Designated for publication Clement, J. (Clement, Graves, Ho) (oral argument), First Amendment, sec. 1983 Affirming dismissal of sec. 1983 claims arising from court’s limits on release of bail bond orders. Scott Martin operates Pronto Direct Mail Marketing, Inc., a company that for decades collected criminal defendants’ contact information from publicly available bail bond orders in … More April 22, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Haynes, Oldham) (no oral argument), Oldham, J., concurring; criminal, sentencing, party-presentation principle, Anders motion Presumably denying Anders motion, vacating 46-month sentence, and remanding for resentencing. “I do not object to the majority’s approach to this case. But I write separately to emphasize its implications for the so-called party-presentation principle. … More April 16, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Davis, Jones, Ho) (no oral argument), criminal, guilty plea Affirming conviction for illegal entry. Victor Alfredo Tovar-Martinez appealed his conviction for illegal reentry, contending his guilty plea was not knowing and voluntary because the district court failed to inform him during the Rule 11 colloquy that the statute applies only to … More April 14, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Jones, Duncan, Douglas) (oral argument), breach of contract, insurance Affirming dismissal of claims under two sections of reinsurance agreement, but reversing dismissal of claim under a third section, and remanding for further proceedings. Porch.com’s subsidiary, Homeowners of America Insurance Co. (HOA), entered into a reinsurance-intermediary-authorization agreement (RIAA) with Gallagher, a … More April 2, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Haynes, Higginson, Ho) (no oral argument), antitrust Reversing grant of state-action immunity on plaintiff’s Sherman Act claims against city. Megatel Homes sought to develop roughly 517 acres (the “Cipriani Property”) located outside the City of Mansfield’s corporate boundaries but within its extraterritorial jurisdiction. To obtain water, Megatel needed service from … More March 26, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Jones, J. (King, Jones, Oldham) (oral argument), King, J., dissenting; personal torts, First Amendment Reversing summary judgment dismissal of negligence claims against protest organizer by police officer who was injured while responding to the protest, and remanding for trial of claims. Officer John Ford was struck in the head with a piece … More March 19, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (King, Higginson, Wilson) (oral argument withdrawn), Title IX, costs Affirming costs award to defendant on plaintiffs’ Title IX claims. Eight former student-athletes on SMU’s women’s rowing team sued the university for gender-based discrimination under Title IX and negligence under Texas law, alleging that substandard coaching, athletic training, and medical treatment … More March 16, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Haynes, Oldham) (no oral argument), Haynes, J., “simply joins in the denial” without separate concurring opinion; class action, mandamus, Fair Labor Standards Act Denying writ of mandamus from district court’s certification of collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Fifth Circuit denied the employer’s petition for a … More March 10-11, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Higginson, Willett, Engelhardt) (oral argument), Willett, J., concurring in part; class action, employment, Americans with Disabilities Act Affirming district court’s rejection of two proposed classes and certification of one modified subclass of United Airlines employees who sought religious accommodations from COVID-19 vaccine mandate and who were accommodated with unpaid leave. … More March 9, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Summerhays, J. (Jones, Engelhardt, Summerhays, by designation) (oral argument), maritime law Affirming summary judgment for vessel owner on longshore worker’s claim of vessel negligence. Balvina Renteria, a longshore worker unloading cargo from the M/V Star Juventas, fell about ten feet when she stepped on plastic sheeting covering a gap between stacked rolls … More March 6, 2026, opinions
