Topic
Every decision we've filed under Summary Judgment.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the Tax Court's dismissal of Eric Pinckney's challenge to restitution-based tax assessments and its grant of summary judgment regarding unpaid federal income taxes and civil penalties. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's jurisdictional ruling or substantive decisions.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment against a pro se plaintiff on defamation and Title VII employment discrimination claims. The court limited its review to specific objections raised by the appellant and found no reversible error in the lower court's ruling.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers and the City of Glasgow, holding that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity when using force against a drug-intoxicated suspect who actively resisted arrest. The court ruled that the use of a taser and knee strikes did not violate clearly established law because the suspect was struggling and refusing to comply with commands.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's award of litigation costs to Southern Methodist University, ruling that the university qualified as a prevailing party despite one plaintiff's claims surviving summary judgment. The court held that SMU was entitled to recover fees for deposition videos, transcripts, and copying under 28 U.S.C. § 1920 because these expenses were necessary for trial preparation.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Department of Veterans Affairs on Judy Vuong's claims of race, color, and sex discrimination and retaliation. However, the court reversed and remanded the case regarding her hostile work environment claim, finding the district court erred by dismissing it sua sponte without notice.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in an insurance coverage dispute, ruling that the plaintiff failed to file her claims within the policy's one-year limitations period. Under California law, the court held that this limitations period begins to run only upon a formal denial of coverage by the insurer.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a pro se prisoner's Eighth Amendment claim, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove deliberate indifference regarding COVID-19 quarantine conditions. The court further upheld the dismissal of a claim concerning the removal of the plaintiff's CPAP machine due to insufficient factual allegations linking the defendant to the act.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for an insurance company, holding that a Nursing Care Policy does not provide home health care benefits under Illinois regulations. The court ruled that the policy's alternative plan of care provision is discretionary and does not trigger state protections designed for policies that affirmatively guarantee home care.
The Ninth Circuit vacated a district court's summary judgment in a prisoner's civil rights case, ruling that the lower court erred by dismissing the plaintiff's factual declaration as merely self-serving. The appellate court clarified that credibility determinations are functions reserved for a jury, not a judge, at the summary judgment stage.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment in a § 1983 false arrest action, holding that the plaintiff failed to prove the officers made false statements to obtain a warrant or lacked probable cause. The court further ruled that supervisory liability was properly denied because there was no evidence the police chief participated in or caused the alleged constitutional violation.