Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), criminal, Second Amendment, search and seizure Affirming conviction of possessing an unregistered suppressor in violation of various provisions of the National Firearms Act, rejecting Second Amendment challenge, and upholding denial of motion to suppress. George Peterson, a firearms dealer operating out of his home, was investigated by … More August 27, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Clement, J. (Stewart, Clement, Wilson), criminal, sentencing Affirming 92-month sentence on conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon. Reginald Humbles, a U.S. Army veteran with a history of psychiatric issues, was arrested after stealing a waste disposal truck in New Orleans and leading police on a high-speed chase across the … More August 26, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Wiener, J. (Wiener, Douglas, Ramirez), FDIC, jurisdiction Remanding appeal from injunction against FDIC proceedings on constitutional basis, with instructions to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. The FDIC initiated an enforcement action against Cornelius Burgess, former CEO of Herring Bank, after investigations dating back to 2010 revealed misconduct. The case first proceeded before … More August 20-25, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Southwick, Engelhardt, Wilson), criminal, First Step Act On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court, vacating defendants’ sentences that it had previously affirmed, and remanding for resentencing under the First Step Act in light of Hewitt v. United States, 145 S. Ct. 2165 (2025). Wilson, J. (Higginson, Ho, Wilson); Ho, J., … More August 18-19, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Dennis, Haynes, Engelhardt), Engelhardt, J., dissenting; Title VII Affirming summary judgment dismissal of plaintiff’s Title VII claim of religious discrimination after defendant granted plaintiff employee a religious accommodation for flu vaccination requirement. Tisha Palms, a radiographer at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), sued the hospital for failure to accommodate her religious … More August 11, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Ho, J. (Higginbotham, Willett, Ho), election law Reversing district court judgment that Texas election law requiring an ID number on the mail-in ballot application and on the mail-in ballot violated federal law, and rendering judgment for Texas official defendants. The Fifth Circuit upheld Texas’s Election Protection and Integrity Act of 2021, which … More August 4, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Engelhardt, Guidry, by designation), First Amendment, standing, qualified immunity Reversing dismissal of plaintiff’s First Amendment pre-enforcement challenge to Texas Election Code for lack of standing; affirming dismissal of claims against defendants in individual capacities as barred by qualified immunity; and remanding for further proceedings. The Institute for Free Speech … More July 28-29, 2025, opinions
Richman, J. (Richman, Willett, Douglas), Americans with Disabilities Act, sec. 1983, expert witness Affirming district court’s exclusion of plaintiff’s expert witness and grant of Rule 50 motion dismissing plaintiff’s ADA claim. William Carter, a paraplegic man, was jailed for eight days in the Shreveport City Jail for unauthorized use of 911. Prior to his incarceration, … More July 21, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Southwick, Oldham, Ramirez), criminal, sentencing, Second Amendment Affirming conviction and sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon. Joseph Terrell Goody, a known gang member with a lengthy criminal record, was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm after police discovered a loaded rifle hidden in … More July 14, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (Smith, Graves, Duncan), Equal Protection Clause, Title VI, mootness Affirming dismissal of challenge to University of Texas’s pre-Harvard policy as moot, reversing mootness dismissal of challenge to post-Harvard policy, and remanding for further proceedings. The Fifth Circuit considered whether UT’s revised admissions practices complied with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling … More July 11, 2025, opinions
