Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a federal prisoner's motion to reopen as an unauthorized successive habeas petition. The court held that the filing sought relief on the merits and thus required pre-filing authorization under AEDPA.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the termination of long-term disability benefits, holding that the plan administrator did not abuse its discretion. The court ruled that the plaintiff failed to provide the specific objective medical evidence required by the plan to prove he remained unable to perform his job's material duties.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of David Anthony Babb's civil rights complaint, ruling that his allegations failed to plausibly establish that private defendants acted as state actors. The court held that mere licensing, regulation, or state approval of private conduct is insufficient to transform private behavior into state action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a summary judgment in a premises-liability case because the appellant failed to challenge all independent grounds supporting the lower court's ruling. The court held that an appellant must successfully rebut every basis for a multi-ground judgment to obtain reversal.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Don Eugene Nixon Jr.'s drug trafficking conviction and 720-month sentence, ruling that the district court did not commit plain error by omitting a specific voir dire question regarding gang bias. The court further held that the district court properly calculated the drug weight attributable to Nixon and that the sentence was reasonable under the statutory factors.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's order remanding a foreclosure case to Florida state court, ruling that the defendant's removal to federal court was untimely. The court held that the defendant failed to file his notice of removal within the statutory thirty-day window or identify any document that would restart that deadline.
The Federal Circuit affirmed that a government agency's override of an automatic statutory stay in a federal procurement dispute was arbitrary and capricious. The court held that a bid protestor need not satisfy the traditional four-factor equitable test to obtain relief, preserving the mandatory stay mechanism under the Competition in Contracting Act.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a flood insurance claim suit as time-barred, holding that a loss is considered 'proved' under federal law even without a sworn proof of loss. The statute of limitations began running when the insurer mailed its initial denial letter, not when the policyholder later submitted a sworn proof of loss.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision regarding patentability challenges without issuing a written opinion. This nonprecedential ruling applies the standard of review under Federal Circuit Rule 36 to confirm the Board's prior determination in Inter Partes Review No. IPR2023-00255.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of safety-valve relief to a defendant convicted of drug trafficking, holding that his possession of firearms was in connection with the offense. The court found that a pattern of mixed drug and firearm sales from the same location facilitated the drug enterprise, precluding relief under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f).
