July 1-17, 2024, opinions

Take the Fifth’s resident opinion-aggregator was out of the country for the first two and a half weeks of July, so the following are just abbreviated accounts of dispositions without any summary. Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), bankruptcy, contempt Affirming contempt order entered by bankruptcy court against defendant in adversary proceeding. Stewart, … More July 1-17, 2024, opinions

April 29, 2024, opinions

Designated for publication Smith, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Higginson), bankruptcy, Burford abstention Reversing denial of claimant’s motion for Burford abstention in adversarial proceeding brought by debtor trustee to challenge the creditor’s proof of claim; reversing denial of motion to dismiss certain claims that parties agreed were claims for equitable relief; and vacating dismissal of remaining damages … More April 29, 2024, opinions

March 11-12, 2024, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Richman, Haynes, Duncan), Administrative Procedures Act, preemption, healthcare law Affirming in part and reversing in part district court’s judgment that Title X of the Public Health Service Act violates the plaintiff’s constitutional right to consent to the provision of contraceptive care to his minor daughters and that a regulation promulgated … More March 11-12, 2024, opinions

November 16, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Jones, Stewart, Duncan), personal tort Affirming dismissal of claims by plaintiffs who suffer from chronic Lyme disease against peer-reviewed medical journal arising from article published regarding new proposed treatment of Lyme disease; plaintiffs alleged that the article cast doubt on how to treat chronic Lyme disease and even whether the … More November 16, 2023, opinions

November 15, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication per curiam (Southwick, Engelhardt, Wilson), criminal, sentencing Affirming convictions for transferring a firearm to a prohibited person and for making false statements while purchasing a firearm, as well as the 60-month sentence imposed on her resulting from these convictions and incorporating an upward variance based on the defendant’s knowledge of the danger … More November 15, 2023, opinions

August 30-31, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication per curiam (Richman, Higginbotham, Southwick), habeas corpus, ineffective assistance of counsel Affirming denial of habeas relief on IAC claims of petitioner convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. per curiam (en banc court), criminal, sufficiency of evidence Ordering en banc rehearing of June 7, 2023, panel opinion that reversed and vacated … More August 30-31, 2023, opinions

July 10, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Stewart, J. (Richman, Stewart, Douglas), prisoner suit Dismissing appeal of dismissal of Texas state prisoner’s suit against medical personnel, upon denying motion to proceed in forma pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) and upon failure to pay required filing fees. The Court held that the plaintiff has accumulated more than three strikes … More July 10, 2023, opinions

May 30, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Graves, J. (Graves, Ho, Duncan), Ho, J., concurring; immigration Denying Cambodian citizen’s petition for review of BIA order affirming IJ’s finding that he is removable for having been convicted of an aggravated felony. The Court held “that Khan’s conviction under 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3925(a) constitutes receipt of stolen property, and … More May 30, 2023, opinions

March 23, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication per curiam (denial of en banc rehearing; voting against rehearing were Richman, Jones, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Ho, Duncan, Douglas, JJ.; voting for rehearing were Smith, Elrod, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, JJ.); Higginbotham, J., concurring in denial of rehearing; Higginson, J., concurring in denial of rehearing; Oldham, J., dissenting from denial … More March 23, 2023, opinions

March 16, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Willett, J. (Richman, Wiener, Willett), Wiener, J., dissenting; qualified immunity Reversing a denial of qualified immunity summary judgment dismissing § 1983 claims against school officials by mother of disabled public-school student who had been sexually assaulted by another student with known violent tendencies, whose teacher allowed the assaulted student and the aggressor … More March 16, 2023, opinions