Topic
Every decision we've filed under Summary Judgment.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a summary judgment denying relocation benefits to a Navajo applicant. The court held that substantial evidence supported the applicant's residence on Hopi Partitioned Lands despite an administrative enumeration.
The Tenth Circuit reversed a district court's dismissal of a prisoner's Eighth Amendment claim, holding that the lower court erred by relying on a Martinez Report to resolve factual disputes during the screening stage. The appellate court clarified that while such reports may help identify frivolous claims, they cannot be used to dismiss a complaint for failure to state a claim when the report conflicts with the plaintiff's pleadings.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment against Oneka Spicer on her state-law employment discrimination claims. The court held that Spicer failed to present sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case of discrimination or to prove that her employer's reasons for termination were pretextual.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a magistrate judge's denial of a motion to amend a civil rights complaint because the order was not final or immediately appealable. The court clarified that the subsequent grant of summary judgment does not cure the jurisdictional defect for the earlier amendment denial.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order granting summary judgment in a civil rights action brought by a North Carolina inmate. The appellate panel found no reversible error in the lower court's disposition of the case.
The Ninth Circuit reversed summary judgment for Dr. Dale Woolridge, holding that conducting a forensic medical exam on a child without parental consent or a court order violates clearly established constitutional rights absent exigent circumstances. The court also reversed summary judgment for investigator Gerardo Talamantes on judicial deception claims, finding a genuine dispute of material fact regarding the materiality of his statements to the juvenile court.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of wrongful termination and defamation claims against Honeywell and summary judgment for the insurers regarding disability benefits. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove an employment contract exception, missed the statutory deadline for discrimination claims, and could not overcome statutory privilege for defamation.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment in favor of State Farm Lloyds. The court reviewed claims regarding insurance payments for hurricane damage and procedural challenges to the lower court's handling of the lawsuit.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act case involving a longshoreman's injury. The court held that the vessel owner did not breach its narrow duties regarding turnover, active control, or intervention.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a former city employee's due process claims, ruling that her at-will employment status negated any protected property interest in her job. The court further held that her substantive due process claim was time-barred because the termination became final upon receipt of the notice, not after the internal appeal process concluded.