Unpublished decisions per curiam (King, Higginson, Douglas) (no oral argument), criminal, search and seizure Affirming conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, upholding denial of motion to suppress. At issue on appeal was whether a state trooper had reasonable suspicion to extend a traffic stop for a K-9 sniff of the defendant’s vehicle. Quintana … More September 29, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Haynes, Graves, Ramirez) (no oral argument), criminal, sentencing Affirming sentence on conviction of production of child pornography. At issue on appeal was (1) whether the district court abused its discretion in rejecting a Rule 11(c)(1)(C) plea agreement that called for 360 months of imprisonment — half the guidelines range — for … More September 25-28, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Jones, J. (Higginbotham, Jones, Southwick) (no oral argument), Toxic Substances Control Act, administrative law Granting industry petitioner’s petition for review of EPA rule, vacating rule, and remanding to EPA. Methylene chloride (MC) is a volatile chemical solvent widely used in adhesives, automotive products, and paint removers. EPA determined that nearly all uses … More September 15-16, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Richman, J. (Richman, Higginson, Oldham) (oral argument), Oldham, J., dubitante; appellate jurisdiction, anti-SLAPP, defamation Affirming denial of motion to strike under Louisiana’s anti-SLAPP statute. Luke Sahs, a former student at Loyola University New Orleans, sued the university asserting defamation and related claims after a series of events stemming from a school-sponsored trip … More September 11, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Willett, Ho) (oral argument prior to certification to state supreme court), statutory immunity, personal tort Upon receiving state supreme court opinion after June 25, 2025, certification of question regarding statutory immunity, reversing district court’s ruling that defendant had immunity and remanding for further proceedings. The Breauxs and the Blanchards … More September 9, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Stewart, Clement, Willett) (oral argument heard on initial review); criminal, guilty plea, Second Amendment, Commerce Clause Upon remand from U.S. Supreme Court, affirming conviction of firearm-possession-by-controlled-substance-user on guilty plea, rejecting challenge to appeal-waiver. Kenleone Joe Nyandoro was charged with possessing a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance … More September 4, 2026, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Smith, Southwick, Oldham) (no oral argument), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Smith, Southwick, Oldham) (no oral argument), criminal, sentencing Affirming 21-month sentence on conviction of illegal reentry. per curiam (Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt) (no oral argument), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per … More August 31, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (King, Higginson, Duncan) (oral argument), Duncan, J., dissenting; criminal, sentencing Vacating 46-month sentence on conviction of illegal reentry, and remanding for resentencing. Alexander Palencia-Berrum pled guilty to illegal reentry under 8 U.S.C. § 1326. His criminal history included three DWI convictions, an obstruction/minor-in-possession conviction, a domestic battery guilty plea, a … More August 26, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Elrod, Richman, Willett), Willett, J., dissenting (no oral argument); qualified immunity, municipal liability Affirming the district court’s dismissal of all claims—both the individual-capacity claims on qualified immunity grounds and the Monell claim for failure to plausibly allege an official policy or custom. On August 29, 2020, Tara Fogleman-Laxey staged a … More August 24, 2026, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Richman, Higginson, Douglas) (oral argument), criminal, sufficiency of evidence, witness testimony, evidence, sentencing, Second Amendment, Commerce Clause Affirming conviction and sentence on drug and firearms charges. Travis Enclade and Terence Wilson, relatives suspected of narcotics trafficking in New Orleans, were the subjects of a two-month DEA surveillance operation using pole … More August 17-18, 2026, opinions
