Fifth Circuit's Ho Addresses 'Audition Trap' After Litigant Emailed Judge About Senate Connections
In a concurrence, Judge Ho responds to emails referencing a U.S. Senator sent to a magistrate under consideration for a district court seat.
Archive
Federal Circuit Holds Impossible Patent Claims Can Be Definite, But Still Fail Enablement
The appeals court reversed an indefiniteness ruling, clarifying that scientific impossibility goes to enablement, not claim scope.
Fifth Circuit Clarifies FDCPA Originator Exclusion Requires Collecting Another's Debt
The appeals court found the district court misread the statute but affirmed dismissal because plaintiffs failed to plead that a parking tech company collected debts for anyone other than itself.
Sixth Circuit Revives First Amendment Suit Over Parking Citations Issued to Political Activist
Panel declines to extend Hartman and Nieves probable-cause rules to minor civil enforcement actions like parking tickets.
Ninth Circuit Grants Qualified Immunity to Hospital Officials Who Denied Nurse's Vaccine Exemption
A divided panel ruled that no clearly established law in 2021 gave a healthcare worker a Free Exercise right to a religious exemption from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Fifth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Stapler-Death Suit Over Missing Presuit Notice
The appeals court held that Texas's presuit notification requirement is an element of warranty claims, not a procedural formality that can be cured after filing.
D.C. Circuit Vacates Diversity Ruling After Judge Applied Corporate Test to LLC
Per curiam opinion holds that LLC citizenship traces to every member, not the place-of-formation rules that govern corporations.
Third Circuit Says Court That Found Case Unripe Had No Power to Rule on Fee Motion
A federal court that dismisses a case for lack of Article III jurisdiction cannot adjudicate a contract-based fee request and must dismiss it outright.
10th Circuit Revives Boilermakers' Pension Claims, Says Missing Deadline Notice Bars Defense
The appeals court ruled that plan administrators who fail to tell claimants how long they have to sue cannot later invoke that deadline against them.
Ninth Circuit Says Withdrawn Bankruptcy Appeals Are Final Under § 1291, Splits With Sister Circuits
A 2-1 panel ruled that a district court judgment on a withdrawn adversary proceeding can be immediately appealed even while core bankruptcy matters continue.
Ninth Circuit Refuses to Rehear Oak Flat Mining Case as Eleven Judges Say Court Got It Wrong
The denial clears the way for a copper mine to destroy a Western Apache sacred site, though separate writings call for Supreme Court review.
First Circuit Affirms Arbitration Award Adding Psychology PhD Students to Harvard Union
The court refused to vacate an award that placed graduate students in a bargaining unit without prior NLRB classification, calling arbitration awards 'nearly impervious to judicial oversight.'
Seventh Circuit Affirms Hospital's COVID Vaccine Firing, Maps Post-Groff Hardship Evidence
Split panel holds Cook County's CDC-grounded affidavits overcame pharmacist's religious challenge where she offered no evidence masking was a reasonable alternative.
Eleventh Circuit Revives Alabama Bail Class Action, Limits Schultz Ruling on Mid-Suit Policy Changes
A certified class saves challenges to Randolph County's prior bail practices from mootness despite mid-litigation policy swap.
Fourth Circuit Affirms Pre-Discovery Summary Judgment in Prisoner Shackling Case
Panel holds that requested video and witnesses could not alter outcome because alleged facts did not amount to constitutional violation.
Second Circuit Says Fraud Victims Can't Force Asset Turnover When Payment Schedule Lacks 'Due Immediately' Language
The appeals court ruled that a restitution payment schedule is both a floor and a ceiling unless the sentencing judge specifies full payment is due at once.
Eleventh Circuit Rules District Courts May Keep Some State Claims, Dismiss Others After Federal Claims Die
The panel joins three sister circuits in rejecting an all-or-nothing approach to supplemental jurisdiction while reviving a malicious-prosecution claim against Walmart.
Fifth Circuit Affirms $825,000 Sanction Over Withdrawal Motion Filed Two Days Before Depositions
Panel finds clear and convincing evidence that fund filed baseless claim, then tried to escape discovery while preserving claims for another forum.
Second Circuit Rules Hedge Fund Principals Owe Self-Employment Tax on $141.5 Million
Appeals court adopts functional test for 'limited partner' status, holding that founders who run the business cannot escape the 15.3% tax.
Fourth Circuit Rules Stingray Tracking Is a Search but Grants Officers Immunity
A federal appeals court holds for the first time that cell-site simulators require a warrant, then shields the detectives who used one without one.
Sixth Circuit Says Kentucky's Opioid Suit Against PBMs Belongs in Federal Court
The appeals court held that pharmacy benefit managers' integrated federal and commercial negotiations support removal under the federal officer statute.
Second Circuit Refuses to Rehear Challenge to Immigration Detention Ruling
In a 11-2 vote, the full appeals court declined to revisit its holding that noncitizens present in the U.S. for years cannot be detained without bond hearings.
Ninth Circuit Shields Officers Who Drew Guns on Man Wanted for Drug Charges
Panel finds no Fourth Amendment violation where officers kept firearms trained on suspected fugitive during felony arrest.
D.C. Circuit Says Alstom Can Sue Over Buy America Waiver, Then Rules Against It
The appeals court held the domestic train maker had standing to challenge a federal waiver for the $3 billion Brightline West project but found the agency's decision was lawful.
Supreme Court Revives Modified Voter-Verification System Weeks Before Midterms
A 6-3 stay order holds that IIRIRA's 'notwithstanding' clauses likely override the Privacy Act and Social Security Act to allow SSA data sharing with DHS.
Sixth Circuit Rules Kalshi's Sports Contracts Aren't Swaps, Reviving State Gambling Enforcement
The appeals court affirmed Ohio's denial of a preliminary injunction and vacated Tennessee's grant, holding that prediction market contracts are not protected from state gaming laws.
D.C. Circuit Upholds Pentagon Blacklist of AI Maker Anthropic Over Safety Guardrails
Anthropic's refusal to allow 'all lawful uses' of its Claude AI for the military qualifies as a supply chain risk, the court held.
Fourth Circuit Revives Prisoner’s Excessive-Force Suit Over Broken Arm, Chokehold Allegations
The court held that Patrick Nichols plausibly alleged excessive force at the pleading stage and that a pro se civil-rights complaint can identify an intended defendant in its body even when the officer is omitted from the caption.
Fifth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of First Amendment Challenge to Harris County Order Restricting Bail-Bond Data
The court held the order is a restriction on access to government information, not a prohibition on speech, and thus does not violate the First Amendment.
First Circuit Rejects Boston’s Tolling Bid in PBM Opioid-Nuisance Case
The panel held that Massachusetts fraudulent-concealment tolling did not save Boston’s public-nuisance claim against OptumRx and Express Scripts because public litigation, reports and other materials gave the city the means to investigate alleged PBM wrongdoing before the limitations period expired.
Fifth Circuit Applies Texas Law to Anadarko Indemnity Dispute With Alternative Env Solutions
The Fifth Circuit upheld the application of a Texas choice-of-law clause and most of a defense-and-indemnity ruling in Anadarko’s favor. It vacated the judgment to the extent it could require coverage for punitive or exemplary damages and remanded the treatment of fees from the underlying suit.
Fourth Circuit Finds Ruan-Based Plea Challenge Procedurally Defaulted
The court held that the legal basis for a physician’s claim under Ruan v. United States was reasonably available when he pleaded guilty, defeating cause for procedural default in his Section 2255 case.
Fourth Circuit Holds Hospital Not Joint Employer of CRNAs, Affirms Dismissal of Vaccine-Mandate Suits
Staffing-agency claims also fail due to unexhausted EEOC process, providing a roadmap for hospitals and vendors to defeat discrimination suits by contracted clinicians.
Eleventh Circuit Enforces Cayman Arbitration Clause for Seaman’s Core Maritime Claims
The court held that the New York Convention reaches a seaman’s employment agreement despite the FAA’s seaman exclusion, while limiting when nonsignatories can use equitable estoppel to compel a Jones Act claim.
Sixth Circuit Upholds Billboard Restrictions After Severing Unconstitutional Public-Service Exemption
The panel held that the Village of St. Bernard's remaining billboard rules survive intermediate scrutiny and are severable from the invalidated public-service sign carve-out, offering guidance on Ohio severance law.
