Designated for publication Douglas, J. (Dennis, Oldham, Douglas), Dennis, J., dissenting; sec. 1983, pretrial detention Affirming dismissal of claims by pretrial detainee regarding the alleged misuse of suicide watch protocols by county and county officials. Ronnie Alexander, a pretrial detainee at Henderson County Jail, was moved to a “violent cell” after he falsely claimed to … More July 10, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication King, J. (King, Ho, Ramirez), Ho, J., concurring; qualified immunity Affirming denial of qualified immunity to officer defendant on claims of Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment violations from the taking of a child from her home during a child welfare investigation. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of qualified immunity to … More June 27, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), maritime law Vacating and remanding for further proceedings the district court’s summary judgment on the question of the existence of a valid maritime lien on barges that shipyard and performed substantial changes to; and dismissing appeal in part. The Fifth Circuit held that the district court erred … More May 22, 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
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Clement, Duncan), social security Affirming award of disability benefits, rejecting argument that plaintiff was entitled to benefits from an earlier date. Ramirez, J. (Richman, Graves, Ramirez), labor law, jurisdiction Dismissing for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction appeal of “effective denial” of company’s challenge and motion for injunctive relief from allegedly … More March 5-6, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Voting AGAINST en banc rehearing: Elrod, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Douglas, Ramirez, JJ.; voting FOR en banc rehearing: Jones, Smith, Richman, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, JJ.); qualified immunity Denying en banc rehearing of September 10, 2024, panel opinion (Douglas, J., joined by Wiener, J.; Smith, J., dissenting) … More January 2-5, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Clerk Order (Voting AGAINST en banc hearing in the first instance: Elrod, Smith, Stewart, Richman, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt, Wilson, Douglas, Ramirez, JJ.; voting FOR en banc hearing in the first instance: Jones, Ho, Oldham, JJ.); First Amendment, en banc Order denying motion for the en banc Court to … More December 30-31, 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
Designated for publication Richman, C.J. (Richman, Ho, Engelhardt), Ho, J., dissenting in part; immigration Granting Cameroonian citizen’s petition for review of BIA order dismissing appeal of IJ’s denial of applications for asylum and withholding of removal (denying petition for review of denial of protection under the Convention Against Torture), vacating BIA’s opinion, and remanding for … More August 16-21, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Higginbotham, Higginson, Duncan), qualified immunity, municipal liability, Fourth Amendment, § 1983 Dismissing appeal in part for want of appellate jurisdiction over appeals of denial of summary judgment on punitive damages claim, the summary judgment to police officer on Fourth Amendment search claim, and the summary judgment to the City and … More July 30-31, 2024, opinions
