Topic
Every decision we've filed under Constitutional.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's denial of a discovery order in a federal habeas proceeding. The court held that discovery orders are generally not appealable, leaving it without jurisdiction to review the ruling.
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 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.
The Fourth Circuit vacated and remanded a district court order because the defendant filed a second or successive habeas petition without first obtaining appellate authorization. The court held that the district court lacked jurisdiction to consider the motion and denied the request to file the successive petition.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a federal prisoner seeking relief under Section twenty-eight U.S.C. Section two thousand two hundred fifty-five. The court denied a certificate of appealability because the appellant failed to make a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a second-or-successive habeas motion, ruling that a defendant's collateral-attack waiver barred his challenge to a § 924(c) conviction. The court further held that the defendant failed to prove the sentencing court relied on the now-invalid residual clause of the statute.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed Kyle Aguilar's convictions for two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, ruling that the statute treats touching different body parts as separate criminal acts. The court further held that the victim's testimony provided sufficient evidence for a jury to infer the defendant's intent to gratify his sexual desire.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a state prisoner's habeas petition, ruling that his request to represent himself was made too close to trial to be considered timely under federal law. The court held that the California Court of Appeal reasonably applied Supreme Court precedent by finding the request untimely when made on the eve of trial.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a certificate of appealability for Vincent H. Small's federal habeas petition challenging his state conviction for lewd molestation. The court held that no reasonable jurist could debate the state court's determination that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction.