Feb 18 2026
United States Court… 25-7090 Panel Decision

Alfreda Turnbow v. Sibley Memorial Hospital, also known as Sibley Memorial Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine

The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to Sibley Memorial Hospital on the appellant's race discrimination and failure-to-accommodate claims. The court held that the appellant forfeited her challenge to the accommodation claim and failed to provide sufficient evidence to support her pretext argument for discrimination.

Feb 18 2026
7th Cir. 24-1733 Panel Decision

MARLEIS TROVER, as Personal Representative of the Estate of DONALD D. GADDIS v. CRAIG OGLESBY and DUSTIN KELLEY

The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers in a civil rights suit involving an inventory search of a trespasser's vehicle. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove the officers' conduct was clearly established as unlawful and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing an adverse inference instruction for missing dashcam footage.

Feb 18 2026
7th Cir. 25-2508 Panel Decision

WESLEY C. TAYLOR v. DIANE COWGER

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a § 1983 lawsuit challenging a state family court order, holding that federal courts lack jurisdiction to review or alter such orders under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine and the domestic-relations exception. The appellate court modified the judgment to clarify that claims dismissed on jurisdictional grounds should be dismissed without prejudice, while claims dismissed on immunity or pleading deficiencies remain with prejudice.

Feb 18 2026
7th Cir. 25-1558 Panel Decision

Yang Shao, Debtor-Appellant v. Customers Bank, Creditor-Appellee

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Yang Shao's bankruptcy petition, ruling that her repeated filings across multiple jurisdictions constituted a bad-faith scheme to defraud creditors. The court upheld the lower courts' findings that Shao violated filing restrictions and engaged in fraudulent asset transfers to evade foreclosure.

Feb 18 2026
1st Cir. 14-1572 Panel Decision

NIRANJAN KHANAL; GITA KHANAL v. PAMELA J. BONDI, Attorney General

The First Circuit vacated the Board of Immigration Appeals' denial of asylum and related relief, ruling that the agency erred by relying solely on an adverse credibility finding while ignoring independent documentary and testimonial evidence. The court also held that the agency applied the incorrect legal standard to the withholding of removal claim by failing to conduct a purely objective assessment of future persecution.

Feb 18 2026
1st Cir. 25-1267 Panel Decision

ROSA LIDIA CANTE MIJANGOS v. PAMELA J. BONDI, Attorney General

The First Circuit denied a petition for review of an asylum denial because the petitioner failed to develop specific legal or factual arguments challenging the Board of Immigration Appeals' nexus finding. The court held that without a developed argument connecting the abuse to the petitioner's protected status, the claim fails regardless of the severity of the harm suffered.

Feb 17 2026
7th Cir. 25-1541 Panel Decision

FELIPE N. GOMEZ Debtor- v. LARRY WEISENTHAL and CONSTANCE WEISENTHAL

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling denying a Chapter 7 debtor's request to dismiss an adversary proceeding after the bankruptcy trustee had already settled the case. The court held that the debtor lacked standing to control the litigation because the estate's liabilities vastly exceeded its assets, leaving no realistic prospect of a surplus for the debtor.

Feb 17 2026
7th Cir. 24-2774 Panel Decision

EDWARD L. ASH v. CITY OF AURORA

The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the City of Aurora and its officers, ruling that the plaintiff's Fourth Amendment claims were either time-barred or defeated by the existence of probable cause. The court held that a state judge's finding of probable cause to charge the plaintiff with a weapon offense provided an absolute defense to his civil rights lawsuit, regardless of his subsequent acquittal.

Feb 17 2026
United States Court… 24-5276 Panel Decision

PATRICK LENZ, DR., EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF HARRY S. STONEHILL v. INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

The D.C. Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to vacate a 2008 FOIA judgment, ruling that the movant failed to prove fraud on the court by clear and convincing evidence. The court also upheld the lower court's decision to treat the motion as untimely under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(3).

Feb 13 2026
United States Court… 25-7005 Panel Decision

STABIL LLC v. RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The D.C. Circuit affirmed that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act permits U.S. courts to enforce arbitral awards against the Russian Federation for the expropriation of Ukrainian assets in Crimea. The court held that Russia's waiver of immunity under the New York Convention and the FSIA's arbitration exception precludes its immunity defense, even absent direct commercial contacts with the United States.