Topic
Every decision we've filed under Civil.
The Sixth Circuit denied a petition for review from a Guatemalan national seeking asylum based on domestic violence and political association. The court upheld the Board of Immigration Appeals' finding that the proposed social groups were impermissibly defined by the harm suffered and that the nexus to political opinion was speculative.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a Merit Systems Protection Board decision denying enforcement of a settlement agreement. The court held that unambiguous contract terms required the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay the settlement directly to the petitioner rather than his designated representative.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a bankruptcy court ruling that creditors willfully violated the automatic stay by pursuing a deposition of a non-debtor co-founder after a Chapter 7 filing. The court held that the creditor had standing to enforce the stay and that the damages award, including attorney fees, was supported by the Bankruptcy Code.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed two final written decisions of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board finding patent claims unpatentable as obvious. The court rejected the appellant's arguments regarding hindsight, teaching away, and motivation to combine prior art references.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a summary judgment ruling in favor of the Department of Veterans Affairs in a Title VII employment dispute. The court found insufficient evidence that the plaintiff's termination was motivated by race or retaliation for filing an internal discrimination complaint.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a bankruptcy court ruling that a tax purchaser holds a tax claim under the Bankruptcy Code. The court held that the applicable interest rate for the claim is determined by Illinois nonbankruptcy law at eighteen percent annually.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a firefighter's First Amendment retaliation claim after he posted racially offensive content on his public Facebook page. While the court found the district court erred in concluding the posts did not address matters of public concern, it held that the City's interest in maintaining public trust and workplace efficiency outweighed the employee's speech rights.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment upholding the Commissioner of Social Security's denial of disability insurance benefits. The appellate court found that the administrative law judge's evaluation of medical evidence and vocational testimony was supported by substantial evidence.
The Eighth Circuit vacated a class certification order in a product liability suit, ruling that the plaintiff lacked Article III standing. The court held that ownership of a firearm with alleged design defects does not constitute an injury in fact absent a manifest defect.
The Ninth Circuit vacated a district court order remanding a class action to state court. The appellate court held that the lower court failed to follow recent precedent regarding equitable jurisdiction and the adequate remedy at law.