We report after each month on interesting statistics from the data we generate from the daily opinion summaries from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and at the end of a year we will aggregate that–all of which provides useful insights into the inner workings of the Court, the relative success of … More Take the Fifth: January 2021 statistics
Designated for publication Miller v. Sam Houston State University, 19-20752, appeal from S.D. Tex. Wilson, J. (Jolly, Southwick, Wilson), Title VII, employment discrimination, judicial bias Reversing dismissal of claims, remanding for further proceedings, and ordering that cases be reassigned to a new judge upon remand. “From the outset of these [consolidated] suits, the district judge’s … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 29, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Belliveau v. Barco, Inc., 19-50717, appeal from W.D. Tex. Jones, J. (Davis, Jones, Willett), Davis, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part; corporate veil piercing, breach of fiduciary duty Affirming district court’s summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s claims against sole shareholder of company plaintiff claimed had grossly undervalued his intellectual property in … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 28, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Munoz-Rivera v. Wilkinson, 19-60376, petition for review of BIA order per curiam (Owen, Graves, Ho), immigration Dismissing petition for review of cancellation of removal order upon determining that “the use of an unauthorized social security number constitutes a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT) such that petitioner is ineligible for cancellation of his … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 27, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Coto-Mendoza, 20-10451, appeal from N.D. Tex. Haynes, J. (Haynes, Duncan, Engelhardt), criminal, sentencing Affirming 37-month prison sentence on guilty plea of illegal reentry, finding that district court’s sentence was not procedurally unreasonable on the basis of the district court’s explanation of its sentencing decision. Defendant, an El Salvadoran citizen, had … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 25 and 26, 2021 opinions
Designated foro publication U.S. v. Warren, 19-10805, appeal from N.D. Tex. Willett, J. (Wiener, Costa, Willett), criminal, fraud, sufficiency of evidence, sentencing Affirming conviction and sentence of 114 months and 102 months for two defendants on eight counts arising from fraudulent telemarketing scam to ostensibly cancel timeshares. The Court held that there was sufficient evidence … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 22, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Whitehead, 19-11275, appeal from N.D. Tex. Higginson, J. (Clement, Higginson, Engelhardt), criminal, First Step Act Affirming district court’s denial of resentencing of defendant under the First Step Act, who had been sentenced originally in 2007 to a mandatory life sentence for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 21, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Gonzalez v. CoreCivic, Inc., 19-50691, appeal from W.D. Tex. Ho, J. (Smith, Ho, Oldham), Ho, J., additionally concurring, Oldham, J., dissenting; Trafficking Victims Protection Act Affirming district court’s denial of defendant’s motion to dismiss claim by immigrant detainee in its facility who brought claims that defendant’s work program was involuntary and a … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 20, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Brown v. Tarrant County, Texas, 19-10594, appeal from N.D. Tex. Duncan, J. (Clement, Ho, Duncan), § 1983, qualified immunity Affirming dismissal of civilly committed violent sex offender’s § 1983 claims against county and sheriff for a 20-day confinement in the county jail during which he did not receive his sex-offender treatment. The … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 19, 2021 opinions
Unpublished U.S. v. Lott, 19-20726, appeal from S.D. Tex. per curiam (Clement, Higginson, Engelhardt), criminal, sentencing Affirming conviction and 60-month sentence for bank fraud. Hoffman v. Furr, 19-40913, appeal from S.D. Tex. per curiam (Barksdale, Graves, Oldham), prisoner suit Affirming dismissal of prisoner suit arising from administration of insulin to plaintiff, and issuing strike for … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 15, 2021 opinions
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