Designated for publication Ho, J. (Haynes, Higginson, Ho) (no oral argument), Higginson, J., dissenting; mandamus, venue, antitrust Granting mandamus to compel the district court to transfer venue to the Northern District of California. Branch Metrics, Inc. sued Google, LLC in the Eastern District of Texas, alleging Sherman Act violations based on documents uncovered during the … More April 7, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Southwick, Duncan, Engelhardt) (oral argument), mootness, criminal, Crime Victims’ Rights Act, mandamus Denying writs of mandamus sought by families of victims of Boeing air crash that challenged a Deferred Prosecution Agreement and a subsequent non-prosecution agreement between the Department of Justice and Boeing. Following two Boeing 737 MAX crashes — … More March 31, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Haynes, Oldham) (no oral argument), Haynes, J., “simply joins in the denial” without separate concurring opinion; class action, mandamus, Fair Labor Standards Act Denying writ of mandamus from district court’s certification of collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Fifth Circuit denied the employer’s petition for a … More March 10-11, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Higginson, Willett, Engelhardt) (oral argument), Willett, J., concurring in part; class action, employment, Americans with Disabilities Act Affirming district court’s rejection of two proposed classes and certification of one modified subclass of United Airlines employees who sought religious accommodations from COVID-19 vaccine mandate and who were accommodated with unpaid leave. … More March 9, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Summerhays, J. (Jones, Engelhardt, Summerhays, by designation) (oral argument), maritime law Affirming summary judgment for vessel owner on longshore worker’s claim of vessel negligence. Balvina Renteria, a longshore worker unloading cargo from the M/V Star Juventas, fell about ten feet when she stepped on plastic sheeting covering a gap between stacked rolls … More March 6, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (en banc; Elrod, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Douglas, Ramirez, voting against en banc rehearing; Jones, Smith, Richman, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, voting for en banc rehearing) (oral argument at panel stage), Ho, J., dissenting from denial of en banc rehearing (joined by Jones, Smith); en banc, qualified … More February 20, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (Elrod, Smith, Wilson) (oral argument), civil rights, injunction, appellate jurisdiction Dismissing for lack of appellate jurisdiction appeal from denial of motion to dismiss or strike plaintiffs’ motion to modify a desegregation injunction for the Parish School Board. The case arises from a long-running school desegregation injunction imposed on the School … More February 10, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Richman, Dennis, Ho, on panel; but Ho, J., writing separately with respect to the issuance of the mandate) (panel originally orally argued); municipal liability, qualified immunity, en banc, mandate Order vacating order withholding issuance of mandate from October 7, 2025, opinion (“per curiam” Dennis, Richman, Ho; Ho, J., concurring; Dennis, … More February 6, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (Elrod, Smith, Wilson) (oral argument), coram nobis Affirming denial of writ of coram nobis seeking vacatur of conviction for wire fraud and bank fraud and or restitution award on basis of IAC. Eugene Lockhart, who pleaded guilty to wire and bank fraud and was sentenced to 54 months in prison … More January 29, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Higginbotham, Ho, Douglas) (no oral argument), criminal, jury instructions, sentencing, sufficiency of evidence Affirming 84-month sentence and conviction of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and six counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. per curiam (Wiener, Engelhardt, Oldham) (no oral argument), Oldham, J., dissenting; criminal, compassionate … More January 28, 2026, opinions
