Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), prisoner suit Affirming partial summary judgment that inmate’s sec. 1983 claim was Heck-barred, and affirming denial of motion for leave to amend. Torriana Clark, an inmate at Rayburn Correctional Center in Louisiana, filed a § 1983 lawsuit alleging that Lt. Lance Wallace used excessive force against him … More June 23, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Graves, J. (Graves, Engelhardt, Oldham), breach of fiduciary duty Affirming dismissal of breach of fiduciary duty claims brought in a shareholder derivative suit by company’s shareholders against company’s directors. The Court held that shareholders must either make a litigation demand to the board or show demand futility by demonstrating that at least … More May 13, 2025, opinions
Unpublished opinions per curiam (King, Southwick, Engelhardt), criminal, sentencing Affirming 20-month sentence on revocation of supervised release. per curiam (King, Southwick, Engelhardt), criminal, sentencing Affirming conviction and 52-month sentence for conspiracy to possess heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession of methamphetamine … More May 7, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Higginbotham, Jones, Oldham), criminal, sentencing Denying motion to vacate sentence on conviction for illegal reentry. Luis Sanchez-Zurita was sentenced to 240 months for illegal reentry, with an upward variance based on his serious criminal history, including child molestation, failure to register as a sex offender, DUI with a child, and … More May 2, 2025, opinions
Opinions designated for publication Clement, J. (Stewart, Clement, Willett), arbitration Affirming district court’s order granting defendant’s motion to confirm arbitration award and denying plaintiff’s motion to vacate arbitration award, regarding payment of “stand-by costs” under contract for construction of natural gas pipeline. Unpublished opinions per curiam (Graves, Willett, Wilson), prisoner suit Affirming dismissal as frivolous … More April 28, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Elrod, Oldham, Wilson), Fair Housing Act, Rule 60(b), notice of appeal Affirming denial of landlord defendant’s Rule 60(b) motion after summary judgment for plaintiff tenant on claims of disability discrimination and retaliation under the Fair Housing Act, finding no abuse of discretion. The Court held that the original summary judgment, … More March 10, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Hendrix, J. (Jones, Oldham, Hendrix, by designation), criminal Affirming conviction of fraud and financial crimes arising from real-estate scheme, rejecting arguments that admission of prior-convictions evidence was plain error and that district court abused its discretion in limiting the good-faith defense and denying funding for expert witness. Smith, J. (Elrod, Smith, Engelhardt), … More March 7, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Clement, Duncan), social security Affirming award of disability benefits, rejecting argument that plaintiff was entitled to benefits from an earlier date. Ramirez, J. (Richman, Graves, Ramirez), labor law, jurisdiction Dismissing for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction appeal of “effective denial” of company’s challenge and motion for injunctive relief from allegedly … More March 5-6, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Jones, Stewart), criminal, search and seizure Reversing grant of motion to suppress evidence from a house and vehicle, holding that the good-faith exception applied to overcome the bare-bones nature of the affidavit in support of the search warrant, and remanding for further proceedings. Southwick, J. (Southwick, Haynes, Douglas), Equal … More March 3-4, 2025, opinions
Unpublished per curiam (Graves, Willett, Wilson), criminal Affirming conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon. Richman, J. (Stewart, Richman, Haynes), criminal, sufficiency of evidence Affirming conviction of making a false statement to a bank. per curiam (Smith, Clement, Duncan), employment Affirming summary judgment against plaintiff, upholding ruling that restrictive covenants in Employee Service … More February 27, 2025, opinions
