Designated for publication per curiam (Southwick, Engelhardt, Wilson), criminal, First Step Act On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court, vacating defendants’ sentences that it had previously affirmed, and remanding for resentencing under the First Step Act in light of Hewitt v. United States, 145 S. Ct. 2165 (2025). Wilson, J. (Higginson, Ho, Wilson); Ho, J., … More August 18-19, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Jones, J. (Elrod, Jones, Stewart), Stewart, J., concurring in judgment only; insurance Reversing judgment in favor of insurer in claim brought by re-insurer, on basis that insurer’s delay in providing notice to re-insurer of claims was objectively unreasonable and material. The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court ruling and held that United … More August 14, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (single-judge order), immigration, mandate Denying motion to reopen case. Jose Ernesto Romero-Lozano, removed from the U.S. in 2014 and illegally reentering eight years later, was placed in withholding-only proceedings after DHS reinstated his removal order in 2022. An Immigration Judge denied his application, and the BIA affirmed in November 2023. … More August 12, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (Smith, Graves, Duncan), Graves, J., concurring in part and in judgment; criminal, Second Amendment Affirming conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon, holding that “disarming drug traffickers accords with the nation’s history and tradition of firearm regulation[.]” Judge Graves concurred in part and concurred in the judgment. “Based … More June 30, 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 Douglas, J. (Smith, Higginson, Douglas), settlement agreement, jurisdiction In appeal from district court’s ruling on severed motions to enforce settlement agreements by parties in dispute arising from partnership agreement, remanding to district court to determine parties’ citizenship for purposes of diversity jurisdiction. The Court rejected party citizenship allegations supported merely “on information … More May 5, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Smith, Clement, Duncan), social security Affirming award of disability benefits, rejecting argument that plaintiff was entitled to benefits from an earlier date. Ramirez, J. (Richman, Graves, Ramirez), labor law, jurisdiction Dismissing for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction appeal of “effective denial” of company’s challenge and motion for injunctive relief from allegedly … More March 5-6, 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
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Ho, Engelhardt, Douglas), Douglas, J., dissenting in part; qualified immunity Affirming district court’s denial of qualified immunity on excessive force claim, but reversing denial of qualified immunity on unreasonable search claim, and remanding for further proceedings on claims arising from shooting death of homeowner by officers who had not announced … More February 25, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Davis, Smith, Higginson), jurisdiction, settlement agreement, foreclosure Affirming district court’s judgment that it lacked ancillary jurisdiction to enforce a settlement agreement where the parties had filed an unconditional Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(ii) stipulation of dismissal without a concurrent court order incorporating the agreement terms or expressly retaining jurisdiction over the agreement. Barksdale, … More February 13, 2025, opinions
