May 4 2026
10th Cir. 2:23-CV-00159-KHR Panel Decision

Smith, et al. v. Albany County School District No. 1, et al.

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a student and her parents challenging a school district's COVID-19 mask mandate. The court held that the plaintiffs failed to state valid claims for compelled speech, retaliation, or due process violations under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

May 4 2026
5th Cir. 25-40486 Per Curiam

Starr v. City of Palestine

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a pro se litigant who failed to challenge the district court's dismissal of her civil rights complaint. The court denied the motion to proceed in forma pauperis and found the appeal lacked arguable merit due to abandonment.

May 1 2026
4th Cir. 25-6695 Per Curiam

Weldon Eugene Holtzclaw, Jr. v. Donald C. Coggins

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's summary dismissal of the plaintiff's civil rights complaint, finding no reversible error in the lower court's ruling. Simultaneously, the court ordered the plaintiff to show cause why he should not face monetary sanctions or a prefiling injunction due to a pattern of excessive and frivolous filings.