Fourth Circuit Grants Rhino Energy Petition in Black Lung Operator Dispute
The Fourth Circuit held that 125 working days can establish a year of coal-mine employment and that the absence of a required coverage statement supports a presumption of financial capability. The court remanded for further action directing payment from the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.
Fourth Circuit Revives Illinois Union’s Bid to Seek Arbitration Stay in AFFF MDL
The court vacated an order that blocked Illinois Union from filing a stay motion in the Bouvet case, holding that MDL case-management rules cannot make an insurer’s FAA remedy contingent on lead counsel’s consent.
First Circuit Requires District Court to Decide Motion to Compel Arbitration, Vacates Administrative Closure
The panel held that the FAA's mandatory language does not permit a district court to avoid ruling on a motion to compel arbitration by administratively closing the case.
Fourth Circuit Revives Illinois Union’s Bid to Seek Arbitration Stay in AFFF MDL
Published ruling says an MDL court’s case-management procedures cannot condition an insurer’s statutory right to pursue a stay pending arbitration on lead counsel’s consent.
Sixth Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment on Michigan Fair and Just Treatment Claim
Panel says the district court should have declined supplemental jurisdiction over an unresolved Michigan constitutional issue after dismissing the federal claims.
Third Circuit Rules for Detective on Probable Cause, Cuts Officer's Punitive Award to $12,000
The panel affirmed in part, denied cross-appeals, and remanded after finding no due-process violation in the detective's charges and reducing a $250,000 punitive award against the officer to $12,000 based on the 4:1 ratio marker.
Eighth Circuit Upholds Iowa Trespass-Surveillance Law Against First Amendment Challenge
Court rejects as-applied challenge by activists who recorded on private property after being told to leave.
Ninth Circuit Revives San Bernardino Coverage Fight, Finds Aggregate Limit Ambiguous
Holding that the insurer's annual aggregate cap did not plainly apply to property damage, the panel reversed dismissal of the county's declaratory judgment claim and remanded for consideration of extrinsic evidence.
Eleventh Circuit Erases $8.2 Million Roy Moore Defamation Verdict Over Senate Majority PAC Ad
The court held that Roy Moore failed to offer clear and convincing evidence that Senate Majority PAC intended, or recklessly disregarded, the allegedly defamatory implication created by two frames in a campaign advertisement.
Fifth Circuit Vacates S.B. 4 Injunction, Rejects Advocacy Groups’ Standing
The Fifth Circuit held that advocacy organizations could not establish Article III injury by voluntarily redirecting legal-services resources in response to Texas’s immigration law, leaving the preemption question unresolved.
Sixth Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity, Rejects Deputy's Factual Account at Summary Judgment
The panel held disputed issues about whether a man with schizoaffective disorder posed a threat must go to the jury, and the officer could not relitigate facts on interlocutory appeal.
Fourth Circuit Sets Two-Year Limitations Period for West Virginia Section 1983 Claims
The panel revived Ashley Cooper’s federal malicious-prosecution claim by holding that West Virginia’s two-year personal-injury period governs Section 1983 actions, but affirmed dismissal of the City of Wheeling because the complaint did not allege a municipal policy or custom.
Third Circuit Says MPPAA Notice-Timeliness Challenge Was Not Waived by Failure to Arbitrate
The court affirmed judgment for RTI Restoration Technologies and Industrial Maintenance Industries, holding that a pension fund’s duty to issue a withdrawal-liability notice and demand “as soon as practicable” is an element of its claim that a court may decide without prior arbitration.
Seventh Circuit rejects First Amendment claim for access to Indiana executions
The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction sought by the Associated Press and other media plaintiffs challenging Indiana’s execution-witness policy.
Fourth Circuit Upholds Protective Order Barring Disclosure of Afghan Plaintiffs' Identities Under Strict Scrutiny
The en banc court ruled that a content-based prior restraint on defendants' speech survives the heavy presumption against its validity because it is narrowly tailored to the compelling national-security interest in protecting perceived foreign collaborators.
Ninth Circuit Affirms Seattle's Gig-Worker Deactivation Law, Rejects First Amendment Challenge
Panel holds that ordinance requiring platforms to disclose deactivation policies regulates nonexpressive conduct or, alternatively, commercial speech subject to lower scrutiny.
Fourth Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment for Skipping Pending Spoliation Sanctions Motion
The panel held that a district court abused its discretion by entering summary judgment for prison officials while a magistrate judge still had under advisement a sanctions motion over missing exculpatory video footage central to the inmate's claims.
Second Circuit Holds REMIC Trust Certificates Are ERISA Plan Assets, Affirms in Part and Remands
The panel ruled that notes issued under indentures are not equity interests, but regular-interest certificates representing beneficial interests trigger the look-through exception, subjecting underlying mortgages to fiduciary duties.
Ninth Circuit holds EPA must conduct ESA consultation before issuing nonbinding Clean Water Act recommendations
In a 2-1 decision, the panel ruled that Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act applies to the EPA's development of nationwide water-quality criteria under CWA Section 304(a), rejecting the agency's argument that such guidance is not 'agency action' and expanding standing for environmental plaintiffs.
En Banc Ninth Circuit Upholds Oxnard Campaign Contribution Caps, Applies Deferential Review to Anti-Corruption Interest
The full court affirmed municipal limits of $500 per individual for city council candidates, holding that the city met the low evidentiary bar for its anti-corruption interest and that the limits were closely drawn under Randall v. Sorrell.
Ninth Circuit Holds IDEA Claims for Failure to Assess Accrue When Parents Knew or Should Have Known of FAPE Denial; Later Diagnosis Does Not Restart Clock
Panel reverses $510,960 compensatory education award, adopting Third Circuit's interpretation of § 1415(f)(3)(C) and rejecting per se rule that a new diagnosis tolls the two-year deadline.
Second Circuit Says IRS May Assess Section 6038(b) Penalties Administratively
The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated a judgment in Safdieh v. Comm'r and remanded, holding that the Commissioner may assess penalties under Internal Revenue Code Section 6038(b).
Seventh Circuit: Egan's Security-Clearance Bar Is Not Jurisdictional
In affirming dismissal of a retaliation suit against DHS, the Seventh Circuit held that Department of the Navy v. Egan's limit on reviewing security-clearance decisions goes to the merits, not the court's power to hear the case—reshaping how defense counsel must plead the defense.
Ninth Circuit Vacates Insider-Trading Conviction, Rules Judges Can't Delegate Juror-Bias Inquiry to Jurors
In United States v. Bolandian, the court held a trial judge's duty to investigate a juror's expressed doubts about impartiality cannot be waived by defense counsel's silence or agreement, ordering a new trial.
Ninth Circuit Blocks California's Federal-Officer ID Mandate, Citing Supremacy Clause
A Ninth Circuit panel enjoined enforcement of the 'No Vigilantes Act' identification requirement against federal agencies, holding the United States is likely to prevail on its claim that the law directly regulates federal law enforcement operations.
Sixth Circuit: Out-of-State Firm's Wage Garnishment Reaches Debtor's New Home State
Reversing dismissal, the Sixth Circuit holds that an Oklahoma law firm's use of a default judgment to garnish a Michigan worker's wages establishes minimum contacts, reviving an FDCPA suit against the firm.
Second Circuit Revives Copyright Suit Over XXL's Republication of Viral Michael Jordan Video
The court held that republishing an entire viral clip and using recognizable screenshots can defeat fair-use and de minimis defenses at the pleading stage, though it affirmed dismissal of claims tied to a YouTube-embedded interview.
Third Circuit Denies Rehearing on EAJA Fees in Alien Habeas Cases, Deepening Circuit Split
Over the dissent of five judges, the full court leaves in place a panel ruling that the Equal Access to Justice Act waives sovereign immunity for attorney fees in habeas challenges to immigration detention, with dissenting judges warning the decision conflicts with circuit precedent and invites abuse.
Eleventh Circuit Vacates NEPA Injunction Against Everglades Detention Facility, Finding Florida—Not Washington—Built It
A divided panel rules that environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe failed to show federal control or a final agency action over a state-funded immigration detention site, and holds part of the injunction violated a statutory bar on restraining immigration enforcement.
Tenth Circuit Splits Colorado Ghost-Gun Case: Standing Advances on Possession and Purchase Bans, Manufacturing Claim Falls
A divided panel lets part of a Second Amendment challenge to Colorado's unserialized firearm-parts law move forward, rejecting the state's view that possession restrictions are merely conditions on commercial sales while narrowing which claims plaintiffs may bring.
