Designated for publication Ortiz v. American Airlines, Inc., 20-10817, appeal from N.D. Tex. Stewart, J. (Smith, Stewart, Ho), ERISA, standing, class action Affirming in part, reversing in part, and vacating in part district court’s summary judgment in favor of defendants dismissing plaintiffs’ ERISA claims for breach of fiduciary duty against employer and pension entities. American … More July 19, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Hudgens, 19-50628, appeal from W.D. Tex. Clement, J. (Jones, Clement, Graves), Graves, J., dissenting; criminal, sentencing Affirming 240-month sentence on guilty plea to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. Defendant had provided heroin to his girlfriend, who immediately began to show signs of … More July 16, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Inc. v. Phillips, 18-30699, appeal from M.D. La. Elrod, J. (Higginbotham, Elrod, Ho), abortion law, § 1983, sovereign immunity Affirming in part and reversing in part district court’s denial of motion to dismiss on sovereign immunity grounds suit by Planned Parenthood against the director of the Louisiana Department … More July 15, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Castro, 18-10137, appeal from N.D. Tex. Oldham, J. (Ho, Oldham, Wilson), habeas corpus Vacating certificate of appealability and dismissing appeal. “A judge on our court granted Adrian Castro a certificate of appealability. It’s undisputed that the COA is invalid under 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2)–(3) because it fails to specify a … More July 14, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Gaspar-Felipe, 19-50997, appeal from W.D. Tex. Duncan, J. (Jones, Costa, Duncan), criminal, sentencing, Confrontation Clause, sufficiency of evidence Affirming convictions and 78-month sentence for defendant’s role in an alien smuggling operations in which the person being smuggled died. The Court held that there was no Confrontation Clause violation in the … More July 13, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Singh v. Garland, 19-60937, petition for review of BIA order Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Southwick, Willett), immigration Granting stay pending review of petition for review of BIA order dismissing Indian citizen’s appeal of IJ decision denying his application for asylum and protection under the Convention Against Torture and finding petitioner not credible. Petitioner’s … More July 12, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Trujillo, 20-10679, appeal from N.D. Tex. Ho, J. (King, Dennis, Ho), criminal, sentencing Reforming judgment to reflect the conviction for illegal reentry after removal should be pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(1) for illegal reentry after a conviction for a felony other than an aggravated felony, rather than under 18 … More July 9, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Franco v. Mabe Trucking Co., 19-30316, appeal from W.D. La. Dennis, J. (King, Jones, Dennis), Jones, J., dissenting; timeliness, venue Reversing district court’s dismissal of suit as untimely after venue was transferred under 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a) from Eastern District of Texas to Western District of Louisiana, and remanding for further proceedings. … More July 8, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Health Choice Alliance, L.L.C. v. Eli Lilly & Co., 19-40906, appeal from E.D. Tex. Elrod, J., (Higginbotham, Elrod, Haynes), Higginbotham, J., concurring; False Claims Act, qui tam Affirming dismissal of Health Choice entities’ qui tam actions under the False Claims Act, on the United States’ motion to dismiss the actions. The Health … More July 7, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Goodrich v. U.S., 20-30422, appeal from W.D. La. Stewart, J. (Higginbotham, Stewart, Wilson), tax, successions Certifying questions of Louisiana successions law to Louisiana Supreme Court in order to resolve issue of plaintiffs’ standing to challenge IRS’s levy on the plaintiffs’ father’s succession account. When plaintiffs’ mother died, she left her interest in … More July 6, 2021 opinions
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