Topic
Every decision we've filed under Summary Judgment.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers, holding that their seizure of unlisted electronics fell within the Fourth Amendment's plain view doctrine. The court found that specific tips regarding stolen goods, combined with the items' suspicious packaging and location, provided probable cause to believe the property was contraband.
The Fourth Circuit vacated summary judgment in a Fourth Amendment excessive force case, holding that genuine disputes of material fact exist regarding the reasonableness of a vehicle ramming and shooting. The court ruled that a reasonable jury could find the force used was not objectively justified given the suspect was unarmed and the circumstances did not pose an immediate threat.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Bank of America, holding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act shields financial institutions from liability for good-faith compliance programs based on OFAC guidelines. The court ruled that the liability shield applies to actions permitted by regulatory guidance, not just those strictly compelled by the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations.
The Sixth Circuit reversed the denial of qualified immunity for a jail mental-health official who ordered a compromise placement for a suicidal detainee. The court held that no clearly established law prohibited her decision to balance suicide prevention with the need to reduce the detainee's mental distress.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the State Department, ruling that it provided reasonable accommodations and that its decision not to renew a fellow's position was based on legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons. The court found no evidence of pretext or bad faith in the interactive process required under the Rehabilitation Act.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for defendants in an excessive-force suit because the plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies. The court held that the Prison Litigation Reform Act bars litigation when an inmate has not filed a standard grievance or provided evidence of an informal one in the district court.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the City of Detroit, ruling that annual Certifications and Assurances are forward-looking promises rather than specific factual assertions. Consequently, these general pledges to comply with federal law cannot support liability under the False Claims Act even if the City later violated the underlying regulations.
The First Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Universal Insurance Company, holding that a Puerto Rico Supreme Court decision clarifying the scope of professional services exclusions applied retroactively to pending cases. The court rejected the appellant's argument that the intervening precedent created new law, finding instead that it merely clarified existing statutory interpretation.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment and denial of a motion to stay in a civil rights and employment dispute involving a former police chief. The appellate court held that the appellant failed to challenge material facts or the lower court's reasoning, rendering the appeal frivolous under the summary affirmance standard.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a personal injury case, ruling that the plaintiff's claims were barred by Washington's three-year statute of limitations. The court rejected the plaintiff's argument that the discovery rule tolled the limitations period, finding he knew or should have known of the allegations by 2015 or 2016.