Category: Take the Fifth

October 13, 2023, opinions

October 16, 2023

Designated for publication Smith, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), criminal, expert witness Affirming conviction of sex trafficking of a child, upholding introduction of evidence pulled from defendant’s cell phone using Cellebrite technology without the investigator through whose testimony the evidence was submitted being first qualified as an expert witness. The Court rejected the defendant’s argument that … More October 13, 2023, opinions

October 12, 2023, opinions

October 13, 2023

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Wiener, Southwick, Duncan), First Amendment Vacating preliminary injunction against enforcement of city ordinance regulating aspects of operations, including business hours, of sexually-oriented businesses, and remanding for further proceedings. The Court summarized, “Under longstanding Supreme Court precedent, the Ordinance is likely constitutional. The City’s evidence reasonably showed a link between SOBs’ … More October 12, 2023, opinions

October 10-11, 2023, decisions

October 13, 2023

Designated for publication Clement, J. (Clement, Elrod, Willett), spoliation, trade secrets Affirming spoliation sanction of default judgment and damages award against spoliating defendant in suit alleging misappropriation of proprietary software code. Higginson, J. (Smith, Higginson, Willett), takings Reversing judgment that city violated Takings Clause when it refused to compensate a homeowner for damage to her … More October 10-11, 2023, decisions

October 9, 2023, opinions

October 10, 2023

Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Smith, Southwick, Graves); Graves, J., concurring; Smith, J., dissenting; habeas corpus Declining to vacate the district court’s stay of execution pending appeal of merits of interlocutory issue regarding DNA testing of evidence from an uncharged crime that was used to establish future dangerousness in the sentencing of the petitioner. The … More October 9, 2023, opinions

October 6, 2023, opinions

October 9, 2023

Designated for publication Willett, J. (Willett, Engelhardt, Oldham), ERISA Reversing district court’s order of reclassification of former NFL player to the highest level of disability plan benefits under the League’s retirement and disability plan, holding that the former player had not timely appealed the initial classification and had failed to show a change of circumstances … More October 6, 2023, opinions

October 5, 2023, opinions

October 6, 2023

Designated for publication Oldham, J. (Willett, Engelhardt, Oldham), insurance, diversity jurisdiction Remanding appeal of summary judgment in favor of insurer regarding coverage for Covid-related shutdown of music festival, for purposes of determining the existence of diversity jurisdiction where the record did not adequately document the citizenship of LLC parties to the litigation. The Court noted … More October 5, 2023, opinions

October 4, 2023, opinions

October 5, 2023

Designated for publication Clement, J. (Clement, Haynes, Oldham), criminal, civil commitment Affirming order of indefinite civil commitment pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4246 because appellant was committed the Attorney General under § 4241(d) when the petition was filed. Unpublished per curiam (Clement, Haynes, Oldham), criminal Affirming Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam … More October 4, 2023, opinions

October 2-3, 2023, opinions

October 4, 2023

Designated for publication Richman, C.J. (Richman, Wiener, Willett), criminal, Anti-Kickback Statute, sufficiency of evidence, Travel Act, Speedy Trial Act, Bruton violation, Court Reporter’s Act, jury instructions, prosecutorial conduct, sentencing, restitution The Court upheld the sufficiency of evidence to support the Anti-Kickback Statute convictions of six co-defendants, holding that the government need not prove defendants had … More October 2-3, 2023, opinions

Annual Statistics: October 2022 – September 2023

October 3, 2023

At the end of each month, we tally various statistics from opinions released by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Then, corresponding to the traditional court term start date of October 1 (using the court term employed by the Supreme Court, though the Fifth Circuit itself compiles statistics on a July-to-June year), … More Annual Statistics: October 2022 – September 2023