Topic
Every decision we've filed under Constitutional.
The Third Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion to reopen a final habeas judgment based on the Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision. The court held that a change in administrative law deference principles does not constitute an extraordinary circumstance under Rule 60(b)(6) when the new legal theory is unrelated to the original claim.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a federal prisoner's motion for compassionate release, finding no abuse of discretion in the sentencing judge's weighing of statutory factors. The court also declined to review challenges to the denial of spoliation motions, ruling that the notice of appeal did not encompass those specific orders.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed Raymond L. Strong's appeal because his notice of appeal was filed after the statutory deadline expired. The court found that Strong failed to meet the requirements for reopening the appeal period under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a)(6).
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion for release pending the resolution of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion. The court held that Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 9 governs release in a criminal case but does not apply to release pending post-conviction relief.
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 United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed a petition for a writ of mandamus and habeas corpus because it lacks subject matter jurisdiction over state court decisions. The court clarified that the All Writs Act does not grant jurisdiction to review state rulings or hear habeas petitions.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed the appeal sua sponte because the petitioner's notice of appeal was filed one day after the statutory deadline expired. The court held that the prison mailbox rule did not save the filing, leaving the court without appellate jurisdiction.
The Federal Circuit denied Volkswagen's petition for a writ of mandamus, rejecting the argument that the USPTO Director's discretion to deny inter partes review violates the nondelegation doctrine. The court held that the decision to institute or deny IPR is an executive function, not a legislative one, and remains unreviewable under the statute.
The Sixth Circuit held that a state prisoner's federal habeas petition is not rendered moot by a subsequent resentencing from death to life without parole, as long as the underlying conviction remains intact. The court affirmed the denial of Johnson's petition, rejecting claims of ineffective assistance of counsel regarding the admission of criminal history evidence and the failure to raise a Confrontation Clause challenge.
The Fifth Circuit reversed the district court's grant of summary judgment for protest organizer DeRay Mckesson, holding that sufficient evidence exists for a jury to determine if his negligence in leading a violent protest proximately caused injuries to Officer John Ford. The court emphasized that after eight years of litigation, the case must proceed to trial to resolve factual disputes regarding Mckesson's leadership role and the foreseeability of the violence.