Topic

Constitutional

Every decision we've filed under Constitutional.

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Civil 3417 Criminal 1969 Summary Judgment 812 Sentencing Guidelines 724 Civil Rights - Section 1983 655 Immigration (Civil) 650 Supervised Release 475 Drug Trafficking 445 Civil Rights - Employment 371 Firearms 324 Qualified Immunity 253 Anders Brief 243
Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-6963 Per Curiam

TONY BRYAN SMITH v. COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

The Fourth Circuit denied a certificate of appealability and dismissed Tony Bryan Smith's habeas appeal because he failed to meet the statutory requirements for challenging a procedural dismissal. The court found that Smith did not demonstrate that the district court's ruling on the successive nature of his petition was debatable or that he substantially showed a denial of a constitutional right.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-6683 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. BERNARD CELESTINE

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of Bernard Celestine's motions for sentence reduction and compassionate release while dismissing his appeal regarding a successive habeas claim. The court held that Celestine failed to challenge the procedural dismissal of his § 2255 motion in his informal brief, thereby failing to demonstrate the requisite substantial showing of a constitutional right denial.

Compassionate Release Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255)
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Apr 28 2026
9th Cir. 25-6970 Published

Roe v. Johnston

The Ninth Circuit granted a stay pending appeal of a district court order that had struck the word operation from an Arizona statute governing birth certificate amendments. The panel paused the injunction to preserve the status quo while it considers the merits of the appeal regarding transgender rights.

Constitutional Fourteenth Amendment - Equal Protection
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Apr 28 2026
9th Cir. 4:22-cv-00051- Published

DOE 1, ET AL. V. META PLATFORMS, INC.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action alleging that Facebook's design incited violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar. The court held that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act bars claims treating Meta as a publisher of third-party content, even when the platform's algorithms recommend such content.

Civil Constitutional Labor
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Apr 28 2026
3rd Cir. 24-2740 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. AARON LYONS

The Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Aaron Lyons's habeas petition, ruling that his claim based on the Supreme Court's Rehaif decision was procedurally defaulted. The court held that the legal argument regarding knowledge of conviction status was reasonably available when Lyons pleaded guilty, and he failed to demonstrate actual innocence to excuse the default.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255) Sentencing Guidelines Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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