Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a five-year suspension of attorney Van Irion for misrepresenting a client's trust status and secretly ghostwriting filings after withdrawal. The court held that the district court acted within its inherent authority to discipline attorneys and found no abuse of discretion in the sanctions imposed.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture claims for a Guatemalan national, finding insufficient evidence of a nexus between his harm and his indigenous status. The court held that the petitioner failed to prove past persecution or a well-founded fear of future harm due to inconsistent testimony and the lack of a protected ground connection to the gang extortion he suffered.
The Sixth Circuit held that the 30-day filing deadline for immigration petitions is subject to equitable tolling following the Supreme Court's decision in Riley v. Bondi. However, the court dismissed Jorge Oxlaj-Perez's petition because he failed to demonstrate the extraordinary circumstances required to toll the deadline.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of Efra Deh's petition for review, holding that generalized allegations of interpreter dialect issues do not warrant reopening removal proceedings. The court found Deh failed to demonstrate specific mistranslations that would have altered the immigration judge's credibility determination.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of a debtor's motion to void bankruptcy property sales, ruling that individual debtors lack standing under 11 U.S.C. § 363(n) to pursue claims reserved for trustees. The court further held that the debtor's attempt to reopen the sales was barred by res judicata and statutory time limits.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's lawsuit, ruling that her claim based on a personally-created bill of exchange was patently frivolous. The court held that such instruments are not legitimate forms of payment for vehicle debts and warned the plaintiff against future abusive filings.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a qui tam action under the False Claims Act, holding that an employer has no established duty to pay higher visa fees for visa types it never applied for. The court further ruled that failing to withhold taxes on underpaid wages does not constitute a reverse false claim because the obligation to transmit money to the Treasury arises only after wages are actually paid.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of Joseph Bourabah's motions to substitute counsel and withdraw his guilty plea, finding no abuse of discretion in the district court's handling of the requests. The court upheld a 100-month sentence for a severe cyberstalking campaign, ruling that the district court properly applied upward departures for the extreme psychological injury inflicted on the victims.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Derek Dixon's motion for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), ruling that the trial court properly exercised its discretion to reject the request despite a lowered guideline range. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion given the extreme violence of Dixon's crimes and his prior agreement that the maximum term was reasonable under § 3553(a).
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity for a police officer who shot and killed a fleeing, unarmed teenager who made no threatening movements with a weapon. The court held that under clearly established law, an officer cannot use deadly force against a suspect who is armed but poses no immediate threat to safety.
