Designated for publication Haynes, J. (Southwick, Haynes, Douglas), administrative law Reversing in part and affirming in part district court’s ruling on plaintiff healthcare providers’ and air-ambulance providers’ challenge to HHS rules regarding the No Surprises Act; reversing vacatur of rule regarding how to calculate “qualifying payment amount” under the NSA, affirming vacatur of deadline provision … More October 30, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Wiener, Wilson), labor law Reversing dismissal of union’s complaint against airline under the Railway Labor Act as subject to arbitration, holding that the union sufficiently pled the anti-union animus exception to RLA arbitration, and remanding for further proceedings. Engelhardt, J. (Jones, Willett, Engelhardt), First Amendment, timeliness Affirming dismissal of … More October 28, 2024, opinions
Another quick-blurb catch-up post (the briefing and arguing has been non-stop since mid-July–Take the Fifth may need to take on some more staff!). Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Barksdale, Southwick, Graves), criminal, Sixth Amendment, sentencing Affirming conviction and sentence on fraud under the Paycheck Protection Program, upholding denial of motion to substitute counsel and district … More August 1-15, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (King, Ho, Engelhardt), Ho, J., concurring in judgment; criminal, sufficiency of evidence, timeliness, restitution Reversing conviction for bankruptcy fraud, but affirming conviction for tax evasion and order of restitution as condition of supervised release. The Court held that the defendant’s indictment for bankruptcy fraud should have been dismissed as untimely, … More July 23, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Smith, J. (joined by Jones, Stewart, Southwick, Higginson, Willett, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson, Ramirez, JJ.); Haynes, J., concurring in judgment only; Richman, C.J., dissenting (joined by Elrod, Graves, Douglas, JJ.); criminal, sufficiency of evidence, Miranda rights, due process On en banc rehearing of panel opinion that had reversed on the basis … More June 5-7, 2024, opinions
Unpublished per curiam (Willett, Duncan, Ramirez), criminal, sentencing Affirming 37-month sentence on conviction of illegal reentry. per curiam (Elrod, Oldham, Wilson), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Willett, Duncan, Ramirez), appellate jurisdiction Dismissing appeal from notice of intent for failure to prosecute and order denying motion to appoint counsel for … More May 9, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, J. (Elrod, Ho, Wilson), timeliness After receiving response from Texas Supreme Court on certified question, reversing district court’s dismissal of claims as barred by the statute of limitations, and remanding for further proceedings. Oldham, J. (Jolly, Engelhardt, Oldham), qualified immunity Affirming denial of qualified immunity. To quote from the Court’s introduction: … More May 1-7, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (voting against en banc rehearing: Richman, Stewart, Southwick, Haynes, Graves, Higginson, Willett, Douglas, Ramirez; voting for en banc rehearing: Jones, Smith, Elrod, Ho, Duncan, Engelhardt, Oldham, Wilson); Willett, J., concurring in denial of en banc rehearing; Ho, J., dissenting from denial of en banc rehearing; Oldham, J., dissenting from denial … More April 16-22, 2024, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Smith, Southwick, Higginson), insurance Reversing district court’s judgment denying declaratory relief to insurer that argued that the Louisiana Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act invalidated coverage for contracts by insured to engage in “drill-and-blast” salt mining, under the Act’s applicability to activities comprising “drilling for minerals.” District court had not reached that question, … More March 18, 2024, opinions
Unpublished per curiam (Stewart, Dennis, Wilson), securities fraud, receivership, mootness Dismissing as moot appeal from order ratifying a settlement agreement executed by court-appointed receiver, due to subsequent events in the litigation. per curiam (Wiener, Stewart, Douglas), criminal Affirming conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. per curiam (Jolly, Engelhardt, Douglas), criminal, sentencing … More March 13, 2024, opinions
