Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order granting summary judgment in an employment discrimination case. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's decision to dismiss the plaintiff's claims under federal civil rights statutes.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed convictions under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act for drug trafficking occurring within Colombia's Exclusive Economic Zone. The court rejected arguments that the statute is unconstitutional or lacks jurisdictional nexus, holding that the vessel was stateless because the master failed to claim nationality.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment against a Deepwater Horizon cleanup worker who failed to submit expert reports within an extended deadline. The court held that the settlement agreement did not mandate indefinite delays and that the district court acted within its authority to manage its docket.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed a petition for a writ of mandamus as moot because the district court had already resolved the underlying dispute. The appellate court found that no further judicial relief could be granted since the district court had dismissed the complaint and ruled on all pending motions.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Anthony Lee Daniels' Armed Career Criminal Act sentence, ruling that while the district court erred by determining predicate offenses occurred on different occasions without a jury, the mistake was harmless. The court found that Daniels would have admitted to the different occasions facts during his guilty plea had he been properly advised of his right to a jury determination.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a sixty-month prison sentence for a defendant who made multiple threatening voicemails to a federal judge and her family. The court held that the district court acted within its discretion to impose an upward variance based on the premeditated and terroristic nature of the threats.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court order denying attorneys' fees to borrowers in a foreclosure dispute. The court held that dismissing a case for failure to serve process within the required timeframe does not make the defendants prevailing parties under Florida law.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by pro se plaintiffs challenging a district court order. The court held that the order was neither a final judgment nor an appealable interlocutory order under federal law.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed drug trafficking convictions under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, rejecting challenges that the statute lacks constitutional authority over offenses in foreign Exclusive Economic Zones. The court held that the vessel was subject to U.S. jurisdiction because the master failed to claim nationality, and that foreign cooperation does not strip American courts of authority.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a federal prisoner's motion for compassionate release, ruling that the lower court properly weighed statutory sentencing factors. The appellate court held that the defendant's criminal history and non-compliance with medical instructions justified maintaining his sentence despite his chronic kidney disease.
