Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Tenth Circuit granted a petition for review of a BIA asylum denial, holding that the agency's reasoning regarding gang motive was self-contradictory and insufficient. The court vacated the decision and remanded the case for the BIA to conduct a new review of the petitioner's eligibility.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that upheld an insurance company's denial of ERISA benefits, finding the administrator abused its discretion by failing to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the claimant. The court also vacated the lower court's denial of attorneys' fees and statutory penalties, ordering the insurer to produce the full administrative record and pay the claimant's legal costs.
The Federal Circuit dismissed a whistleblower appeal because the petition for review was filed six days after the mandatory sixty-day statutory deadline. The court held that the filing deadline is inflexible and cannot be extended for pro se litigants who fail to demonstrate equitable tolling.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion for compassionate release, ruling that challenges to sentencing guideline calculations must be brought via habeas corpus rather than compassionate release proceedings. The court held that the defendant's argument effectively attacked the validity of his plea agreement and sentence, which falls outside the scope of 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A).
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that had upheld UnitedHealthcare's denial of benefits, holding that the insurer abused its discretion by failing to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the beneficiary. The court remanded the case for further proceedings, instructing the lower court to award attorneys' fees and impose statutory penalties for the insurer's failure to produce the administrative record.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision in an inter partes review proceeding. The court issued a per curiam judgment without providing a written opinion explaining the reasoning.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Demario Montrell Rodgers for possession of a firearm as a felon. The court held that law enforcement officers possessed reasonable suspicion to conduct an investigatory stop based on the totality of the circumstances.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Koby Don Williams's conviction for attempted online enticement of a minor but vacated his sentence due to a procedural error in applying a sentencing enhancement. The court held that the district court failed to make the specific factual findings required to support an obstruction of justice enhancement based on the defendant's trial testimony.
The Eleventh Circuit denied a petition for review challenging an FDA permanent debarment order, holding that the agency was required by statute to debar the petitioner. The court ruled that a felony conviction for making a false statement during a post-trial investigation falls squarely within the mandatory debarment language of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Xavion Watts's conviction and ten-year sentence for possession of a machinegun, finding no procedural or substantive error in the district court's sentencing decision. The court also rejected Watts's unpreserved constitutional challenges to the federal machinegun ban under the Second Amendment and Commerce Clause.
