Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Stewart, Dennis, Southwick), securities fraud Denying second petition for en banc rehearing, no active-duty judge having requested a poll, and re-issuing mandate. The Court held that the district court judge’s finding of unclean hands, such that no setoff was awarded, rather than the unclean-hands issue going to the jury, was … More August 26-27, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Richman, C.J. (Richman, Ho, Engelhardt), Ho, J., dissenting in part; immigration Granting Cameroonian citizen’s petition for review of BIA order dismissing appeal of IJ’s denial of applications for asylum and withholding of removal (denying petition for review of denial of protection under the Convention Against Torture), vacating BIA’s opinion, and remanding for … More August 16-21, 2024, opinions
Another quick-blurb catch-up post (the briefing and arguing has been non-stop since mid-July–Take the Fifth may need to take on some more staff!). Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Barksdale, Southwick, Graves), criminal, Sixth Amendment, sentencing Affirming conviction and sentence on fraud under the Paycheck Protection Program, upholding denial of motion to substitute counsel and district … More August 1-15, 2024, opinions
Take the Fifth’s resident opinion-aggregator was out of the country for the first two and a half weeks of July, so the following are just abbreviated accounts of dispositions without any summary. Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), bankruptcy, contempt Affirming contempt order entered by bankruptcy court against defendant in adversary proceeding. Stewart, … More July 1-17, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Southwick, Engelhardt, Wilson), criminal, First Step Act Affirming denial of a second motion for sentence reduction under the First Step Act filed by defendant serving concurrent 360-month sentences for multiple drug conspiracy offenses involving both crack and powder cocaine and a consecutive 120-month sentence for using and possessing a semiautomatic … More May 21, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Jolly, J. (Jolly, Smith, Haynes), Federal Tort Claims Act Reversing district court’s dismissal of former federal inmate’s FTCA claim arising from alleged assault by prison officials; rejecting premise that there may be a de minimis injury exception from tort liability; remanding for further proceedings. Dennis, J. (Dennis, Engelhardt, Oldham), Oldham, J., dubitante; … More April 24, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (voting against en banc rehearing: Richman, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Douglas, Ramirez; voting for en banc rehearing: Jones, Smith, Elrod, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson); Willett, J., concurring in denial of en banc rehearing; Ho, J., dissenting from denial of en banc rehearing; Oldham, J., dissenting from denial … More April 16-22, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Dennis, J. (Stewart, Dennis, Higginson), Higginson, J., dissenting; False Claims Act Affirming dismissal for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction of former employee’s False Claims Act claims against former employer, claiming retaliation for reporting fraudulent misrepresentations made to the Navy, and summary judgment dismissal of remaining claim; holding that “the district court correctly held … More February 14-16, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Southwick, J. (King, Elrod, Southwick), Elrod, J., dissenting; Clean Air Act, administrative law Denying petitions for review of EPA order designating two Texas counties (Rusk and Panola) as in non-attainment for the NAAQS for sulfur dioxide, primarily due to emissions from a coal-burning power plant, and from order denying reconsideration of the … More January 11, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Jones, Stewart, Duncan); Duncan, J., concurring; Jones, J., concurring; qualified immunity Affirming denial of motion to dismiss on qualified immunity, regarding plaintiff’s claims against Department of Public Safety and Corrections official for over-detention. Plaintiff was detained in a Louisiana prison 41 days past the end of his 90-day sentence, because … More January 5, 2024, opinions
