Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), prisoner suit Affirming partial summary judgment that inmate’s sec. 1983 claim was Heck-barred, and affirming denial of motion for leave to amend. Torriana Clark, an inmate at Rayburn Correctional Center in Louisiana, filed a § 1983 lawsuit alleging that Lt. Lance Wallace used excessive force against him … More June 23, 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 Haynes, J. (Stewart, Dennis, Haynes), criminal, Second Amendment Affirming conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon. In 2019, Texas authorities arrested Betancourt after he allegedly brandished a firearm during a domestic dispute and was later found with multiple firearms, ammunition, and body armor in his home. A federal grand jury … More June 4, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Ho, Wilson, Ramirez), Ho, J., concurring; appellate jurisdiction On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court with an order for the Fifth Circuit to hear the appeal expeditiously, ordering the case to be set on the next available oral argument panel. Judge Ho concurred, noting that the Court had to comply … More May 20, 2025, opinions
Opinions designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Elrod, Higginbotham, Southwick), criminal, sentence reduction Affirming denial of motion for sentence reduction. Higginson, J. (Smith, Higginson, Douglas), criminal, sentencing, sufficiency of evidence Affirming convictions and sentences for conspiracy to import and importation of methamphetamine. Unpublished opinions per curiam (Stewart, Clement, Willett), criminal, sentencing Affirming sentence on conviction of … More April 29, 2025, opinions
Opinions designated for publication Clement, J. (Stewart, Clement, Willett), arbitration Affirming district court’s order granting defendant’s motion to confirm arbitration award and denying plaintiff’s motion to vacate arbitration award, regarding payment of “stand-by costs” under contract for construction of natural gas pipeline. Unpublished opinions per curiam (Graves, Willett, Wilson), prisoner suit Affirming dismissal as frivolous … More April 28, 2025, opinions
Opinions designated for publication Richman, J. (King, Richman, Higginson), prisoner suit, Eighth Amendment, appointment of counsel Vacating dismissal of plaintiff’s Eighth Amendment claims arising from denial of effective care for chronic hepatitis C virus, vacating denial of motion for appointment of counsel, and remanding for appointment of counsel and leave to amend complaint. The Court … More April 25, 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 (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: Jones, Smith, Stewart, Richman, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, Douglas, Ramirez, JJ.; voting for en banc rehearing: Elrod, Ho, JJ.); Oldham, J., concurring in denial of rehearing (joined by Jones, Smith, Willett, Duncan, Engelhardt, Wilson, JJ.); Ho, J., dissenting from denial … More February 26, 2025, opinions