Fourth Circuit: Late ERISA Appeal Decision Costs Insurer Its Deference
Affirming a disability benefits award against Reliance Standard, the court held that an untimely internal-appeal decision is not a valid exercise of fiduciary discretion—triggering de novo review even when the plan grants discretionary authority.
Tenth Circuit: IGRA Strips Tribal Immunity for Casino-Siting Suit, But RICO Claims Against Officials Split
In Comanche Nation v. Ware, the court holds that IGRA's abrogation clause reaches suits by any tribe, not just compact parties, while Ex parte Young does not open the door to official-capacity RICO claims absent an enforcement connection.
D.C. Circuit Affirms Injunction Barring ITC From Sanctioning Expert Witness Over Improperly Appointed ALJ's Protective Order
A unanimous panel held that economist J. Gregory Sidak's suit against the International Trade Commission was neither too early nor too late, upholding a permanent injunction against an investigation built on an order from an ALJ whose appointment was never ratified.
Justices Reaffirm Deferential Review of BIA Persecution Rulings, Siding With First Circuit
A unanimous Supreme Court holds that substantial-evidence review, not de novo review, governs whether undisputed facts amount to persecution under the INA, resolving a circuit split and reaffirming Elias-Zacarias.
SCOTUS Revives Parental-Notification Injunction Against California Schools, Vacates Ninth Circuit Stay
In a per curiam order, the Court found parents likely to prevail on free exercise and due process claims against policies that withhold student gender-transition information without child consent, drawing a sharp dissent over the emergency docket's use.
Sixth Circuit, Sitting En Banc, Reverses Class Certification Against State Farm Over Vehicle Valuation Adjustment
The court joins other circuits in holding that individualized vehicle-by-vehicle valuation questions predominate over common claims about State Farm's 'typical negotiation adjustment,' offering insurers a template for defeating Rule 23(b)(3) certification in actual-cash-value disputes.
Fourth Circuit Bars Contractual Shortening of Title VII, ADEA Deadlines, Joining Sixth Circuit
In Thomas v. EOTech, a panel held that onboarding-paperwork limitations clauses cannot cut short the time Congress gave employees to sue under federal antidiscrimination law, though a parallel state-law claim still fell to the same clause.
Supreme Court: NJ Transit Is Not an Arm of the State, Resolving Sovereign-Immunity Split
A unanimous ruling in Galette v. New Jersey Transit Corp. narrows the federal arm-of-the-state test to corporate form and formal liability for judgments, siding with New York over Pennsylvania and exposing quasi-public authorities with hundreds of millions in annual revenue to out-of-state suits.
Supreme Court Revives Bagram Bombing Suit, Rejects Blanket Battlefield-Preemption Shield for Contractors
The Court held that Boyle v. United Technologies does not immunize contractors from state tort claims when the military neither ordered nor authorized the challenged conduct, reversing the Fourth Circuit and reopening a wounded soldier's negligence suit against Fluor Corp.
1st Cir. Rejects Categorical Bar on Gang-Related Political Opinion Claims in Immigration Case
The First Circuit vacated the BIA's denial of asylum for a Honduran man, ruling that resistance to gangs can constitute a political opinion depending on the context.
D.C. Circuit Affirms Injunction Against ITC Probe of Expert Witness
Court rules ITC's investigation into Gregory Sidak for violating a protective order was based on an unconstitutionally appointed ALJ's action.
Fifth Circuit Revives Texas Councilwoman's Retaliatory Arrest Suit
A Fifth Circuit panel revived much of a former Godley, Texas, councilwoman's civil rights suit alleging city officials used a tampering charge to keep her from a key council vote.
Vanda FDA Appointment Suit Tossed After D.C. Circuit Petition
A D.C. federal judge said Vanda Pharmaceuticals must press its Appointments Clause fight over FDA's refusal of its tradipitant application in the court of appeals, not district court.
D.C. Circuit Revives Evidence Fight Over Prior Sex-Offense Conviction
The appeals court said a trial judge appeared to apply the wrong Rule 403 framework when excluding prior-conviction evidence in a child-exploitation prosecution.
D.C. Circ. Backs EPA Deadline Extensions For Steel Mill Air Rules
A D.C. Circuit panel said EPA reasonably explained why steel mills needed more time to meet hazardous-emissions standards and dismissed procedural challenges to an interim rule that was later replaced by a final rule.
Second Circuit Upholds 12-Year Fentanyl Sentence After Failed Flight
The panel said Jairo DeJesus was not entitled to acceptance-of-responsibility credit after trying to flee the country and later minimizing his culpability.
D.C. Circ. Lets DOD Enforce Pentagon Reporter Escort Rule
A divided D.C. Circuit stayed an order blocking the Pentagon's escort requirement for credentialed reporters, finding the government likely to prevail for now against a First Amendment retaliation challenge by The New York Times and reporter Julian Barnes.
Seventh Circuit Backs VA In Pharmacist’s Bias, Retaliation Suit
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the Department of Veterans Affairs, finding a fired pharmacist lacked evidence that medication-error discipline masked race bias or retaliation.
California AG Says Glenmark To Pay $29.6M In Generic Drug Price-Fixing Deal
Glenmark has agreed to a $29.6 million multistate settlement over allegations that it joined a long-running conspiracy to inflate prices and curb competition for generic prescription drugs.
Sixth Circuit Upholds Supervised-Release Search In Gun Case
A published Sixth Circuit panel said officers had reasonable suspicion to search a Michigan house tied to a supervised releasee, rejecting both suppression arguments and a constitutional attack on the federal felon-in-possession law.
State AGs Seek To Join Suit Over DoD Wind Project Review Freeze
California Attorney General Rob Bonta says a 19-attorney-general coalition wants to intervene in litigation challenging the U.S. Department of Defense's alleged freeze on land-based wind energy project reviews.
11th Circ. Backs IRS In $23M Easement Valuation Fight
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a Tax Court ruling that valued Savannah Shoals LLC's conservation easement at $480,000 and sustained a gross valuation misstatement penalty.
Ninth Circuit Won't Rehear California Switchblade Ban Fight
The Ninth Circuit declined to revisit a Second Amendment challenge to California's switchblade regulations, leaving intact a panel ruling that rejected a facial attack on the law.
High Court Revives Counselor's Challenge To Colo. Conversion-Therapy Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court said Colorado's law regulating conversion therapy for minors likely targets protected speech when applied to a licensed counselor's talk therapy.
Supreme Court Reverses D.C. Court In Police Stop Case
The justices said a D.C. appeals court improperly parsed the facts of an early-morning car stop rather than considering the full circumstances supporting reasonable suspicion.
Ninth Circuit Says Nevada Habeas Appeal Moot After New Plea
A Ninth Circuit panel dismissed Nevada's appeal from an order vacating Lamar Brown's felony conviction, saying the state could not unwind a later misdemeanor plea deal it had already secured.
California Threatens Suit Over DOI Offshore Wind Lease Buyout
California's attorney general says a federal agreement to pay an Invenergy subsidiary to abandon a Central Coast offshore wind lease violates federal offshore leasing law.
D.C. Federal Judge Tosses Inmate’s FSA Credit Release Bid
Judge Randolph D. Moss said Brian Edward Moore appeared to have already received the release-related relief he sought and had previously lost on similar arguments.
Second Circuit Keeps Swiss AT1 Bondholder Suit Out Of US Court
The Second Circuit held that Switzerland's role in the UBS-Credit Suisse rescue was not commercial activity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, affirming dismissal of bondholders' claims over a $17.3 billion AT1 write-down.
Bozzuto Tenants Win Damages Classes In DC Utility Fee Suit
A D.C. federal judge certified two damages classes in a renter's suit accusing Bozzuto Management Company of failing to disclose utility fees and overcharging tenants for water and sewer service.
Ninth Circuit Vacates Murder-For-Hire Solicitation Counts
A published Ninth Circuit panel held that murder-for-hire resulting in death is not categorically a crime of violence under the federal solicitation statute, requiring two convictions against James Terry Henrikson to be vacated.
Ninth Circuit Revives FCA Suit Over Mortgage Lender's PPP Loan
A published panel ruling says a public PPP database and a company website did not, on this record, bar a qui tam suit accusing CalCon of misrepresenting its loan eligibility.
Glenmark Reaches $29.6M Generic-Drug Price Deal With States
Oregon's attorney general said Glenmark will pay into a multistate generic-drug antitrust settlement, cooperate against remaining defendants and adopt competition compliance reforms.
