Designated for publication per curiam (Elrod, Richman, Willett), Willett, J., dissenting (no oral argument); qualified immunity, municipal liability Affirming the district court’s dismissal of all claims—both the individual-capacity claims on qualified immunity grounds and the Monell claim for failure to plausibly allege an official policy or custom. On August 29, 2020, Tara Fogleman-Laxey staged a … More August 24, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Richman, Higginson, Douglas) (oral argument), criminal, sufficiency of evidence, witness testimony, evidence, sentencing, Second Amendment, Commerce Clause Affirming conviction and sentence on drug and firearms charges. Travis Enclade and Terence Wilson, relatives suspected of narcotics trafficking in New Orleans, were the subjects of a two-month DEA surveillance operation using pole … More August 17-18, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Elrod, Clement, Oldham) (oral argument withdrawn), immigration Denying Salvadoran citizen’s petition for review of BIA’s denial of his request for deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture. Jose Mauricio Lopez-Barrera, a Salvadoran national, petitioned for review of the BIA’s denial of his request for deferral of removal under the … More August 14, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (en banc; voting against en banc rehearing: Elrod, Jones, Smith, Richman, Southwick, Haynes, Ho, Duncan, Oldham, Wilson; voting for en banc rehearing: Stewart, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Douglas, Ramirez; Englehardt, J., not participating), Ho, J., concurring in denial, Willett, J., dissenting from denial (joined by Stewart, Graves, Higginson, Douglas, Ramirez) (oral … More July 30, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Davis, J. (Davis, Smith, Higginson) (no oral argument), criminal, sentencing On remand from U.S. Supreme Court, dismissing appeal of 51-month sentence on basis of appeal-waiver in plea agreement. Munson Hunter pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting wire fraud arising from a scheme that caused approximately half a million dollars … More July 28-29, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Ramirez, J. (Jones, Stewart, Ramirez), Jones, J., dissenting in part (oral argument); criminal, sentencing Affirming in part and reversing in part sentence on conspiracy charges, and remanding for resentencing. Trayvon Murphy was a member of a New Orleans street gang led by co-defendant Julius Alexander. Murphy pleaded guilty—without a plea agreement—to conspiracy … More July 22-23, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (en banc), immigration, die process, en banc In relation to the en banc rehearing of the July 2 opinion affirming that immigrants’ due process rights were violated by detention more than 90 days without bond hearings, which rehearing was ordered quickly on the heels of the panel opinion, on July … More July 21, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Smith, Wilson) (oral argument), bankruptcy Affirming bankruptcy court’s finding of willful violation of bankruptcy automatic stay by aggressive arbitration against debtor’s founder. With Purpose, Inc. (formerly doing business as GloriFi), a financial technology start-up co-founded by Toby Neugebauer, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February 2023. Prior to the … More July 16, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Stewart, Willett, Wilson) (no oral argument), Stewart, J., dissenting in part; mandamus, appellate jurisdiction, voluntary dismissal, school desegregation Dismissing appeal for lack of jurisdiction over judgment that was entered after voluntary dismissal of school desegregation case, and granting mandamus vacating post-dismissal judgment. This school-desegregation case had been pending for more … More July 13-15, 2026, decisions
Designated for publication Clement, J. (Jones, Clement, Richman) (oral argument), criminal, sentencing Affirming 180-month sentence on conviction of selling methamphetamine that was based on a criminal history score that included an expunged state conviction. Juan Payne pleaded guilty to selling methamphetamine (461.9 grams in two transactions) under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A). While his … More July 10, 2026, opinions
