Topic
Every decision we've filed under Civil.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for shuttle truck drivers transporting auto parts, holding their intrastate routes fell within the Fair Labor Standards Act's motor carrier exemption. The court ruled that moving goods from out-of-state storage lots to a Chicago assembly plant was part of a continuous interstate journey.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment because the plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies for most claims and provided no factual support for her discrimination theories. The court held that the employer's uniform security policy did not constitute discrimination under the ADA, ADEA, or Title VII.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for trucking defendants, holding that shuttle drivers moving auto parts within Illinois were engaged in interstate commerce. Consequently, the drivers are exempt from state and federal overtime wage requirements under the Motor Carrier Act.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment in favor of Brian Whiteside, ruling that he had standing to sue despite acting as an agent for a corporate entity. The court further held that the jury's finding of justifiable reliance was supported by sufficient evidence and that the exclusion of a disputed tape recording did not prejudice the defendants' substantial rights.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court's modification of a consent decree requiring the Illinois Department of Corrections to provide adequate medical care, holding that the PLRA's specific findings requirement was satisfied by the parties' stipulation and the court's explicit amendment. The court dismissed appeals regarding the extension of the decree and the removal of a procedural stipulation, concluding those issues fell outside its interlocutory jurisdiction.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prison employee's civil rights suit, holding that she lacked Article III standing to challenge prosecutorial decisions. The court modified the judgment to dismiss the claims without prejudice, noting that federal courts cannot supervise criminal investigations or second-guess the vigor of prosecutions.
The Third Circuit affirmed the denial of Lili Wan's motion for relief from judgment, ruling that pro se litigants must adhere to the same procedural rules as represented parties. The court held that a failure to submit evidentiary material opposing summary judgment cannot be cured post-judgment through claims of excusable neglect or newly discovered evidence.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court's enforcement of a consent decree requiring the Illinois Department of Corrections to provide adequate medical care to prisoners. The court rejected the department's argument that new findings under the Prison Litigation Reform Act were necessary because the lower court had already satisfied those statutory standards when approving the implementation plan.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a fraud lawsuit against Saudi Aramco, ruling that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act bars the suit because the alleged torts occurred in Saudi Arabia. The court held that the defendant's Houston-based subsidiary did not qualify as an agency or instrumentality of the foreign state for the purposes of the commercial-activity exception.
The Third Circuit summarily affirmed the dismissal of a pro se complaint alleging unconsented human experimentation, holding that sovereign immunity bars claims against the federal government absent an explicit statutory waiver. The court modified the lower court's judgment to dismiss the complaint without prejudice, correcting the procedural error of dismissing for lack of subject matter jurisdiction with prejudice.