Tag: compassionate release

August 26, 2026, opinions

August 27, 2026

Designated for publication Higginson, J. (King, Higginson, Duncan) (oral argument), Duncan, J., dissenting; criminal, sentencing Vacating 46-month sentence on conviction of illegal reentry, and remanding for resentencing. Alexander Palencia-Berrum pled guilty to illegal reentry under 8 U.S.C. § 1326. His criminal history included three DWI convictions, an obstruction/minor-in-possession conviction, a domestic battery guilty plea, a … More August 26, 2026, opinions

August 17-18, 2026, opinions

August 19, 2026

Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Richman, Higginson, Douglas) (oral argument), criminal, sufficiency of evidence, witness testimony, evidence, sentencing, Second Amendment, Commerce Clause Affirming conviction and sentence on drug and firearms charges. Travis Enclade and Terence Wilson, relatives suspected of narcotics trafficking in New Orleans, were the subjects of a two-month DEA surveillance operation using pole … More August 17-18, 2026, opinions

July 20, 2026, opinions

July 21, 2026

Designated for publication per curiam (en banc), Higginson, J., dissenting from grant of en banc rehearing; criminal, Second Amendment, Commerce Clause, en banc Granting en banc rehearing of June 2 panel decision (Clement, Southwick, Engelhardt) that affirmed a conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon, rejecting an as-applied Second Amendment challenge. In a … More July 20, 2026, opinions

July 16, 2026, opinions

July 17, 2026

Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Smith, Wilson) (oral argument), bankruptcy Affirming bankruptcy court’s finding of willful violation of bankruptcy automatic stay by aggressive arbitration against debtor’s founder. With Purpose, Inc. (formerly doing business as GloriFi), a financial technology start-up co-founded by Toby Neugebauer, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February 2023. Prior to the … More July 16, 2026, opinions

July 13-15, 2026, decisions

July 16, 2026

Designated for publication Willett, J. (Stewart, Willett, Wilson) (no oral argument), Stewart, J., dissenting in part; mandamus, appellate jurisdiction, voluntary dismissal, school desegregation Dismissing appeal for lack of jurisdiction over judgment that was entered after voluntary dismissal of school desegregation case, and granting mandamus vacating post-dismissal judgment. This school-desegregation case had been pending for more … More July 13-15, 2026, decisions

June 23, 2026, opinions

June 24, 2026

Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Richman, Willett) (oral argument), Title VII, employment discrimination Affirming summary judgment dismissal of race/national-origin discrimination and retaliation claims; ADA disability-discrimination, interference, and failure-to-accommodate claims; but reversing summary judgment dismissal of hostile-work-environment claims; and remanding for further proceedings. Brenda Brenyah, a Black woman and naturalized U.S. citizen born in Ghana, … More June 23, 2026, opinions

June 1, 2026, opinions

June 2, 2026

Designated for publication per curiam (en banc: Elrod, Stewart, Richman, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Douglas, Ramirez, JJ., voting against rehearing; Jones, Smith, Willett, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, JJ., voting for rehearing) (oral argument at panel stage); election law, standing, sovereign immunity, en banc Denying rehearing en banc of December 31, 2025, panel opinion (Richman, … More June 1, 2026, opinions

May 27-28, 2026, opinions

May 29, 2026

Designated for publication Wilson, J. (King, Higginson, Wilson) (oral argument), criminal, sentencing Affirming 60-month sentence on conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. James Troy Phillips led police on a high-speed car chase reaching over 135 miles per hour to evade a traffic stop because he had a large quantity … More May 27-28, 2026, opinions

May 20, 2026, opinions

May 21, 2026

Designated for publication per curiam (Haynes, Ho, Oldham) (no oral argument), Ho, J., concurring; Oldham, J., concurring; criminal, Second Amendment Affirming conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon. Peter Villa Cordova pled guilty to possessing a firearm after a felony conviction in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). His prior felony convictions include … More May 20, 2026, opinions

May 7, 2026, opinions

May 8, 2026

Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Oldham) (no oral argument), Oldham, J., concurring; criminal, sentencing, supervised release Vacating mandatory supervised release requirement for financial-change notification, and remanding for correction of judgment. In October 2023, Jayden Douglas Richard Vacchino lured a sixteen-year-old girl from Floresville, Texas, to Shreveport, Louisiana, for sex after meeting her online. … More May 7, 2026, opinions