October 12, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Wiener, Southwick, Duncan), First Amendment Vacating preliminary injunction against enforcement of city ordinance regulating aspects of operations, including business hours, of sexually-oriented businesses, and remanding for further proceedings. The Court summarized, “Under longstanding Supreme Court precedent, the Ordinance is likely constitutional. The City’s evidence reasonably showed a link between SOBs’ … More October 12, 2023, opinions

September 15, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Oldham, J. (Dennis, Engelhardt, Oldham), Title VII, employment discrimination Reversing summary judgment dismissal of employee’s discrimination claims after he was fired for his refusal to cut his hair and beard in violation of his religious vow, in light of Groff v. DeJoy, 143 S. Ct. 2279 (2023). The Court held that the … More September 15, 2023, opinions

September 8-11, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), criminal, supervised release Affirming imposition of 15 “standard conditions” for terms of supervised release from district court’s Standing Order, where oral pronouncement included that the supervised release would be “subject to the standard conditions” but did not otherwise expressly articulate those conditions. Elrod, J. (Dennis, Elrod, Ho), … More September 8-11, 2023, opinions

August 25, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Ho, J. (Jones, Ho, Wilson), administrative law, standing Granting petition for review of NRC order, and vacating license for temporary storage for spent nuclear fuel, holding that the NRC does not have authority under the Atomic Energy Act to license temporary nuclear waste storage facilities. The Court first held that the petitioners … More August 25, 2023, opinions

August 4, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Dennis, J. (King, Jones, Dennis), Jones, J., dissenting, voting rights, Eighth Amendment, Equal Protection, standing, sovereign immunity, Ex parte Young Reversing district court’s dismissal of plaintiff class’s Eighth Amendment challenge to Mississippi constitution’s permanent disenfranchisement of certain felons; affirming dismissal of plaintiff class’s Equal Protection claim against the Mississippi Secretary of State … More August 4, 2023, opinions

April 6-12, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Wiener, Higginson, Wilson), criminal, sentencing, Brady violation, restitution Affirming convictions of depriving two persons of their constitutional rights under color of law, arising from defendant’s sexual assault of two men while a police officer, and concurrent sentences of 12 and 360 months. The Court held that withheld evidence was not … More April 6-12, 2023, opinions

March 27, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Richman, Ho, Engelhardt), National Environmental Policy Act, sovereign immunity Affirming summary judgment in favor of Corps of Engineers on plaintiffs’ claims that Corps should be compelled to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement pursuant to NEPA to increase usage of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, which summary judgment dismissed claims on … More March 27, 2023, opinions

February 22, 2023, opinion

Designated for publication per curiam (Richman, Jones, Stewart, Elrod, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Willett, Engelhardt, Wilson voting against rehearing en banc; Smith, Higginson, Ho, Duncan, Oldham, Douglas voting for rehearing en banc); Ho, J., dissenting from denial of rehearing; First Amendment, qualified immunity Denying rehearing of July 29, 2022, decision (Englehardt, J., joined by Barksdale, J.; … More February 22, 2023, opinion

February 17, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication per curiam; Elrod, J., concurring in denial of en banc rehearing (joined by Willett, Duncan, Wilson); Ho, J., dissenting from denial of rehearing en banc; criminal, First Amendment Denying en banc rehearing from August 23, 2022, panel opinion that vacated convictions for bribery concerning a local government receiving federal benefits and conspiracy … More February 17, 2023, opinions

January 27, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Elrod, J. (Richman, Higginbotham, Elrod), First Amendment, mootness Vacating injunction ordering display submitted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation be displayed at the Texas State Capitol, because state had repealed altogether its Capitol Exhibit Rule that had allowed the display of submitted exhibits that met certain non-onerous requirements, such that there was … More January 27, 2023, opinions