Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Higginson, Willett, Oldham), criminal, sentencing Affirming 80-month sentence on guilty-plea conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon, which rejected a reduction for acceptance of responsibility and applied an upward adjustment from the Guidelines sentence on the basis of criminal history and likelihood of recidivism. Southwick, J. (Barksdale, Southwick, … More July 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 Duncan, J. (Richman, Haynes, Duncan), Administrative Procedures Act, preemption, healthcare law Affirming in part and reversing in part district court’s judgment that Title X of the Public Health Service Act violates the plaintiff’s constitutional right to consent to the provision of contraceptive care to his minor daughters and that a regulation promulgated … More March 11-12, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Richman, Higginbotham, Elrod), unfair trade practices, improper argument Reversing judgment on jury verdict in favor of defendant in unfair trade practices claim, and remanding for further proceedings, on the basis that “the Defendants’ counsels’ closing argument irreparably prejudiced the fairness of the trial.” The Court held that “legitimate ‘oratory’ and … More March 8, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Elrod), Higginbotham, J., dissenting; Clean Air Act, administrative law, Administrative Procedure Act, venue Vacating EPA decision to deny refineries’ requested exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”) program of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”), on basis that the denial was “(1) impermissibly retroactive; (2) contrary to law; and … More November 22, 2023, opinions
Designated for publication Barksdale, J. (Barksdale, Southwick, Higginson), qualified immunity Affirming qualified immunity summary judgment on failure-to-protect claims arising from detainee’s suicide, based primarily on whether jailer and officer defendants possessed subjective knowledge of a substantial risk of suicide by the detainee. The Court, based on the rule of orderliness, rejected the plaintiffs’ proposed objective-unreasonableness … More August 1, 2023, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (denial of en banc rehearing; voting against rehearing were Richman, Jones, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Ho, Duncan, Douglas, JJ.; voting for rehearing were Smith, Elrod, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, JJ.); Higginbotham, J., concurring in denial of rehearing; Higginson, J., concurring in denial of rehearing; Oldham, J., dissenting from denial … More March 23, 2023, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (en banc Court); Clean Air Act, standing Ordering en banc rehearing, and vacating panel opinions in matter from July 29, 2020 (968 F.3d 357; Davis, Costa, Oldham; opinion by Costa, J.; dissent in part by Oldham, J.) and August 30, 2022 (47 F.4th 408; Davis, Costa, Oldham; opinion by Costa, … More February 27, 2023, opinions
Designated for publication Wilson, J. (Jones, Ho, Wilson), Ho, J., concurring; criminal, Second Amendment Vacating conviction for possession of a firearm by someone subject to a domestic violence restraining order, declaring 18 USC § 922(g)(8) facially unconstitutional in light of N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022). After … More February 2, 2023, opinions
Designated for publication Dennis, J. (King, Dennis, Ho), Ho, J., concurring in judgment only; administrative law, Administrative Procedures Act Granting petition brought by flight school to challenge FAA rule that prohibited flight school from offering a course using type-rated aircraft that would culminate in an airline transport pilot (“ATP”) certificate without a type rating, holding … More January 24, 2023, opinions
