January 2, 2024, opinions

Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Southwick, Engelhardt, Wilson), abortion, administrative law, standing, preemption Affirming district court’s permanent injunction against Guidance letter issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), the agency of the Department of Health and Human Services charged with administering the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986, which … More January 2, 2024, opinions

December 15, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Barksdale, Southwick, Higginson), Higginson, J., dissenting; voting rights, election law, standing Reversing summary judgment in favor of voter advocacy organization, and rendering judgment in favor of Texas officials (actively defended by intervenor attorney general) rejecting organization’s challenge to Texas’s original “wet” signature requirement as a violation of the Civil Rights … More December 15, 2023, opinions

December 12-14, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Higginbotham, Higginson, Duncan), criminal, guilt plea Affirming conviction of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, finding sufficient evidence in the record to support the defendant’s guilty plea. Haynes, J. (Clement, Haynes, Oldham), ERISA Affirming dismissal of ERISA claim against insurance company hired by plan’s sponsor, administrator, and fiduciary to maintain … More December 12-14, 2023, opinions

November 16, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Jones, Stewart, Duncan), personal tort Affirming dismissal of claims by plaintiffs who suffer from chronic Lyme disease against peer-reviewed medical journal arising from article published regarding new proposed treatment of Lyme disease; plaintiffs alleged that the article cast doubt on how to treat chronic Lyme disease and even whether the … More November 16, 2023, opinions

November 14, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Smith, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), labor law Granting petition for review of NLRB order ruling that Tesla infringed on employees’ rights to unionize when it required employees to wear specific Tesla uniforms and prohibited employees from wearing union-insignia t-shirts instead (though the policy allowed employees to wear as many union stickers on … More November 14, 2023, opinions

October 23, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Stewart, Dennis, Southwick), habeas corpus Affirming district court judgment granting sec. 2241 petition on holding that Louisiana state prisoner had a state-created liberty interest in parole that had been granted under Louisiana law, in suit arising from rescission of that parole just prior to its effective date. The Court first … More October 23, 2023, opinions

September 28-29, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication per curiam (en banc court), voting rights, Eighth Amendment, Equal Protection, standing, sovereign immunity, Ex parte Young Granting en banc rehearing, and vacating August 4, 2023, panel opinion that reversed in part and affirmed in part district court’s dismissal of constitutional challenge to Mississippi’s permanent disenfranchisement of certain felons. Duncan, J. (Duncan, … More September 28-29, 2023, opinions

September 26, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Duncan, J. (Duncan, Wilson, Schroeder, by designation), criminal, attorney-client privilege Affirming convictions of defendant on numerous drug offenses related to ownership of pharmacy that was essentially an illegal pill mill; upholding use of audio recordings by the prosecution (though not used at trial) that defendant asserted intruded into his privileged conversations with … More September 26, 2023, opinions

September 15, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Oldham, J. (Dennis, Engelhardt, Oldham), Title VII, employment discrimination Reversing summary judgment dismissal of employee’s discrimination claims after he was fired for his refusal to cut his hair and beard in violation of his religious vow, in light of Groff v. DeJoy, 143 S. Ct. 2279 (2023). The Court held that the … More September 15, 2023, opinions

September 14, 2023, opinions

Designated for publication Jones, J. (Jones, Stewart, Duncan), criminal, jury instructions, sentencing Affirming conviction of illegal reentry and 105-month sentence, finding no error in jury instruction or impropriety in enhancement of sentence for obstruction of justice. After the defendant had presented evidence that he had been acting under duress due to threats by the drug-smuggling … More September 14, 2023, opinions