Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Santa Clara County Superior Court, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove disability discrimination under the ADA. The court further held that the plaintiff's remaining federal claims were barred by the Rooker-Feldman doctrine and Eleventh Amendment immunity.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's Section 1983 lawsuit against a California Superior Court. The court held that state judicial entities are protected by Eleventh Amendment sovereign immunity and cannot be sued for damages in federal court.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Vickiel Vincent Vaughn's conviction and sentence for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, ruling that text messages used as evidence were non-testimonial under the Confrontation Clause. The court further held that the district court did not commit plain error by failing to make individualized sentencing findings for a within-Guidelines sentence.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment against state defendants in a Section 1983 suit, holding that states and their agencies are not 'persons' subject to suit under the federal statute. The court also upheld the district court's decision to remand state law claims against an individual defendant to state court while retaining jurisdiction over state claims against the state itself.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's civil rights claims, ruling that he failed to allege facts showing a protected liberty interest or deliberate indifference to his medical needs. The court held that the plaintiff's allegations did not meet the legal standards required to survive a motion to dismiss under the Prison Litigation Reform Act.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Jason Stanford's lawsuit because he filed the action without obtaining prior leave of court as required by a valid vexatious litigant order. The court held that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) permits sua sponte dismissal for such non-compliance and that Stanford could not relitigate the validity of the underlying order.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for state defendants, holding that states and their agencies are not "persons" subject to suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This ruling forecloses federal civil rights claims against state entities regardless of any waiver of sovereign immunity.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a sentence for illegal reentry, ruling that a district court's brief explanation for imposing supervised release was procedurally reasonable. The court held that the judge's engagement with counsel and consideration of the defendant's recidivism provided sufficient context for an individualized assessment.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Jeffery Lee Fitzhugh's Federal Tort Claims Act lawsuit, ruling that his administrative claim was filed more than two years after the incident and lacked the necessary facts for equitable tolling. The court also upheld the district court's denial of leave to file a second amended complaint because Fitzhugh failed to cure identified deficiencies despite prior opportunities.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Khriy Sherrod Simon's conviction for impersonating a federal agent, ruling that a rational jury could find he claimed to be a DEA agent to detain and search victims. The court also held that any error in excluding hearsay testimony regarding Simon's bail enforcement work was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of his federal impersonation.
