Designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Ho, Douglas) (no oral argument), Federal Tort Claims Act Affirming dismissal of FTCA claims. The Fifth Circuit reviewed pro se claims brought by Howard and Theresa Ellsworth under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), arising from alleged negligent diabetes treatment Mr. Ellsworth received at VA facilities between 2016 and … More November 18-20, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Barksdale, Willett, Duncan) (oral argument withdrawn), Willett, J., concurring (joined by Duncan, J.); criminal, Second Amendment Affirming conviction of possession of a firearm by a felon, rejecting Second Amendment and Commerce Clause challenges as foreclosed by Circuit precedent. Initially designated as an unpublished opinion, then changed to designate as being … More November 14, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Dennis, Southwick, Engelhardt) (oral argument), Dennis, J., dissenting in part; First Amendment, sovereign immunity, standing Vacating injunction entered on First Amendment pre-enforcement challenge brought by drag performer and organizations against Texas law regulating “sexually oriented performances on public property and in the presence of minors”; and remanding for further proceedings. … More November 6, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Engelhardt, J. (Wiener, Engelhardt, Oldham) (oral argument withdrawn), immigration Denying Guatemalan citizen’s petitions for review of BIA denials of his motion to reopen removal proceedings and motion to reconsider. The Fifth Circuit denied Oscar Rene Rosa Arevalo’s petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ denials of his motions to reopen … More November 5, 2025, opinions
Published decisions per curiam (Elrod, Jones, Higginson) (no oral argument), Higginson, J., dissenting; criminal, discovery, sealed records Granting unopposed motion for summary reversal of unexplained denial of joint unopposed motion for entry of modified protective order for production of criminal discovery records. Finding: “The dissent raises the concern that a reversal of the District Court’s … More October 23-24, 2025, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Jones, Duncan, Douglas) (no oral argument), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Clement, Southwick, Oldham) (no oral argument), civil Affirming judgment in favor of defendant, with no description of claims or appeal issues. per curiam (Richman, Willett, Douglas) (oral argument), Willett, J., dissenting in part; vaccine … More October 22, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Stewart, J. (Jones, Stewart, Ramirez) (oral argument), criminal, sufficiency of evidence, testimony, jury instruction Affirming conviction of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and making false entries in bank records. A federal jury convicted Ashton J. Ryan, Jr.—former President/CEO of First NBC Bank and Chair of its Board—of conspiracy to commit … More October 17, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Clement, Haynes) (no oral argument), Rooker-Feldman doctrine, personal tort, defamation Vacating Rooker-Feldman-based dismissal of plaintiff attorney’s defamation claims against defendant attorneys who had represented the plaintiff’s client’s employer in underlying Title IX claims brought by plaintiff’s client arising from alleged sexual assault and harassment of university students by university’s … More October 8, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Southwick, J. (Southwick, Oldham, Ramirez), Ramirez, J., dissenting in part; Oldham, J., dissenting; immigration, due process, Alien Enemies Act, habeas corpus On remand from U.S. Supreme Court’s grant of temporary restraining order halting deportation of petitioners under the Alien Enemies Act, granting preliminary injunction blocking removal of petitioners, leaving in place government’s … More September 1-3, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Willett, J. (Wiener, Willett, Ho), Ho, J., dissenting; criminal, search and seizure Affirming grant of motion to suppress evidence, begrudgingly. The exclusionary rule has long provoked controversy, with critics deriding it as a blunt judicial tool that frees the guilty when police make mistakes. The oft-quoted Cardozo line—“the criminal is to go … More August 29, 2025, opinions
