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
Designated for publication U.S. v. Burney, 20-10529, appeal from N.D. Tex. Smith, J. (King, Smith, Haynes), criminal, sentencing Affirming 60-month sentence on guilty plea to wire fraud. The presentence report recommended a guideline range of 12-18 months, “[b]ased on the severity of the offense, Burney’s acceptance of responsibility, and his criminal history,” but the district … More Take the Fifth: March 29-31, 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
Designated for publication Anokwuru v. City of Houston, 20-20295, appeal from S.D. Tex. Wilson, J. (Stewart, Higginson, Wilson), § 1983, false arrest, malicious prosecution Affirming 12(b)(6) dismissal of plaintiff’s § 1983 claims arising from his allegations that Officer M.R. Francis arrested him without probable cause, maliciously prosecuted him, and racially discriminated against him, and that … More Take the Fifth: March 16, 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
Designated for publication Wickfire, LLC v. Woodruff, 17-50340, appeal from W.D. Tex. Owen, C.J. (Owen, Dennis, Southwick), sufficiency of evidence, jurisdiction, Lanham Act, tortious interference, civil conspiracy Affirming in part and reversing in part district court judgment based on jury verdict on cross-claims between two internet advertising ventures arising from auctions for Google ad placement … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 26, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication Daves v. Dallas County, Texas, 18-11368, appeal from N.D. Tex. per curiam (en banc court, except for Oldham, J., recused), cash bail, § 1983, Equal Protection, Due Process, sovereign immunity, Ex Parte Young Voting to rehear en banc this matter where, on December 28, 2020, the panel of Judges Southwick, Graves, and Engelhardt (Southwick, J., authoring) affirmed … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 25, 2021 opinions
Designated for publication U.S. v. Dejean, 19-30865, appeal from E.D. La. Duncan, J. (Clement, Ho, Duncan), criminal, juror bias Affirming jury-trial conviction of defendant for mail fraud and making false statements to a bank; rejecting defendant’s argument that district court erred in seating a juror who allegedly was biased against gamblers, where defendant used the … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 23, 2021 opinions
Unpublished U.S. v. Stewart, 19-11249, appeal from N.D. Tex. per curiam (Haynes, Higginson, Oldham), criminal, venue Affirming that N.D. Tex. was an appropriate venue for trying count of failure to register as a sex offender under SORNA. Garcia-Perez v. Wilkinson, 19-60718, petition for review of BIA order per curiam (Wiener, Southwick, Duncan), immigration Denying Guatemalan … More Take the Fifth: Feb. 15, 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
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