Topic
Every decision we've filed under Constitutional.
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed the denial of a habeas corpus petition, holding that the state court's decision did not meet the stringent standards of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal habeas corpus petition filed by a death row inmate challenging the Idaho Supreme Court's rejection of a clemency recommendation. The panel held that the inmate's due process claim was not cognizable in federal court and failed on the merits under the deferential standards of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the government's motion for a stay pending appeal of a preliminary injunction blocking a new passport policy. The court found the government failed to demonstrate a strong likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal regarding the Administrative Procedure Act and the Equal Protection Clause.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Michael Townes's complaint against federal agencies for lack of Article III standing and because the claims were premature. The court held that Townes failed to allege a real and immediate threat of future harm and that his request for relief would necessarily imply the invalidity of his existing conviction.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se complaint alleging constitutional violations by two judges. The court held that the appellant abandoned his primary arguments and that the claims were meritless due to judicial immunity and established precedent.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to compel action on pending motions. The court found the petition moot because the district court had already resolved the underlying compassionate release and habeas corpus motions.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a 168-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of transporting a minor for sexual activity. The court rejected arguments that the sentence was substantively unreasonable and declined to address an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on direct appeal.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity to two San Francisco police inspectors who allegedly coerced a witness into fabricating evidence against a man later exonerated after thirty-two years in prison. The court held that a reasonable jury could find the officers violated the plaintiff's due process rights by threatening a young witness with an adult murder charge to secure a false statement.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed in part a federal prisoner's appeal of a denied Section twenty-two hundred fifty-five motion. The court held that the appellant failed to prove his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance regarding plea negotiations on mandatory minimum sentences.
The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court dismissal that applied secular corporate law to a religious organization's governance structure. The appellate court held that the First Amendment's church autonomy doctrine bars civil courts from reinterpreting a church's internal polity to determine diversity jurisdiction.