Eighth Circuit Upholds Child Pornography Sentence Enhancement
A published panel said a distribution enhancement did not double count conduct already captured by the federal child pornography guideline.
Eighth Circuit Vacates Campsite-Lease Injunction In Speech-Retaliation Fight
The panel said likely success on a First Amendment retaliation claim did not eliminate the need to separately show irreparable harm.
Federal Circuit Revives Part Of Contractor's IRS Refund Suit
The Federal Circuit let Dougherty Electric pursue one tax refund theory over IRS fraud penalties and interest, while rejecting a separate supervisor-approval theory as untimely.
WMATA Beats Ex-Worker's Firing Suit Over Gun Report
A D.C. federal judge dismissed a former WMATA employee's wrongful termination claim, finding the transit agency was not immune from the suit but that the worker did not fit D.C.'s narrow public-policy exception for at-will employees.
Seventh Circuit Upholds SBA's $20M PPP Group Cap
The panel said the SBA acted within its emergency authority when it treated commonly controlled nursing homes as one corporate group for Paycheck Protection Program limits.
Seventh Circuit Backs SBA's PPP Cap For Nursing Home Group
The panel said the SBA could apply a $20 million corporate-group limit to commonly controlled nursing homes seeking Paycheck Protection Program forgiveness.
Seventh Circuit Backs SBA's PPP Cap For Nursing Home Group
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the Small Business Administration's use of a $20 million corporate-group cap to limit loan forgiveness for commonly controlled nursing homes that received pandemic-era PPP funds.
Tenth Circuit Upholds Firearm Sentence Despite Guidelines Error
The panel said a defendant challenging a firearm-related sentencing enhancement showed error over a marijuana-possession predicate, but not the kind of plain error needed to undo his 77-month sentence.
Washington To Get $547K In 23andMe Data Breach Deal
A 42-state coalition reached an $18 million settlement with 23andMe’s bankruptcy trustee over allegations tied to the genetic-testing company’s 2023 data breach, according to Washington’s attorney general.
Oil Group Can Defend Gulf ESA Exemption In NRDC Suit
A D.C. federal judge allowed the American Petroleum Institute to intervene in NRDC's challenge to a national-security-based endangered species exemption for Gulf oil and gas operations.
FTC Says Caremark Agrees To Settle Insulin PBM Case
The Federal Trade Commission said Caremark Rx and Zinc Health Services agreed to a proposed settlement requiring changes to pharmacy benefit manager practices tied to insulin rebates, pharmacy hubs and patient drug costs.
NY AG Charges Long Island Trainer With Disability Benefits Fraud
New York Attorney General Letitia James said a Suffolk County man collected more than $100,000 in Social Security disability benefits while posting weightlifting videos and advertising personal training work.
23andMe Reaches $18M State AG Deal Over Genetic Data Breach
New York Attorney General Letitia James said a bipartisan multistate coalition secured payments and new data-security requirements after a breach affecting millions of 23andMe customers.
D.C. Magistrate Backs $57.9K Fee Award In Wage Suit
A former Clean the World Foundation employee should receive about half of the fees and costs he sought after only partially prevailing in his D.C. wage case, a magistrate judge recommended.
NY AG Puts $250K In Settlement Funds Toward Lead-Safety Training
The New York attorney general said funds from 2021 lead-paint enforcement settlements will support free certification and rights training for more than 700 construction workers.
D.C. Federal Judge Keeps Drug Defendant Out Of Jail, Adds Home Detention
A D.C. federal judge refused to detain Ken Chiaen Chanlee before trial in a drug-trafficking case, finding release conditions could address prosecutors’ flight and safety concerns.
Supreme Court Rejects Automatic Tolling For Absconding Supervisees
The justices reversed the Ninth Circuit and held that federal supervised release does not automatically extend when a defendant absconds.
First Circuit Backs CDC's 6-Month Age Rule For Imported Dogs
The panel said the dog-import rule fits the CDC's inspection authority and was rationally tied to preventing rabies and vaccination-document fraud.
D.C. Federal Judge Tosses Pro Se 'Defense' Equipment Suit
A District of Columbia federal judge granted a pro se plaintiff pauper status but dismissed his complaint without prejudice, finding its allegations too frivolous to support jurisdiction.
FTC Reaches $12M HSR Penalty Deal With Edwards, Genesis
The Federal Trade Commission says the proposed settlement is the largest penalty ever for failing to make a required Hart-Scott-Rodino Act filing.
States Sue To Block $110B Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal
Oregon and 11 other states say Paramount Skydance's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery would unlawfully shrink competition in movie distribution and basic cable programming.
NY, States Sue Education Department Over Mental Health Grant Cuts
New York Attorney General Letitia James and 14 other attorneys general say the U.S. Department of Education is trying to sidestep an earlier injunction by terminating school mental health grants under a new label.
10th Circ. Revives Gay Walmart Worker’s Hostile Workplace Claim
The Tenth Circuit said a former Walmart employee presented enough evidence for a jury to hear his hostile-work-environment claim, while affirming the dismissal of his other discrimination-related theories.
Eighth Circuit Upholds Iowa Drug Stop, Rejects Suppression Bid
The Eighth Circuit said officers lawfully stopped and searched Robert Lee Drayton Jr.'s car during a Cedar Rapids drug investigation, affirming the denial of his motion to suppress evidence tied to drug and firearm charges.
Eighth Circuit Upholds Drug-User Gun Case After Bruen Remand
The panel said prosecutors needed only a preponderance showing that Keshon Baxter’s firearm possession fit a historical analogue, while a concurrence warned the circuit’s Section 922(g)(3) cases are drifting.
DC Judge Tosses Pro Se Suit Over Illinois Custody Dispute
A D.C. federal court dismissed a grandmother's pro se complaint tied to an Illinois child custody matter, saying the dispute belonged in state court.
D.C. Federal Judge Tosses Visa Delay Suit Over Mexico Processing
A District of Columbia federal judge dismissed a family's bid to force action on employment-based immigrant visa applications, finding the alleged delay did not state an unreasonable-delay claim under D.C. Circuit precedent.
D.C. Judge Sends Student's IDEA Remedy Dispute Back To Hearing Officer
A District of Columbia federal judge adopted a magistrate judge's recommendation and ordered a hearing officer to further explain parts of an IDEA decision involving extended school year services and compensatory education.
Fourth Circuit Upholds 15-Year Sentence In Gun, Witness-Tampering Case
A published Fourth Circuit panel said a West Virginia marijuana-manufacturing conviction could count as a controlled substance offense under the sentencing guidelines despite the court's earlier Campbell ruling.
Fourth Circuit Keeps DMARC Injunction In Place After Abitron
A published Fourth Circuit panel said Abitron changed the Lanham Act analysis but did not spare a Dutch software company from a preliminary injunction in a cross-border trademark and trade secrets fight.
Fourth Circuit Keeps Dmarcian IP Injunction Alive After Abitron
A Fourth Circuit panel said the Supreme Court's Abitron trademark ruling did not undo an injunction against Dutch company DMARC Advisor because the record showed conduct directed at U.S. customers, not just overseas activity with domestic effects.
5th Circ. Says Mississippi Expungement Still Counts At Federal Sentencing
The panel affirmed a 15-year methamphetamine sentence, holding that the state-law label on an expungement does not decide whether a prior conviction counts under the federal Sentencing Guidelines.
D.C. Judge Lets FTC’s Texas Case Against WPATH Proceed
A D.C. federal judge denied WPATH’s emergency bid to block the FTC from pursuing a separate enforcement suit in Texas, saying the group had not shown a threat to the court’s prior injunction or irreparable harm.
Strike 3 Gets Early Verizon Subpoena In D.C. Piracy Suit
A D.C. federal magistrate judge said the adult-film copyright plaintiff may seek identifying information for a John Doe internet subscriber tied to alleged BitTorrent infringement.
DC Judge Trims FAA Work Bias Suit, Rejects Reconsideration Bids
A D.C. federal judge denied a former FAA engineer's attempts to revive previously dismissed claims while granting in part and denying in part the government's latest bid to end his pro se employment suit.
SBA Beats Ex-Worker's Shutdown Overtime Suit
A D.C. federal judge granted the SBA administrator summary judgment in a former employee's FLSA suit over a small overtime dispute tied to the 2018 government shutdown.
Eighth Circuit Says First Step Act Sentencing Changes Do Not Support Compassionate Release
The panel affirmed denials for two defendants seeking sentence cuts based on nonretroactive Section 924(c) amendments, applying the Supreme Court's new Rutherford ruling.
