Designated for publication per curiam (Willett, Wilson, Ramirez), insurance, arbitration Reversing district court’s denial of motion to stay litigation and compel arbitration, and remanding with instructions to grant the motion. The plaintiff insured had a uniform policy allocated separately across ten insurers, eight domestic and two foreign, which contained an arbitration provision. After Hurrican Laura … More March 26, 2024, opinions
Unpublished per curiam (King, Haynes, Graves), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (King, Haynes, Graves), criminal, sentencing Affirming 88-month sentence on conviction of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. per curiam (King, Ho, Engelhardt), attorney discipline Remanding order of nine-month extension of suspension … More March 25, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Clement, J. (Clement, Engelhardt, Oldham), prisoner suit Vacating dismissal of Texas state prisoner’s Eighth Amendment claim based on chronic sleep deprivation, where prison’s schedule only allowed three and a half hours of interrupted sleep, and remanding for further proceedings. The Court held that the district court applied the wrong standard when it … More March 22, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Higginson), Higginson, J., dissenting; product liability Reversing denial of judgment as a matter of law after jury verdict for plaintiff in manufacturing defect case arising from plaintiff’s injury while using propane tank manufactured by defendant, finding insufficient evidence to support the jury verdict, and rendering JMOL for defendant. … More March 21, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Stewart, Dennis, Southwick), receivership Granting petition for panel rehearing of original panel decision that affirmed the district court’s denial of motions for $79 million set-off from order allowing receiver to recover from an investor in Stanford Ponzi scheme, where panel had affirmed on basis that investor had failed to timely … More March 20, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Higginson), appellate jurisdiction Dismissing appeal of denial of motion for declaratory judgment as procedurally improper, holding that, as a matter of first impression, the Court does not have jurisdiction “to review a procedurally improper motion denied as such.” As part of consent settlement of an SEC enforcement action, … More March 19, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), insurance Reversing district court’s judgment denying declaratory relief to insurer that argued that the Louisiana Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act invalidated coverage for contracts by insured to engage in “drill-and-blast” salt mining, under the Act’s applicability to activities comprising “drilling for minerals.” District court had not reached that question, … More March 18, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (voting against en banc rehearing: Jones, Smith, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Higginson, Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, JJ.; voting for en banc rehearing: Richman, Elrod, Graves, Ho, Douglas, JJ.; recused: Ramirez, J.); Graves, J., dissenting from denial of en banc rehearing; ERISA Denying en banc rehearing of panel opinion reversing district … More March 15, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (voting against en banc rehearing: Richman, Jones, Smith, Elrod, Haynes, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Wilson; voting for en banc rehearing: Stewart, Southwick, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Douglas, Ramirez; recused: Oldham, J.); Jones, J., concurring in denial of rehearing (joined by Smith, Elrod, Ho, Engelhardt, Wilson, JJ.); Higginson, J., dissenting from denial of … More March 14, 2024, opinions
Unpublished per curiam (Stewart, Dennis, Wilson), securities fraud, receivership, mootness Dismissing as moot appeal from order ratifying a settlement agreement executed by court-appointed receiver, due to subsequent events in the litigation. per curiam (Wiener, Stewart, Douglas), criminal Affirming conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. per curiam (Jolly, Engelhardt, Douglas), criminal, sentencing … More March 13, 2024, opinions
