Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the conviction of Willie Richard Minor for possessing a firearm after a prior misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, rejecting Second Amendment challenges and upholding the exclusion of evidence regarding his subjective belief about firearm possession rights.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment to MetLife, holding that the insurer's denial of accidental death benefits was not arbitrary or capricious. The court ruled that the insured's pre-existing chronic lung disease contributed to her death, triggering a specific illness exclusion in the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Act policy.
The Supreme Court reversed the Fourth Circuit, holding that the state court's denial of habeas relief did not contravene clearly established federal law. The Court found the undisclosed forensic report was not material under Brady v. Maryland given the strength of the other evidence.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the convictions of Haotian Sun for mail fraud and conspiracy, ruling that the evidence was sufficient to prove he knowingly participated in a scheme to exchange counterfeit iPhones for authentic replacements. The court also rejected all sentencing and Fourth Amendment challenges raised by co-defendant Peng Fei Xue, upholding his conviction and sentence.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a decades-long lawsuit by the de Csepel family seeking the return of Holocaust-era artwork seized by Hungary. The court held that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act because the family failed to prove the takings violated the specific international law of expropriation.
The First Circuit held that Massachusetts General Laws chapter 272, section 16, prohibiting open and gross lewdness, is not categorically a crime involving moral turpitude under federal immigration law. The court reversed the Board of Immigration Appeals' removal order, ruling that the state statute does not require proof of lewd intent.
The D.C. Circuit reversed the dismissal of a civil suit alleging pharmaceutical companies aided terrorism in Iraq by knowingly providing substantial assistance to a terrorist-controlled ministry. The court held that the plaintiffs adequately pleaded a nexus between the defendants' corrupt payments and specific terrorist attacks, satisfying the secondary liability standard set forth in Twitter v. Taamneh.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order regarding the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The court rejected challenges to the Quality Bank formula used to value crude oil and upheld a finding that the pipeline administrator violated tariff terms.
The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a federal employee's retaliation claim under the False Claims Act against the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The court held that Congress did not expressly waive federal sovereign immunity for such claims, barring the suit against the United States.
The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of residents' constitutional and statutory challenges to a new zoning district because they failed to allege specific, concrete injuries required for Article III standing. The court held that vague assertions about potential property value changes and generalized grievances were insufficient to establish a personal stake in the outcome.