Second Circuit Revives Former Home Care Workers' State Wage Claims
The panel said 1199 SEIU and home healthcare employers could not use a 2015 arbitration agreement to bind workers who had already left their jobs without consent.
2nd Circ. Revives Ex-Home Care Workers' Wage Suits
The Second Circuit said former 1199 SEIU-represented home healthcare workers who left before a 2015 arbitration agreement are not bound by wage-and-hour arbitration awards confirmed in federal court.
Supreme Court Sends Evidence Rule 801 Amendment To Congress
The justices adopted an amendment to the federal hearsay rule that is slated to take effect Dec. 1, 2026, absent congressional action.
Justices Seek SG Views In Drug, Defense Cases, Send 3 Matters Back
The U.S. Supreme Court asked the solicitor general to weigh in on two pending petitions and sent three cases back to federal appeals courts in a wide-ranging order list.
Jackson Faults High Court Filing Bar For Indigent Prisoner
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from a Supreme Court order barring an Indiana prisoner from future noncriminal in forma pauperis petitions, warning that the court's frequent-filer sanction is being applied too broadly to incarcerated litigants.
Fifth Circuit Keeps Texas Tuition Consent Judgment In Place
The panel said would-be intervenors could not plausibly defend Texas provisions giving in-state tuition access to students not lawfully present when out-of-state U.S. citizens did not receive the same benefit.
Justices Reverse 4th Circ. In AEDPA Brady Habeas Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court said the Fourth Circuit failed to give proper AEDPA deference to a Maryland appellate ruling that rejected a convicted man's Brady materiality claim.
Justices Dissent As High Court Skips Prisoner Fee-Splitting Fight
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the court should have taken up whether indigent prisoners suing together must each pay a full federal filing fee.
Fifth Circuit Tosses Helipad Nuisance Appeal As Premature
The Fifth Circuit said neighbors challenging a New Orleans hospital’s relocated helipad must wait for final judgment before appealing a ruling that blocked their requested permanent injunction.
Fifth Circuit Keeps Dissolved LLC’s Trade Secrets Suit Dead
The Fifth Circuit said a Louisiana LLC that dissolved before suing Vendera and BOKF lacked capacity to bring its trade secrets and contract claims, but sent a sealing order back for a public-access analysis.
Gorsuch Flags Jury-Rights Issue In Supervised Release Case
The justice dissented from the Supreme Court's refusal to hear a case asking when supervised-release violations can add prison time beyond the statutory maximum for the original crime.
Justices Deny Louisiana Brady Case Despite Sotomayor Dissent
Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justice Jackson, said the Supreme Court should have taken up James Skinner's case because his codefendant won relief over overlapping Brady evidence.
D.C. Federal Judge Trims Emotional-Distress Claim From WMATA Bus Crash Suit
Judge Richard J. Leon said the plaintiffs did not oppose WMATA's partial dismissal bid and had not pleaded serious, verifiable emotional distress.
Justices Send Grande Copyright Fight Back To 5th Circ.
The Supreme Court ordered the Fifth Circuit to reconsider Grande Communications' dispute with UMG Recordings in light of the justices' Cox Communications ruling, while also issuing several other grant-vacate-remand orders.
High Court Revives D.C. Juvenile Case In Police Stop Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court said a D.C. appellate court wrongly parsed reasonable suspicion factor by factor when it tossed a juvenile adjudication tied to a late-night vehicle stop.
Justices Take Up DOL Power To Order H-2A Worker Remedies
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review whether the Department of Labor can adjudicate monetary-remedy proceedings against employers accused of violating employment terms for H-2A and corresponding domestic workers.
D.C. Judge Lets USDA Job Applicant's Race, Sex Bias Suit Proceed
A federal judge said Paul Bishop's latest Title VII complaint cleared the low pleading bar after he alleged the Agriculture Department deemed him qualified but chose a white female candidate instead.
Sotomayor Flags DOJ Error After High Court Denies Sentencing Case
The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari after Michael Lairy received relief from a prison term Justice Sonia Sotomayor said exceeded the lawful maximum by five years.
Eighth Circuit Affirms Omaha Drug, Gun Convictions Despite Evidence Concerns
The panel upheld convictions and sentences for three defendants while a concurrence warned that a phone-extraction PowerPoint and gang testimony pushed evidentiary limits.
Justices Fault 11th Circ. For Using Later DNA Evidence In Death Row Habeas Case
The U.S. Supreme Court vacated an Eleventh Circuit decision against Florida death row prisoner Gary Whitton, saying the appeals court relied on DNA evidence the trial jury never heard when assessing the effect of allegedly false informant testimony.
Sotomayor Flags Batson Prejudice Split In Cert Denial
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Mississippi's rule for proving prejudice from counsel's mishandling of a Batson challenge is likely wrong, but the case was not a proper vehicle for review.
Alito Dissents As Justices Pass On School Speech, Capital Cases
The Supreme Court declined to hear two disputes that Justice Samuel Alito said warranted review, including a student-speech fight over anti-abortion club flyers and an Alabama capital case involving a prosecutor's closing argument.
Seventh Circuit Backs Elgin Officers In Standoff Force Suit
The Seventh Circuit held that an Illinois man shot with nonlethal police rounds during a standoff failed to identify clearly established law defeating qualified immunity.
Gorsuch Urges High Court To Revisit Civil Jury Rights
Justice Neil Gorsuch said the Supreme Court should soon reconsider a century-old precedent holding that the Seventh Amendment civil jury trial right does not bind the states.
Supreme Court Grants Cert In 3 Cases, Defers Mootness Fight
The justices added three cases to their merits docket while putting off a mootness request in Little v. Hecox until oral argument.
Gorsuch, Thomas Dissent As Justices Decline Tribal Power Case
The U.S. Supreme Court denied review in a case asking it to reconsider United States v. Kagama, drawing a dissent from Justice Neil Gorsuch that attacked federal Indian-law plenary power doctrine.
Justices Split Over High Court's Refusal To Review New Orleans Jail Order
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to a New Orleans jail-construction order, prompting a dissent that said lower courts misapplied the Prison Litigation Reform Act.
Supreme Court Says State Emergency Immunity Can't Bar Federal Claims
The justices reversed a Louisiana appellate ruling that applied a state public-health emergency immunity statute to defeat federal claims against a physical therapy provider.
Justices Take Up Mississippi Jury-Strikes Waiver Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review whether the Mississippi Supreme Court unreasonably found that a petitioner waived his chance to rebut prosecutors’ race-neutral explanations for peremptory strikes against four Black jurors.
Justices Grant Review In Cisco, FCC And Other Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in several matters, including a Cisco case limited to two questions and consolidated FCC-related petitions set for one hour of argument.
Supreme Court Grants Review In Monsanto FIFRA Case, 3 Others
The justices agreed to hear four cases, including a Monsanto dispute over whether federal pesticide law preempts a label-based failure-to-warn claim when EPA has not required the warning.
Justice Alito Temporarily Pauses Fifth Circuit Order In GenBioPro Case
The administrative stay remains in place until May 11 while a response to GenBioPro's application is due May 7.
Alito Temporarily Freezes 5th Circ. Order In Danco Dispute
Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay of a Fifth Circuit order while the Supreme Court awaits a response to Danco Laboratories' application.
Justices Reject Recall Bid, Tap Amicus In Sentencing Case
The U.S. Supreme Court denied a recall motion in two pending Callais matters and appointed a Washington lawyer to argue a sentencing-guidelines deference issue in Beaird v. United States.
Roberts Pauses D.C. Circuit Mandate In Herridge Case
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. stayed a D.C. Circuit mandate involving Catherine Herridge while the Supreme Court considers a stay application.
4th Circ. Revives Muslim Prisoner's Ramadan Diet Claim
A Fourth Circuit panel said a Virginia prisoner's Free Exercise damages claim must return to district court for a Turner analysis after officials denied him a diet that met both his Ramadan fasting and kosher-supervision beliefs.
4th Circ. Reopens Challenge To SC Race Curriculum Proviso
A published Fourth Circuit panel revived key parts of a challenge to South Carolina's race-related curriculum budget proviso, sending standing questions and an author's book-removal claim back to the district court.
7th Circ. Backs Use Of Defendant-Produced WhatsApp Chats
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a wire fraud and money laundering conviction, holding that using a defendant’s own discovery production as one circumstance to authenticate incriminating messages did not violate his right to testify.
