September 12, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Clement, Haynes), Haynes, J., dissenting in part; diversity jurisdiction, sanctions Affirming dismissal of third-party claims as sanction for party’s deliberate “hiding of the ball” on L.L.C. citizenship/jurisdictional facts. The Court held that the district court’s power to issue a case-dispositive sanction fell within its collateral jurisdiction. The Court summed … More September 12, 2023, opinions

September 8-11, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), criminal, supervised release Affirming imposition of 15 “standard conditions” for terms of supervised release from district court’s Standing Order, where oral pronouncement included that the supervised release would be “subject to the standard conditions” but did not otherwise expressly articulate those conditions. Elrod, J. (Dennis, Elrod, Ho), … More September 8-11, 2023, opinions

September 6, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Graves, J. (Richman, Haynes, Graves), trademark infringement Affirming in part, reversing in part judgment as a matter of law in favor of defendant on plaintiff’s trademark-infringement claims, and remanding for further proceedings. The Court held that a reasonable jury could find that the defendant infringed on the plaintiff’s marks before they were … More September 6, 2023, opinions

August 28, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Willett, J. (Graves, Willett, Engelhardt), Graves, J., dissenting in part; Americans with Disabilities Act, due process Although disagreeing with the district court that an administrative exhaustion requirement applied to mother’s ADA and due process claims after her special needs child was tased by a school resource officer while child was physically struggling … More August 28, 2023, opinions

August 16, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Willett, Douglas), Douglas, J., dissenting; habeas corpus, ineffective assistance of counsel Affirming denial of petitioner’s § 2255 petition on IAC claim arising from trial counsel’s inadequate argument and appellate counsel’s lack of argument for “back time” credit on sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon to account … More August 16, 2023, opinions

August 7, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Oldham, J. (Dennis, Engelhardt, Oldham), criminal, sentencing Vacating sentence–120-month sentences on each of three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, to run consecutively “[o]nly to the extent it produces a total aggregate of 188 months”–as impermissibly vague, and remanding for resentencing. The Court held that the district court did … More August 7, 2023, opinions

July 26, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication per curiam (Haynes, Engelhardt, Saldaña, by designation), Engelhardt, J., concurring; criminal, sentencing Affirming upward departure from 15-21-month guidelines range to impose 72-month sentence for convictions of identity theft and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion, as the district … More July 26, 2023, opinions

July 19-20, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Wiener, Southwick, Duncan), breach of contract, COVID-19 Reversing dismissal of students’ putative class claims for breach of contract when defendant university failed to refund tuition and fees after switching to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that the plaintiffs had adequately pled a breach of contract claim; but certifying … More July 19-20, 2023, opinions

July 7, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication King, J. (King, Jones, Duncan), habeas corpus, ineffective assistance of counsel Affirming denial of habeas relief on ineffective assistance of counsel claim. Under AEDPA’s “doubly deferential review,” the Court held that the petitioner’s trial counsel’s failure to object to lay and expert testimony about the credibility of a child’s testimony was “arguably … More July 7, 2023, opinions

April 28, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Smith, J. (Smith, Clement, Wilson), criminal, supervised release, sentencing Vacating sentences for revocation of supervised release, and rendering judgment accordingly. Defendant had originally been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release for a conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The district court then vacated the … More April 28, 2023, opinions