May 5, 2022, opinions

Catching up on the blog after some non-stop over-drive briefing weeks, so both published and unpublished opinions will only contain summary disposition information and not the usual fuller descriptions. Designated for publication Guerrero v. Occidental Petroleum Corp., 20-20633, appeal from S.D. Tex. Duncan, J. (Higginbotham, Willett, Duncan), employment Affirming district court’s dismissal of claims of … More May 5, 2022, opinions

May 4, 2022, opinions

Catching up on the blog after some non-stop over-drive briefing weeks, so both published and unpublished opinions will only contain summary disposition information and not the usual fuller descriptions. Designated for publication Johnson v. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 21-20022, appeal from S.D. Tex. per curiam (King, Smith, Haynes), Elrod, J., dissenting from denial of rehearing (joined by … More May 4, 2022, opinions

April 25-26, 2022, opinions

Designated for publication U.S. v. Mejia-Banegas, 21-50459, appeal from W.D. Tex. per curiam (King, Jones, Duncan), King, J., concurring; criminal, supervised release Affirming special condition of supervised release terms that allowed probation officer to require the defendant to notify a person he may pose a risk to and to inform them about that risk. On … More April 25-26, 2022, opinions

April 22, 2022, opinions

Designated for publication U.S. v. Hanner, 20-30420, appeal from W.D. La. Higginson, J. (Southwick, Haynes, Higginson), habeas corpus Vacating in part and affirming in part district court’s ruling on successive sec. 2255 petition, on basis that petitioner had raised a grounds for challenging his sentence that had not been authorized by the Fifth Circuit’s grant … More April 22, 2022, opinions

April 20, 2022, opinions

Designated for publication Vista Health Plan, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 20-50963, appeal from W.D. Tex. Wilson, J. (Higginbotham, Stewart, Wilson), Affordable Care Act, finality of judgment Withdrawing panel opinion from March 17, 2022, which affirmed district court’s summary judgment in favor of HHS defendants on plaintiff insurer’s challenge to HHS … More April 20, 2022, opinions

April 18, 2022, opinions

Unpublished Hardison v. Skinner, 20-30643, appeal from W.D. La. per curiam (Dennis, Southwick, Wilson), Dennis, J., specially concurring; employment discrimination, Title VII Affirming summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s employment discrimination, defamation, and Louisiana state law claims against the Natchitoches Parish School Board and Dale Skinner, the school board’s superintendent, brought after she voluntarily retired six months … More April 18, 2022, opinions

April 13-14, 2022, opinions

Designated for publication Foster v. Warden, 20-10841, appeal from N.D. Tex. Southwick, J. (Dennis, Southwick, Wilson), mootness Vacating dismissal on mootness grounds of former military prisoner’s suit regarding the constitutionality of term of supervised release he had been found to have violated, and remanding to district court for determination of whether post-imprisonment effect on eligibility … More April 13-14, 2022, opinions

April 8, 2022, opinions

Designated for publication Boch-Saban v. Garland, 20-60540, petition for review of BIA order per curiam (Southwick, Haynes, Higginson), immigration Vacating BIA order dismissing as untimely a Guatemalan citizen’s appeal from an IJ’s order denying as time- and number-barred a motion to reopen and dismiss, and remanding to BIA to consider in the first instance the … More April 8, 2022, opinions

April 6-7, 2022, opinions

Designated for publication Seguin v. Remington Arms Co., 17-30499, appeal from E.D. La. Southwick, J. (Owen, Dennis, Southwick), Dennis, J., dissenting; product liability After Louisiana Supreme Court declined certified question on the issue, reversing summary judgment in favor of plaintiff in design-defect claim under the Louisiana Product Liability Act (“LPLA”) against firearm manufacturer after accidental … More April 6-7, 2022, opinions

April 5, 2022, opinions

Designated for publication Pulse Network, L.L.C. v. Visa, Inc., 18-20669, appeal from S.D. Tex. Duncan, J. (Smith, Willett, Duncan), antitrust, Sherman Act, recusal Reversing in part dismissal of plaintiff’s Sherman Act claims for lack of antitrust standing, remanding for further proceedings, and directing reassignment to a different judge. Pulse, a debit-network provider, brought suit against … More April 5, 2022, opinions