Seventh Circuit Lets Illinois Fraud Case Survive Texas Plea Deal
The panel said a Southern District of Texas plea agreement did not block a later Central District of Illinois wire fraud conspiracy prosecution.
7th Circ. Keeps Immigration Review Petitions Alive After Riley
The Seventh Circuit rejected the government’s bid to dismiss two noncitizens’ petitions as untimely, holding they can invoke equitable tolling after the U.S. Supreme Court reset the filing clock for withholding-only proceedings.
Seventh Circuit Says Texas Plea Deal Did Not Bar Illinois Fraud Case
A Seventh Circuit panel held that a Southern District of Texas plea agreement with Babajide Adefusi bound only that U.S. Attorney's Office, leaving federal prosecutors in Illinois free to pursue a later wire fraud conspiracy case.
Seventh Circuit Revives Cocaine Defendant's Pretext Challenge To Truck Stop
The panel said an Illinois trooper's motives could matter when a commercial-trucking inspection is used to justify a warrantless stop.
Seventh Circuit Revives Educator's First Amendment Belief-Retaliation Claim
The panel affirmed the defeat of Becky Spengler's Title VII and equal protection claims but said her public-employee compelled-belief theory was sufficiently pleaded.
Justices Set 80 Minutes For Argument In Trump Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court partly granted a request for divided argument and expanded time while denying an amici bid to take part.
Supreme Court Seeks Briefing In Trump-Illinois Emergency Fight
The justices asked the parties to address how a disputed statutory phrase affects 10 U.S.C. § 12406(3) before acting on a stay request.
Sotomayor Halts 2nd Circ. Mandate In Marcos Creditors Dispute
Justice Sonia Sotomayor recalled and stayed a Second Circuit mandate while the Supreme Court considers an application from a class representative for judgment creditors of the Ferdinand Marcos estate.
DOJ Antitrust Official Backs Strong Patent Remedies In IP Speech
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay said patents, including standard-essential patents, should not be treated as automatic market-power proof and defended injunction access for patent owners.
Justice Jackson Temporarily Pauses SNAP Funding Orders
The emergency order gives the First Circuit time to rule on the government’s bid to stay Rhode Island federal court directives requiring full November SNAP funding.
Ninth Circuit Says Ex-Netflix Worker Must Arbitrate Harassment Suit
A published panel held that the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act did not reach claims and a workplace dispute that arose before the statute took effect.
Sotomayor Lifts Stay In Marcos Judgment Creditors Funds Fight
Justice Sonia Sotomayor denied a stay request after the government said disputed funds would remain in the United States while any certiorari petition is pending.
FTC, States Reach Deere Right-To-Repair Antitrust Deal
The proposed settlement would require Deere to give farmers and independent repair providers access to repair tools and software capabilities it provides to authorized dealers.
Eighth Circuit Upholds Continental Resources Fee Awards In North Dakota Landowner Fight
The panel affirmed more than $793,000 in attorneys' fees for surface landowners, while a concurrence said the district court's lodestar analysis erred but did not warrant reversal.
D.C. Judge Pauses Beberman Grievance Case For Transfer Fight
A D.C. federal judge stayed Julie Beberman's case while a related Virgin Islands action over Foreign Service grievance proceedings may be transferred to Washington.
Oregon AG Seeks Records, 60-Day Pause In Paramount-WBD Deal
Oregon's attorney general says Paramount Skydance has not complied with a state records request tied to review of its proposed Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition.
Supreme Court Denies Government Stay Bid In Immigration Judges Fight
The justices said the government had not yet shown irreparable harm, but left room for a renewed request if discovery begins before a forthcoming certiorari petition is resolved.
Alito Pauses Third Circuit Orders In Post-Gazette NLRB Fight
Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay of two Third Circuit orders while the Supreme Court awaits a response to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's application.
D.C. Circuit Keeps Trump Name Off Kennedy Center During Appeal
A D.C. Circuit panel refused to pause an order requiring President Donald Trump's name to be removed from Kennedy Center signage, website references and related trademark applications, finding no showing of irreparable harm.
Gorsuch Says High Court Should Revisit Civil Jury Right Against States
The Supreme Court denied review in a Humboldt County case, but Justice Gorsuch said the justices should soon reconsider precedent refusing to apply the Seventh Amendment civil jury right to the states.
Supreme Court Denies Stay In Alabama Nitrogen Execution Fight
The justices declined to stop Anthony Boyd's execution by nitrogen hypoxia, over a three-justice dissent saying the method risks minutes of conscious suffocation.
Gorsuch, Thomas Dissent As High Court Leaves Tribal Power Precedent Intact
The justices declined to revisit United States v. Kagama, drawing a dissent that said the precedent's theory of federal plenary power over tribal affairs lacks a constitutional foundation.
Supreme Court Lets Texas Use New Congressional Map In 2026
The justices stayed a lower-court order blocking Texas’ mid-decade redistricting plan, splitting over whether the state’s new map reflected partisan line-drawing or unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.
Supreme Court Lets Texas Use New House Map For 2026
The justices stayed a lower-court injunction blocking Texas' congressional redistricting plan, saying the state was likely to show serious errors in the racial-gerrymandering ruling.
Sotomayor Says Judges May Define Reasonable Doubt
The justice concurred in denying certiorari but said a district court was wrong to think federal judges are barred from explaining the criminal burden of proof.
Supreme Court Revives Bost Challenge To Illinois Mail-Ballot Rule
The justices held that candidates have standing to challenge vote-counting rules in their own elections, sending Rep. Michael Bost's challenge to Illinois' post-election mail-ballot receipt deadline back to the lower courts.
Supreme Court Limits Dual Firearm Convictions In Fatal Crime Cases
The justices said one act that violates both 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) and § 924(j) can support only one conviction absent clear congressional authorization.
Justices Put Reasonable-Time Limit On Void-Judgment Motions
The Supreme Court held that Rule 60's reasonable-time deadline applies even when a litigant argues a judgment is void.
D.C. Federal Judge Tosses Prisoner's 500-Claim Rights Suit
A Washington, D.C., federal judge dismissed a pro se prisoner's sprawling civil rights case against the U.S. government, finding some allegations too insubstantial for federal jurisdiction and the rest too incoherent to proceed.
D.C. Judge Lets Ex-BAC Worker's Race Bias Claim Expand
A former union employee may add a Section 1981 race-discrimination claim over a COVID-19 vaccine policy rollout, but a D.C. federal judge rejected her bid to add several other theories.
Bricklayers Union Worker Can Add Race Bias Claim In Vaccine Policy Suit
A D.C. federal judge let a former International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers employee expand his race discrimination case over his firing under a COVID-19 vaccine policy, but refused to revive or add several other employment, tort and labor-law claims.
Justices Say MVRA Restitution Is Criminal Punishment
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously revived an ex post facto challenge to a federal restitution order, holding that Mandatory Victims Restitution Act restitution counts as criminal punishment.
Supreme Court Reverses Fourth Circuit In Brady Habeas Fight
The justices said AEDPA required deference to a Maryland court's finding that an undisclosed forensic report was not material to Charles Brandon Martin's conviction.
Supreme Court Stays NY Redistricting Order In Staten Island Seat Fight
The justices paused a New York trial-court order requiring a new congressional district while state appeals proceed, drawing sharp disagreement over race, jurisdiction and election timing.
Justices Let Street Preacher Pursue Brandon Speech Suit
The U.S. Supreme Court said Heck v. Humphrey does not bar a Section 1983 suit seeking only prospective relief from future enforcement of a city ordinance.
Justices Restore Vermont Officer’s Immunity In Protest Arrest Force Suit
The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Second Circuit and held a Vermont police sergeant was entitled to qualified immunity in a Fourth Amendment suit over his use of a rear wristlock during a state capitol sit-in.
High Court Won't Revisit Reed DNA Testing Fight
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented from the Supreme Court's refusal to take up Rodney Reed's latest bid for DNA testing in his Texas death-penalty case.
Supreme Court Reverses $1B Cox Copyright Loss
The justices said an internet provider is not contributorily liable for users' infringement merely because it kept providing service after receiving infringement notices.
Sotomayor Says High Court Should Have Taken Louisiana Brady Case
Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justice Jackson, said the Supreme Court should have reviewed James Skinner's bid for the same Brady relief his codefendant previously won.
First Circuit Upholds Freenet Child-Porn Search
The panel said a Massachusetts defendant had no reasonable expectation of privacy in Freenet Opennet requests that law enforcement received and logged through a peer-to-peer monitoring tool.
