Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Supreme Court held that Delaware's affidavit-of-merit requirement cannot be enforced in federal court because it conflicts with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8. The Court reversed the Third Circuit's dismissal, ruling that federal pleading standards govern the sufficiency of a complaint in diversity cases.
The Supreme Court held that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(c)(1) imposes a reasonable-time limit on motions seeking relief from judgments alleged to be void. The Court rejected the argument that void judgments are legal nullities exempt from temporal filing deadlines.
The Supreme Court held that restitution ordered under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act constitutes criminal punishment for purposes of the Ex Post Facto Clause. Consequently, applying the MVRA to a defendant who committed their crime before the Act's enactment violates the Constitution.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment, holding that the Secretary of Health and Human Services lacked the authority to unilaterally direct contractors to reopen final Medicare cost determinations outside the specific regulatory framework. The court ruled that the agency's attempt to apply a new reimbursement formula to settled reports was barred by explicit time limits and a prohibition on reopening based on changes in legal interpretation.
The D.C. Circuit denied a petition challenging the TSA's emergency cybersecurity rules for airports, ruling that the agency acted within its broad statutory authority. The court also held that the petitioner waived several arguments by failing to raise them during the administrative reconsideration process.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the denial of a writ of coram nobis, holding that the appellant failed to prove fundamental error or ineffective assistance of counsel regarding his guilty plea. The court further ruled that the appellant waited too long to challenge the conviction, offering no valid reason for the three-decade delay.
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.
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.
The First Circuit vacated the dismissal of trademark claims against individual Puerto Rico officials while affirming the dismissal of claims against the Commonwealth itself. The court held that license plates and registration tags constitute goods or services under the Lanham Act, rejecting the lower court's conclusion that government issuance precludes commercial use.
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.
