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Unpublished U.S. v. Lott, 19-20726, appeal from S.D. Tex.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
Designated for publication Evolve Federal Credit Union v. Barragan-Flores, 18-50420, appeal from W.D. Tex. Owen, C.J. (Owen, Wiener, Dennis), bankruptcy Affirming district court’s reversal of bankruptcy court’s approval of plan that allowed debtor to retain one of two vehicles that had been cross-collateralized to secure loans on both vehicles. The debtor had financed the purchase … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 14, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Parkerson, 19-10780, appeal from N.D. Tex. Jolly, J. (Jolly, Southwick, Wilson), criminal, sentencing Affirming 120-month statutory maximum prison term for failure to register as a sex offender where sentencing guidelines range was 18-24 months. The presentencing report (“PSR”) referred to an excerpt from a police report of an incident where … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 12 and 13, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Ovalles v. Rosen, 17-60438, petition for review of BIA order Jones, J. (Jones, Smith, Elrod), immigration, equitable tolling On remand from the Supreme Court, denying petition for review of BIA order denying motion to reopen and failing to apply equitable tolling. The Court had originally dismissed the petition for review for lack … More Take the Fifth: Jan. 1 – 11, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Daves v. Dallas County, 18-11368, appeal from N.D. Tex. Southwick, J. (Southwick, Graves, Engelhardt), cash bail, § 1983, Equal Protection, Due Process, sovereign immunity, Ex Parte Young Affirming preliminary injunction against imposition of cash bail on indigent arrestees as unconstitutional, with modifications to injunction to not apply to criminal district court judges … More Take the Fifth: Dec. 26-31, 2020 opinions
Designated for publication Taylor v. Stevens, 17-10253, appeal from N.D. Tex. per curiam (Owen, Jones, Smith), qualified immunity, § 1983, Eighth Amendment On remand from the Supreme Court, vacating its earlier decision reversing in part and remanding dismissal of Eighth Amendment conditions-of-confinement claims on qualified immunity grounds, and remanding case in its entirety. Texas v. … More Take the Fifth: Dec. 21-24 opinions
Designated for publication McMillan v. Amazon.com, Inc., 20-20108, appeal from S.D. Tex. Willett, J. (Wiener, Costa, Willett), products liability, certification Certifying question to the Texas Supreme Court whether an e-tailer such as Amazon is a “seller” liable under Texas’s products liability statute for products sold on its website by third-party vendors. The district court had … More Take the Fifth: Dec. 18, 2020 opinions
Take the Fifth 