High Court Lets Chevron Keep Louisiana Coastal Suit In Federal Court
The justices said Chevron plausibly tied challenged World War II crude-oil production to federal aviation-gasoline refining duties, vacating a Fifth Circuit remand ruling.
High Court Reverses D.C. Ruling On Police Stop Suspicion
The justices said a D.C. officer had reasonable suspicion to stop a juvenile driver after a late-night suspicious-vehicle call, two passengers fled and the car began backing out with a door open.
First Circuit Backs DEA In Ex-Worker's Retaliation Fight
The panel said a former DEA employee failed to show that her firing for insubordination and alleged lack of candor was a pretext for retaliation.
Sixth Circuit Faults Anders Brief In Gun Appeal
The panel told defense counsel to explain why Joseph Harris’ guilty plea, appeal waiver and potential appellate issues leave no arguable basis for relief before it rules on withdrawal.
Ninth Circuit Keeps Drug-Trafficking Bar After Loper Bright
The panel said a Gambian man's methamphetamine conviction remained a particularly serious crime that barred withholding of removal despite his challenge to Chevron-era precedent.
3rd Circ. Revives Pitt Cardiologist's Defamation Suit Over Retracted Article
A Third Circuit panel said Dr. Norman Wang can press key defamation and retaliation claims over the fallout from his article criticizing race-conscious policies in medical training.
Sotomayor Says Hague Review Split Merits High Court Attention Despite Cert Denial
The justice said the standard for reviewing whether a child is well settled under the Hague Convention has divided federal appeals courts, but changed circumstances made the case a poor vehicle for review.
High Court Says Enbridge Removed Line 5 Suit Too Late
The Supreme Court held that the 30-day deadline for removing civil cases to federal court cannot be equitably tolled, sending Michigan's Line 5 lawsuit against Enbridge back to state court.
FTC Sets Workshop On Late Merger Remedy Proposals
The Federal Trade Commission will host a May 20 workshop on litigate-the-fix merger remedy proposals, with FTC and DOJ officials among the expected participants.
FTC Orders Divestiture In 365 Retail's $848M Cantaloupe Deal
The FTC said 365 Retail must sell Cantaloupe's Three Square Market business to Seaga to resolve concerns that the micromarket kiosk deal would raise prices and weaken interoperability competition.
Eighth Circuit Upholds SD Man's Kidnapping, Assault Convictions
The panel said evidence of force, fear and corroborating injuries supported the jury's verdict against Ellery Zephier Sr.
8th Circ. Keeps Exonerated Missouri Man's Police, Prosecutor Suit Alive
The Eighth Circuit said two Kansas City detectives and a prosecutor must face claims tied to an overturned murder conviction that kept Keith Carnes imprisoned for 18 years.
DOJ, FTC Urge States To Probe Gas Price Antitrust Violations
Federal antitrust enforcers called on state attorneys general to pursue potential petroleum-market collusion, retail price manipulation and consumer protection violations tied to high gas prices.
Justices Let Truck Crash Suit Against Freight Broker Proceed
The U.S. Supreme Court said the FAAAA's motor-vehicle safety exception saves a negligent-hiring claim against C.H. Robinson from federal preemption.
D.C. Circuit Upholds Club Owners' Tax Bribery Convictions
The D.C. Circuit affirmed convictions and prison terms for two men tied to a scheme that used cash bribes to slash D.C. business tax bills, finding any flaw in the bribery instructions harmless.
D.C. Circ. Trims IAM Pension Fund Win In M&K Truck Centers Fight
The D.C. Circuit partly reversed a $13 million pension-liability judgment, finding one delinquent-contribution theory was not properly pleaded and sending disputed personal-liability issues back for further proceedings.
FTC, DOJ Extend Comment Window On Competitor Collaboration Guidance
The antitrust agencies gave stakeholders until May 21 to weigh in on potential updates to guidance for collaborations among competitors.
Supreme Court Pauses 5th Circ. Mifepristone Order
The U.S. Supreme Court stayed a Fifth Circuit order that had suspended 2023 FDA mifepristone dispensing changes, drawing dissents from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito over emergency relief for the drug's manufacturers.
Seventh Circuit Upholds 27-Year Meth Sentence
The panel said an Illinois federal judge properly treated Malaia Turner as a leader in a methamphetamine conspiracy and found no reversible error in the drug-quantity calculations used at sentencing.
FTC Chairman Launches Healthcare Enforcement Task Force
The new FTC group will coordinate healthcare enforcement and advocacy across the agency's competition, consumer protection, economics, policy and technology arms.
DOJ Says Willow Bridge Deal Targets Rental Pricing Algorithms
The U.S. Department of Justice said a proposed consent decree would bar Willow Bridge from using certain competitor-data-driven pricing algorithms and from sharing competitively sensitive rental information with rivals.
Sotomayor Notes DOJ Error After Inmate Freed From Excess Sentence
The justice concurred in denying certiorari after the government said it had mistakenly fought Michael Lairy's challenge to a prison term five years above the statutory maximum.
Seventh Circuit Upholds Gun Conviction After Dog-Sniff Car Search
The panel said a Decatur, Illinois, traffic stop was valid, the dog sniff did not unlawfully prolong it, and the evidence was enough to show constructive possession.
FTC Finalizes Rollins Noncompete Order Covering 18,000 Workers
The agency said the pest-control company must stop enforcing noncompete agreements and notify current and former workers they can compete.
FTC, DOJ Seek Input On Competitor Collaboration Guidance
The antitrust agencies are weighing updated guidance after the 2000 competitor collaboration guidelines were withdrawn in late 2024.
Justices Revive Havana Docks' Helms-Burton Suits Against Cruise Lines
The Supreme Court said cruise lines may face Title III liability for using Havana port docks confiscated after the Cuban Revolution, even though Havana Docks' concession would have expired before the cruises at issue.
Seventh Circuit Rejects Serbian Soccer Player's Asylum Bid
The panel said threats and an assault by Serbian soccer hooligans reflected personal and performance-related grievances, not persecution tied to a protected ground.
FTC Seeks Input On Northrop Bid To End Orbital ATK Merger Order
Northrop Grumman is asking the Federal Trade Commission to reopen and set aside a 2018 consent order that imposed supply and firewall obligations after its Orbital ATK acquisition.
FTC Staff Warn Tennessee Against Ending Ballad Health Oversight Before Hospital Competition Returns
FTC staff told Tennessee lawmakers that allowing Ballad Health's COPA to expire before easing hospital-entry barriers could expose patients to higher costs, lower quality and reduced access to care.
Ex-Air Force Master Sergeant Admits PACAF Bid-Rigging Scheme
The Justice Department says a former Air Force master sergeant helped steer inflated Pacific Air Forces IT contracts in a yearslong scheme that caused at least $37 million in overpayments.
FTC Finalizes Valvoline-Greenbriar Oil Change Shop Divestiture
The agency said the consent order resolves concerns that Valvoline's purchase of Greenbriar outlets would eliminate competition in 25 local quick-lube markets.
Supreme Court Narrows Compassionate Release For Stacked Gun Sentences
The justices held 6-3 that prisoners cannot use Congress' nonretroactive reduction of Section 924(c) firearm-stacking penalties as an extraordinary and compelling reason for compassionate release.
DOJ Antitrust Chief Signals Merger Review Reset Built On Settlements, Litigation Threat
Acting antitrust chief Omeed A. Assefi told an NYU audience that the Justice Department wants candid merger engagement, structural fixes where they work and courtroom fights where they do not.
DOJ Says Agri Stats Must End Meat Processor Data Sharing
The Justice Department said a proposed Minnesota federal court settlement would curb Agri Stats' exchange of competitively sensitive meat-industry data and impose monitoring and compliance obligations.
Justices Fault 11th Circ. Use Of Later DNA In Death Row Habeas Case
The U.S. Supreme Court vacated an Eleventh Circuit habeas ruling for relying on post-trial DNA evidence when judging whether disputed jailhouse-informant testimony influenced a Florida murder jury.
Supreme Court Rejects Amarin Skinny-Label Patent Suit Against Hikma
The justices unanimously held that Amarin did not plausibly allege Hikma actively encouraged infringement of Vascepa cardiovascular-use patents.
DOJ Criminal Antitrust Chief Warns AI Pricing Tools Won’t Shield Collusion
A senior Antitrust Division official said competitors using algorithms, SaaS platforms or large language models to coordinate pricing can still face criminal scrutiny when the evidence shows an agreement.
