June 30, 2026, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Jones, Duncan, Douglas), Douglas, J., dissenting (oral argument); administrative law, nondelegation doctrine, Seventh Amendment, major questions doctrine Granting petition for review of HHS enforcement order imposing fine for selling of unauthorized vaping products, and vacting decision. Texas Tobacco Barn (TTB), a Lubbock, Texas vape shop, applied for FDA premarket authorization … More June 30, 2026, opinions

December 2, 2025, opinions

Designated for publication Clement, J. (Clement, Graves, Ho) (no oral argument), criminal, sentencing Vacating sentence in part and remanding for conformance of the written judgment of terms of supervised release with oral pronouncement. The Fifth Circuit confronted a recurring post-Diggles question: what should be done when a written judgment includes unpronounced discretionary conditions of supervised … More December 2, 2025, opinions

November 3, 2025, opinions

Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Ho, Douglas) (no oral argument), Ho, J., concurring; False Claims Act, qui tam Affirming dismissal of qui tam action under False Claims Act. Inpatient-rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) provide intensive therapy to patients after hospital discharge and are reimbursed by Medicare per discharge, contingent on compliance with procedural rules such as … More November 3, 2025, opinions

October 23-24, 2025, opinions

Published decisions per curiam (Elrod, Jones, Higginson) (no oral argument), Higginson, J., dissenting; criminal, discovery, sealed records Granting unopposed motion for summary reversal of unexplained denial of joint unopposed motion for entry of modified protective order for production of criminal discovery records. Finding: “The dissent raises the concern that a reversal of the District Court’s … More October 23-24, 2025, opinions

August 11, 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

May 12, 2025, opinions

Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), toxic torts, expert witness Affirming exclusion of plaintiff’s expert testimony in Deepwater Horizon-cleanup-related toxic tort action, and affirming summary judgment for defendant, but clarifying Circuit’s requirements for causation proof in an expert report. Under Daubert and Rule 702, expert testimony is admissible if it is both relevant … More May 12, 2025, opinions

October 17-20, 2024, opinions

Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Graves, Engelhardt), discovery, First Amendment Granting stay pending appeal of district court’s order compelling production of documents responsive to discovery requests for the defendant’s list of donors and financial supporters, in claims by social media company that defendants “knowingly and maliciously” manipulated images to “portray X Corp. as a … More October 17-20, 2024, opinions

April 24, 2024, opinions

Designated for publication Jolly, J. (Jolly, Smith, Haynes), Federal Tort Claims Act Reversing district court’s dismissal of former federal inmate’s FTCA claim arising from alleged assault by prison officials; rejecting premise that there may be a de minimis injury exception from tort liability; remanding for further proceedings. Dennis, J. (Dennis, Engelhardt, Oldham), Oldham, J., dubitante; … More April 24, 2024, opinions

January 9, 2024, opinions

Unpublished per curiam (Richman, Stewart, Scholer, by designation), Title VII, Family and Medical Leave Act, employment discrimination, sanctions, discovery Affirming summary judgment dismissal of Title VII, Rehabilitation Act, and FMLA discrimination claims against former employer, and discovery decisions and denial of motion for sanctions. per curiam (King, Haynes, Graves), criminal Affirming conviction on bank robbery … More January 9, 2024, opinions