Topic
Every decision we've filed under Civil Rights - Section 1983.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a First Amendment challenge brought by parents of students in California charter school independent study programs. The court held that these programs constitute public school education, allowing the state to require secular curricula without violating the Free Exercise or Free Speech Clauses.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a jury verdict for police officers in a Section 1983 civil rights case, upholding the legality of a traffic stop and arrest. The court rejected the plaintiff's arguments that jury instructions were legally erroneous and that a new trial was warranted due to witness testimony inconsistencies.
The Supreme Court held that a §1983 plaintiff seeking purely prospective injunctive relief is not barred by Heck v. Humphrey, even if they have a prior conviction for violating the challenged law. The Court reasoned that Heck only precludes claims where a favorable judgment would necessarily imply the invalidity of the conviction for the purpose of release or damages, not challenges to future enforcement.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed the appeal because the plaintiff failed to timely challenge the dismissal of most defendants that occurred nearly four years prior. The court found it lacked jurisdiction to review the orders due to the significant delay and confusion in the notice of appeal.
The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a constitutional challenge to Massachusetts regulations requiring private school students to receive publicly funded special education services at public or neutral locations. The court held that the state's logistical distinction does not infringe on parents' fundamental right to direct their children's upbringing, nor does it violate equal protection principles.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment dismissing a pro se civil rights lawsuit against two cities and an individual. The appellate court found no reversible error after reviewing the briefs with the benefit of liberal construction.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment in a Fourth Amendment traffic stop case, holding that an officer's subjective motivation is irrelevant to the constitutional reasonableness of a stop. The court further ruled that the plaintiff waived any challenge to the bill of costs by failing to object in the district court.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a couple's Section 1983 claims alleging false and retaliatory arrest, ruling that police officers had probable cause for both incidents. The court held that the plaintiffs failed to overcome the qualified immunity defense because the officers' actions did not violate clearly established law.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal sua sponte because the district court's orders were interlocutory and not final judgments. The court held that the challenged rulings were not immediately appealable under the collateral order doctrine as they could be reviewed after a final judgment.
The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a class action challenging Massachusetts's Unclaimed Property Act under the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause. The court held that the plaintiff's claims were either unripe or barred by a lack of standing to seek prospective relief.