Designated for publication Foster v. Warden, 20-10841, appeal from N.D. Tex. Southwick, J. (Dennis, Southwick, Wilson), mootness Vacating dismissal on mootness grounds of former military prisoner’s suit regarding the constitutionality of term of supervised release he had been found to have violated, and remanding to district court for determination of whether post-imprisonment effect on eligibility … More April 13-14, 2022, opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Bates, 19-10813, appeal from N.D. Tex. per curiam (King, Graves, Willett), criminal, sentencing, Armed Career Criminals Act On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court, vacating and remanding for resentencing. The Court held that, under Borden v. United States, 141 S. Ct. 1817 (2021), the Texas crime of assault of a … More February 4-7, 2022, opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Martinez, 21-30068, appeal from W.D. La. Davis, J. (Davis, Jones, Elrod), criminal, search and seizure Affirming denial of motion to suppress evidence seized from USPS packages; defendant had argued that reasonable suspicion did not exist to detain the packages, and that the 17-day delay between their detention and the search … More February 1, 2022, opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Fuentes-Rodriguez, 15-40740, appeal from S.D. Tex. per curiam (King, Costa, Willett), criminal, sentencing, Armed Career Criminal Act On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court, vacating district court’s sentencing of defendant on conviction of illegal reentry under the ACCA, where the district court had found that the defendant’s prior conviction of … More January 7, 2022, opinions
Designated for publication Gross v. Keen Group Solutions, L.L.C., 20-20594, appeal from S.D. Tex. Jones, J. (Jones, Smith, Haynes), Haynes, J., dissenting; appellate jurisdiction Dismissing appeal of district court’s denial of defendant’s Rule 60(b)(5) motion in dispute over whether arbitration award had been fully satisfied. The Court found that “[t]he district court here still has … More December 2-3, 2021, opinions
Designated for publication Guzman v. Allstate Assurance Co., 20-11247, appeal from N.D. Tex. Elrod, J. (Davis, Elrod, Oldham), insurance Reversing summary judgment in favor of life insurance company on widow/beneficiary’s suit for recovery of life insurance benefits after her 28-year-old husband died after suffering a seizure. The insurer determined that the insured would not have … More November 10, 2021, opinions
Designated for publication Kapordelis v. Myers, 19-30968, appeal from W.D. La. Wilson, J. (King, Higginson, Wilson), habeas corpus Affirming denial of § 2241 petition filed by federal inmate as to his disciplinary conviction and deprivation of 27 days of good-conduct time upon being found to have violated Bureau of Prisons Disciplinary Code 218 for destruction … More November 2, 2021, opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Sincleair, 20-10495, appeal from N.D. Tex. Davis, J. (Davis, Haynes, Oldham), Oldham, J., dissenting; criminal, sentencing Vacating sentence reached upon application of two-point enhancement for possession of dangerous weapon, and remanding for resentencing. The Court held, “[I]t is not clear whether the district court determined that Sincleair personally possessed the … More October 27-29, 2021, opinions
Designated for publication Goldring v. U.S., 20-30723, appeal from E.D. La. Engelhardt, J. (Jones, Southwick, Engelhardt), tax Affirming in part and reversing in part district court’s summary judgment in favor of government dismissing taxpayers’ refund claims in their entirety. In separate litigation, one of the taxpayers had prevailed in a suit to have her stock … More October 1-4, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Spikes v. McVea, 19-30019, appeal from E.D. La. per curiam (Higginbotham, Smith, Dennis), qualified immunity Treating petition for en banc rehearing as a petition for panel rehearing, granting panel rehearing, vacating the qualified immunity judgment of the district court, and remanding for further proceedings. “In this suit under the Eighth Amendment against … More September 14, 2021 opinions
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