Designated for publication per curiam (en banc) (no oral argument at panel stage), criminal, Second Amendment, en banc Vacating May 20, 2026, panel opinion (per curiam — Haynes, Ho, Oldham; Ho, J. and Oldham, J., each separately concurring), and granting petition for rehearing en banc. Panel opinion had affirmed conviction of possession of a firearm … More September 14, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Richman, J. (Richman, Higginson, Oldham) (oral argument), Oldham, J., dubitante; appellate jurisdiction, anti-SLAPP, defamation Affirming denial of motion to strike under Louisiana’s anti-SLAPP statute. Luke Sahs, a former student at Loyola University New Orleans, sued the university asserting defamation and related claims after a series of events stemming from a school-sponsored trip … More September 11, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt) (no oral argument), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Wiener, Graves, Haynes) (oral argument withdrawn); Haynes, J., dissenting in part; criminal, sentencing Vacating sentence and remanding for resentencing. Hendrickson was convicted of felon-in-possession of a firearm after he was shot five times by … More September 10, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Willett, Ho) (oral argument prior to certification to state supreme court), statutory immunity, personal tort Upon receiving state supreme court opinion after June 25, 2025, certification of question regarding statutory immunity, reversing district court’s ruling that defendant had immunity and remanding for further proceedings. The Breauxs and the Blanchards … More September 9, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Graves, J. (Stewart, Graves, Oldham) (oral argument), Oldham, J., dissenting; magistrate referral, recusal Affirming vacatur of referral to magistrate for trial of contractual dispute between port and wharf tenant after trial had already resulted in verdict for plaintiff tenant company. IFG Port Holdings sued the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District (the … More September 8, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Stewart, Clement, Willett) (oral argument heard on initial review); criminal, guilty plea, Second Amendment, Commerce Clause Upon remand from U.S. Supreme Court, affirming conviction of firearm-possession-by-controlled-substance-user on guilty plea, rejecting challenge to appeal-waiver. Kenleone Joe Nyandoro was charged with possessing a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance … More September 4, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Wiener, Willett, Douglas) (oral argument on original setting, prior to Supreme Court remand); Federal Tort Claims Act On remand from U.S. Supreme Court, affirming dismissal of plaintiff’s tort claims arising from refusal to deliver mail, modified to be dismissal without prejudice. Lebene Konan alleged that USPS mail carrier Raymond Rojas … More September 3, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (King, Smith, Ramirez) (oral argument), qualified immunity Reversing denial of qualified immunity, and rendering judgment dismissing claims against officer defendants. In February 2021, Harris County Constable’s officers responded to a 911 call about two men screaming outside a caller’s home; the caller reported having a weapon. Canine-handling Officer Johnson arrived … More September 2, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (King, Smith, Ramirez) (oral argument), criminal, restitution Affirming restitution award on misdemeanor depravation of rights conviction. Luis Enrique Padilla, the former chief of the Sunset Police Department in Sunset, Louisiana, used excessive force against a handcuffed individual, R.A., during a hit-and-run investigation in December 2023. Padilla “warned ‘let me show … More September 1, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Smith, Southwick, Oldham) (no oral argument), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Smith, Southwick, Oldham) (no oral argument), criminal, sentencing Affirming 21-month sentence on conviction of illegal reentry. per curiam (Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt) (no oral argument), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per … More August 31, 2026, opinions
