July 1-17, 2024, opinions

Take the Fifth’s resident opinion-aggregator was out of the country for the first two and a half weeks of July, so the following are just abbreviated accounts of dispositions without any summary. Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), bankruptcy, contempt Affirming contempt order entered by bankruptcy court against defendant in adversary proceeding. Stewart, … More July 1-17, 2024, opinions

April 30, 2024, opinions

Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Stewart, Duncan), breach of contract, fraudulent inducement Reversing judgment and $1.6 billion in combined compensatory and punitive damages in favor of plaintiff on breach of contract and fraudulent inducement claims, holding that liability determination was in error. The Court held that IBM’s actions in replacing BMC mainframe software on … More April 30, 2024, opinions

March 27-30, 2024, opinions

Unpublished per curiam (Jones, Southwick, Ho), prisoner suit Affirming dismissal of Texas state prisoner’s suit as frivolous. per curiam (Wiener, Stewart, Douglas), criminal, sentencing Affirming imposition of standard supervised release terms as part of sentence for conviction of kidnapping, carjacking, and transportation of a stolen vehicle in interstate commerce. per curiam (Jolly, Smith, Haynes), criminal … More March 27-30, 2024, opinions

January 22, 2024, opinions

Designated for publication Dennis, J. (Stewart, Dennis, Wilson), bankruptcy Reversing district court’s dismissal of preference action by secured creditor of debtor that had received the debtor’s rights in the preference action against the former CFO of debtor to avoid transfers of funds to the former CFO just prior to the debtor’s bankruptcy petition, and remanding … More January 22, 2024, opinions

November 20, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Smith, Higginson, Engelhardt), social security, jurisdiction Affirming the district court’s decision that it did not have jurisdiction over the plaintiff’s claims arising from withholding of benefits. The Court held that it could not have general federal question jurisdiction over claims arising from the Social Security Act, and that the limited … More November 20, 2023, opinions

November 9-10, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Southwick, J. (King, Elrod, Southwick), Voting Rights Act Vacating district court’s preliminary injunction to enjoin Louisiana legislature’s 2022 congressional redistricting maps on the basis that the failure to create a second majority-Black district violated section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and remanding for further proceedings to allow the legislature until January … More November 9-10, 2023, opinions

October 19, 2023, opinions

Unpublished per curiam (Wiener, Stewart, Douglas), prisoner suit Affirming summary judgment dismissal of jail detainee’s § 1983 claims. per curiam (Stewart, Graves, Oldham), appellate jurisdiction Dismissing as frivolous appeal from 2012 summary judgment. per curiam (Higginbotham, Stewart, Southwick), criminal, sentencing Affirming sentence on conviction of possessing a counterfeit mail key. per curiam (Higginbotham, Smith, Elrod), … More October 19, 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 18, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Willett, J. (joined by Richman, Higginbotham, Stewart, Elrod, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Wilson, Douglas, JJ.), Ho, J., concurring, Jones, J., concurring in judgment only (joined by Smith, Oldham, JJ.); Title VII, employment discrimination Reversing 12(b)(6) dismissal of female correctional officers’ Title VII disparate treatment claim against county for policy … More August 18, 2023, opinions

July 12, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Douglas, J. (Higginbotham, Graves, Douglas), insurance Certifying to Texas Supreme Court question of whether attorneys’ fees are still owed under the Texas Prompt Payment of Claims Act after insurer makes payment of appraisal award plus interest. Wilson, J. (Wiener, Higginson, Wilson), Fair Labor Standards Act Reversing dismissal of plaintiffs’ FLSA overtime claims, … More July 12, 2023, opinions