Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a former student's civil rights claims against school officials and a police officer regarding sexual assault by a coach. The court held that the school officials lacked actual knowledge of the abuse and that the plaintiff failed to prove the state created the danger or that the officer was properly served.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated a district court ruling that denied qualified immunity to a jail deputy who remotely unlocked a pretrial detainee's cell for medical transport. The appellate court held that the deputy's actions did not constitute deliberate indifference to the detainee's known suicide risk because she lacked subjective awareness that unlocking the cell would cause the specific harm that occurred.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a conviction for child pornography production, ruling that a defendant's allegations of abuse made to a forensic psychologist were not admissible under the hearsay exception for medical diagnosis. The court held that because the statements were made primarily to prepare for litigation rather than to secure medical treatment, they lacked the necessary reliability to bypass cross-examination.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court's certification of a class action against Amazon for alleged violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The court held that common questions regarding Amazon's data collection practices predominate over individual questions about user location, allowing the case to proceed as a class action.
The First Circuit affirmed a felon-in-possession conviction, ruling that circumstantial evidence of control and behavior was sufficient to prove constructive possession of a firearm found under a car seat. The court also held that the defendant waived his facial Second Amendment challenge by failing to adequately develop the argument on appeal.
The First Circuit affirmed Tevin Abercrombie's conviction for unlawful firearm possession by a felon, ruling that circumstantial evidence of his control over the vehicle and suspicious behavior supported a finding of constructive possession. The court also held that Abercrombie waived his facial Second Amendment challenge to the statute by failing to adequately develop the argument on appeal.
The Eleventh Circuit reversed the district court, holding that the Corporate Transparency Act is a constitutional exercise of Congress's Commerce Clause power. The court further ruled that the Act's reporting requirements do not facially violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition on unreasonable searches.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the removal of general partners from affordable housing limited partnerships after finding their misappropriation of funds constituted a material breach of contract. The court rejected arguments that the removal was an impermissible forfeiture or that the limited partners had waived their rights through prior inaction.
The Eleventh Circuit certified four critical questions to the Alabama Supreme Court regarding the scope and criminal penalties of Alabama's SB1 absentee voting law. The federal court paused its review of a Voting Rights Act preemption claim because the state statute's ambiguity creates uncertainty about whether plaintiffs have standing to sue.
The Eleventh Circuit denied an emergency stay of execution for a death row inmate challenging his execution under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The court held that the inmate's exclusion from a COVID-19 agreement pausing executions for certain prisoners did not violate the Equal Protection or Due Process Clauses.
