Take the Fifth: April 6 and 7, 2021 opinions

Brackeen v. Haaland, 18-11479, appeal from N.D. Tex. per curiam (Owen, Jones, Smith, Wiener, Stewart, Dennis, Elrod, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Costa, Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham), Indian Child Welfare Act, standing, Administrative Procedures Act No one principal opinion commanded a majority of the en banc Court as to the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare … More Take the Fifth: April 6 and 7, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: April 5, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication U.S. v. Navarro-Jusino, 20-40401, appeal from E.D. Tex. Smith, J. (King, Smith, Haynes), criminal, sentencing Affirming 120-month sentence on one count of wire fraud, an 87-month upward variance from the guidelines. The Court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in the sentencing because (1) the wire fraud of … More Take the Fifth: April 5, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: March 22 and 23, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication U.S. v. Brune, 19-11360, appeal from N.D. Tex. Smith, J. (Jones, Smith, Elrod), criminal, double jeopardy Affirming conviction of defendant for possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. In the charging instrument, the government had misstated the statutory citation for the charged crime, … More Take the Fifth: March 22 and 23, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: March 15, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication U.S. v. Dubin, 19-50912, appeal from W.D. Tex. per curiam (En banc), criminal, fraud, sufficiency of evidence, timeliness, restitution, sentencing Ordering case to be reheard en banc, vacating December 4 panel opinion (Barksdale, Elrod, Ho; Elrod, concurring) that affirmed conviction and sentence for defendants’ charged scheme to defraud Texas’s Medicaid program. Jones v. Michaels Stores, Inc., … More Take the Fifth: March 15, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: March 12, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication U.S. v. Nelson, 19-41008, appeal from S.D. Tex. Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Dennis), criminal, search and seizure, Miranda Affirming conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, on conditional guilty plea reserving right to appeal from district court’s denial of motion to suppress evidence seized … More Take the Fifth: March 12, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: Feb. 24, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication U.S. v. Nora, 18-31078, appeal from E.D. La. Higginson, J. (Higginbotham, Jones, Higginson), criminal, sufficiency of evidence Reversing convictions and vacating sentence on counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to pay or receive illegal health care kickbacks, and aiding and abetting health care fraud, on holding that there was … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 24, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: Feb. 10 and 11, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication Adams v. All Coast, LLC, 19-30907, appeal from W.D. La. Clement, J. (Smith, Clement, Oldham), Fair Labor Standards Act, maritime law Reversing summary judgment in favor of employer on employees’ FLSA overtime claims, on holding that district court erred in classifying the employees, who operated cranes on employer’s liftboats, a seamen who … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 10 and 11, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: Feb. 5, 2021 opinions

Unpublished U.S. v. Taylor, 19-10261, appeal from N.D. Tex. Higginson, J. (Stewart, Higginson, Wilson), criminal, sentencing Affirming above-guidelines sentence following guilty plea to one count of attempted bank robbery and one count of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. v. Valdez, 19-11158, appeal from … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 5, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: Feb. 3, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication Official Stanford Investors Committee v. Trustmark National Bank, 19-11131, appeal from N.D. Tex. Southwick, J. (Owen, Davis, Southwick), intervention Affirming the denial of intervention of right by group of Stanford investors into suit brought by original plaintiff group of Stanford investors against defendant who provided banking services to R. Allen Stanford for … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 3, 2021 opinions

Take the Fifth: Feb. 1 and 2, 2021 opinions

Designated for publication Tibakweitira v. Wilkinson, 18-60459, petition for review of BIA order Engelhardt, J. (Haynes, Duncan, Engelhardt), immigration Dismissing in part and denying in part Tanzanian citizen’s petitions for review of a BIA order dismissing his appeal from the IJ decision denying his application for withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 1 and 2, 2021 opinions