Topic
Every decision we've filed under Constitutional.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of sovereign immunity, clarifying that the proper defendant in this tax foreclosure dispute is Wayne County, not its Treasurer. Because the plaintiffs sued the county itself, the Treasurer's Eleventh Amendment immunity was irrelevant to the outcome.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Renell Jones's habeas petition, ruling that Florida state courts reasonably applied federal law regarding his Miranda waiver and invocation of counsel. The court held that a detective's mischaracterization of a rights form as a literacy test did not invalidate the waiver, and that Jones's statements regarding an attorney were too equivocal to require police to stop questioning.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed a habeas appeal because the petitioner filed his notice of appeal before the district court adopted the magistrate judge's report and recommendation. The court held that a magistrate's recommendation is not a final order until adopted, and a subsequent adoption cannot cure a premature filing.
The Third Circuit denied William Kaetz's petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to overturn rulings in his federal habeas corpus proceeding. The court characterized Kaetz's arguments as frivolous and clarified that mandamus cannot be used as a substitute for the regular appellate process.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed Leiloni Blake Smith's conviction for sexual abuse and exploitation of her minor children, ruling that alleged evidentiary errors and prosecutorial misconduct did not prejudice her duress defense. The court held that the overwhelming video evidence of the abuse rendered any trial errors harmless under both the plain error and harmless error standards.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's denial of a discovery order in a federal habeas proceeding, ruling that such orders are generally not appealable. The court also denied the defendant's motion to proceed in forma pauperis as moot due to the dismissal.
The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers who used deadly force against a man with a mental health crisis holding a pellet gun. The court held that the officers' perception of an imminent threat made their use of force objectively reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.
The Third Circuit granted counsel's motion to withdraw under Anders v. California, finding that Dayakar Mallu's appeal presented no nonfrivolous issues. The court affirmed Mallu's conviction and downward-varied sentence based on the enforceability of his valid appellate waiver.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court dismissal of a federal habeas petition, holding that a prisoner's motion for a belated appeal under Kentucky law tolls the federal statute of limitations. The court ruled that because the state appeal remained pending under a recognized exception for ineffective assistance of counsel, the one-year federal clock did not run during that period.
The Federal Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a takings claim filed by landowners who were prohibited from mining coal under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. The court held that the claim was time-barred because it accrued in 2016 when the government determined the coal had a value of zero, well before the lawsuit was filed in 2023.