-entry program, rejecting the defendant's claim that the district court failed to justify a nineteen-month upward variance. The appellate court held that the district judge provided sufficient reasoning by highlighting the defendant's possession of a modified machine gun, high-capacity magazines, and a large quantity of ammunition.