Designated for publication Smith, J. (Smith, Graves, Duncan), Equal Protection Clause, Title VI, mootness Affirming dismissal of challenge to University of Texas’s pre-Harvard policy as moot, reversing mootness dismissal of challenge to post-Harvard policy, and remanding for further proceedings. The Fifth Circuit considered whether UT’s revised admissions practices complied with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling … More July 11, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Douglas, J. (Dennis, Oldham, Douglas), Dennis, J., dissenting; sec. 1983, pretrial detention Affirming dismissal of claims by pretrial detainee regarding the alleged misuse of suicide watch protocols by county and county officials. Ronnie Alexander, a pretrial detainee at Henderson County Jail, was moved to a “violent cell” after he falsely claimed to … More July 10, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Richman, Willett, Douglas), Douglas, J., concurring; labor law Reversing NLRB order that Apple violated the National Labor Relations Act at an Apple retail store by coercively interrogating an employee and by removing unionization literature from a break room. This Fifth Circuit case arises from unionization efforts at an Apple retail … More July 7, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Willett, Ho), Ho, J., concurring; personal tort, statutory immunity “(1) Is an employee of a city of another state—working under an agreement for emergency assistance between that city and a Louisiana municipality—a ‘representative’ of the State of Louisiana or one of its political subdivisions within the meaning of La. … More June 25, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Ramirez, J. (Dennis, Haynes, Ramirez), Dennis, J., concurring; First Amendment, Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause, ripeness, standing, sovereign immunity Affirming district court judgment of facial unconstitutionality and preliminary injunction of state law requiring display of Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms. In June 2024, Louisiana enacted H.B. 71, mandating the display … More June 20-21, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Stewart, J. (Stewart, Clement, Willett), criminal, sufficiency of evidence, restitution Affirming conviction of operator of compound pharmacy for receiving illegal kickbacks as part of a conspiracy to induce physicians to prescribe highly lucrative prescriptions, and affirming restitution award. Xpress Compounding was a pharmacy focused on maximizing profits through pain cream prescriptions billed … More June 5, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Clement, J. (Clement, Engelhardt, Wilson), Title VII, employment discrimination, labor law, jury instructions, pleadings amendment Reversing the denial of Southwest’s motion for judgment as a matter of law on employee’s belief-based Title VII claim and RLA retaliation claim and remanding with instructions for the district court to enter judgment for Southwest; affirming … More May 8-9, 2025, opinions
Unpublished opinions Richman, J. (King, Richman, Higginson), insurance Affirming summary judgment in favor of insurer on its declaratory judgment claim regarding exclusion from coverage. per curiam (Smith, Graves, Duncan), Title VII, employment discrimination Affirming summary judgment in favor of university employer on race discrimination claims. per curiam (Davis, Smith, Higginson), insurance Affirming summary judgment in … More May 1, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Hendrix, J. (Jones, Oldham, Hendrix, by designation), criminal Affirming conviction of fraud and financial crimes arising from real-estate scheme, rejecting arguments that admission of prior-convictions evidence was plain error and that district court abused its discretion in limiting the good-faith defense and denying funding for expert witness. Smith, J. (Elrod, Smith, Engelhardt), … More March 7, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (voting against en banc rehearing: Elrod, Richman, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Ho, Wilson, Douglas, Ramirez, JJ.; voting for en banc rehearing: Jones, Smith, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, JJ.); Ho, J., concurring in denial of rehearing; criminal, sentencing, en banc Denying en banc rehearing of panel opinion (Elrod, Dennis, Higginson) … More February 28, 2025, opinions