FTC Requires Aurobindo Divestitures In $250M Lannett Deal
The Federal Trade Commission said Aurobindo must sell four generic drug products to resolve competition concerns over its proposed acquisition of Lannett.
DOJ Requires Cement Deal Divestitures To Preserve San Diego Concrete Competition
Taiheiyo Cement and CalPortland must divest three San Diego County ready-mix concrete plants to proceed with CalPortland's planned $712 million purchase of Vulcan assets, the DOJ said.
Justices Say SEC Needn't Show Investor Loss For Disgorgement
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the Ninth Circuit, holding that the SEC may obtain disgorgement without first proving investors suffered pecuniary losses.
FTC Says It Has Path To Settle USAP Texas Anesthesia Suit
The Federal Trade Commission said it reached an agreement in principle with U.S. Anesthesia Partners to resolve litigation over an alleged Texas anesthesia roll-up, but the settlement terms remain confidential and still require further approvals.
DOJ Antitrust Approves DOE Nuclear Fuel Consortium Plans
The Antitrust Division said the Defense Production Act approvals allow domestic nuclear energy companies to coordinate on fuel-supply capacity while remaining subject to federal monitoring.
FTC Requires Surgery Center Selloffs In Ascension-AmSurg Deal
The Federal Trade Commission said Ascension must divest seven ambulatory surgery centers to resolve allegations that its proposed $3.9 billion AmSurg acquisition would harm outpatient surgical services competition.
DOJ Says OhioHealth Must Drop Anticompetitive Health Plan Terms
The Justice Department said a proposed settlement would resolve its antitrust suit over OhioHealth contract provisions that allegedly blocked lower-cost commercial health insurance options.
FTC Says Alcon Dropped Lensar Deal After Cataract-Laser Merger Probe
The agency said the proposed acquisition would have combined the two leading FLACS laser-system competitors and threatened price and innovation competition.
7th Circ. Keeps Post-Riley Removal Petitions Alive
The Seventh Circuit rejected the federal government's bid to toss two noncitizens' petitions for review as untimely, holding that equitable tolling can preserve post-Riley challenges tied to withholding-only and CAT proceedings.
DOJ Says Container Makers Fixed Prices During Pandemic
Four major shipping-container manufacturers and seven executives were charged in a criminal antitrust case alleging they restricted output and fixed prices for standard dry containers.
FTC Finalizes Sevita-BrightSpring Health Care Divestiture Order
The Federal Trade Commission said Sevita must divest 128 intermediate care facilities and related assets to Dungarvin to resolve merger concerns in three states.
FTC Targets Rollins Noncompetes In Pest Control Labor Push
The Federal Trade Commission says Rollins must stop enforcing noncompete agreements against more than 18,000 workers and is warning other pest-control employers to review similar restrictions.
FTC Says Court Finalized Ad Agency Brand-Safety Antitrust Orders
The Federal Trade Commission said a Texas federal court approved consent orders resolving allegations that major advertising agencies coordinated common brand-safety standards for digital advertising.
FTC Touts Competition, Consumer Protection Agenda To Senate Panel
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson and Commissioner Mark R. Meador told a Senate committee the agency is pursuing consumer-protection and competition priorities including healthcare markets, labor practices, deceptive fees and online abuse enforcement preparations.
LivCor To Pay $7M In State RealPage Rent-Fixing Deal
Oregon's attorney general said LivCor has agreed to a $7 million settlement in state antitrust litigation accusing landlords of using RealPage software to align apartment rents through competitively sensitive pricing data.
FTC Finalizes Order In 365 Retail-Cantaloupe Kiosk Deal
The Federal Trade Commission approved a final consent order requiring 365 Retail Markets to divest a Cantaloupe micromarket kiosk business and provide nondiscriminatory software-hardware integrations.
Supreme Court Says FIFRA Shields Monsanto From Roundup Warning Verdict
The justices held that federal pesticide law preempts a Missouri failure-to-warn claim seeking a cancer warning on Roundup's EPA-approved label.
Texas Storage Executive Pleads Guilty In Air Force Bid-Rigging Case
The Justice Department said the plea is the first in an ongoing probe of bid rigging and fraud affecting U.S. military facilities.
DOJ Charges Defense Contractors In Hawaii Procurement Bribery Case
The Justice Department says two Florida defense contractors schemed to corrupt a competitive procurement process for a military technology innovation campus in the Pacific.
FTC, DOJ Seek Comment On HSR Form After Court Setback
The antitrust agencies are weighing whether to pursue new rulemaking on premerger reporting after a court vacated the updated Hart-Scott-Rodino form and an appeals court declined to pause that ruling.
High Court Says Border Metering Doesn't Trigger Asylum Processing Before Entry
The U.S. Supreme Court held that asylum seekers stopped in Mexico have not 'arrived in the United States' under key immigration statutes until they cross the border.
High Court Denies Texas Death Row Cert Despite State’s Remand Bid
Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, dissented from the Supreme Court’s refusal to take up Victor Saldaño’s bid for review of his intellectual-disability claim.
Supreme Court Lets Stand Vaccine Mandate Title VII Loss As Gorsuch Dissent Warns On State-Law Defense
Justice Neil Gorsuch, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, said the court should have reviewed whether state law can automatically create an undue-hardship defense to religious-accommodation claims under Title VII.
Justices Thomas, Gorsuch Dissent As High Court Rejects Dershowitz Defamation Case
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Alan Dershowitz's defamation fight with Cable News Network, Inc., but two justices said the case was a vehicle to revisit the actual-malice standard for public figures.
Sotomayor Flags Waiver Issue As Justices Deny Cert In Gun Case
Justice Sotomayor urged lower courts to weigh the Supreme Court's recent waiver reasoning before enforcing appeal or collateral-review waivers against defendants challenging their convictions.
Fifth Circ. Backs Louisiana 340B Contract-Pharmacy Law
A Fifth Circuit panel affirmed summary judgment for Louisiana in drugmakers’ challenge to a state law protecting 340B contract-pharmacy distribution.
Seventh Circuit Keeps Post-Riley Immigration Petitions Alive
The panel said two noncitizens seeking withholding-only or Convention Against Torture protection may use equitable tolling to overcome Riley's 30-day filing rule.
First Circuit Vacates Gun Sentence Over Mass. Cocaine Predicate
The panel said two Massachusetts cocaine convictions did not qualify as federal guideline controlled substance offenses because the state definition was broader than the federal drug schedules.
Third Circuit Backs BNY In Ex-Worker’s Race Bias Suit
The appeals court said Robert Lynn failed to show that Bank of New York Mellon’s stated reasons for eliminating his role masked race discrimination or retaliation.
Eighth Circuit Says Minnesota Third-Degree Murder Counts As Guidelines Crime Of Violence
The panel affirmed a firearms sentence after holding that Minnesota third-degree murder qualifies as generic murder under the federal sentencing guidelines.
Tenth Circuit Says FERC Authority Dooms Kansas Uri Gas Suits
The Tenth Circuit held that Kansas consumers' storm-pricing claims against wholesale natural-gas suppliers are field-preempted by the Natural Gas Act.
11th Circ. Says Sex Offender Has Fundamental Right To Live With Son
The en banc Eleventh Circuit held that an Alabama sex-offender residency law burdens a fundamental parental right, sending the dispute back to a panel for further proceedings.
4th Circ. Tosses Ex-BOP Official's Civil Rights Conviction
The Fourth Circuit said jurors should have been instructed that bodily injury under a federal civil-rights statute must be a proximate result of the defendant's conduct.
Fourth Circuit Vacates Ex-BOP Official's Civil Rights Conviction Over Causation Instruction
A split Fourth Circuit said jurors needed a proximate-cause instruction before finding that a former prison official's civil rights violation resulted in bodily injury, while leaving false-statement convictions intact.
4th Circ. Keeps Jail Death Suit Alive Against NC Officers
A Fourth Circuit panel said two detention officers were not entitled to qualified immunity at this stage over allegations they delayed checking on an inmate they suspected had been beaten.
Fourth Circuit Reverses Habeas Win For South Carolina Prisoner
The panel said federal courts owed AEDPA deference to state-court rulings rejecting K.C. Langford's speedy-trial and ineffective-assistance claims.
4th Circ. Says Kidney Disease Not Automatic Release Ground
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of compassionate release for a federal prisoner with end-stage renal disease, holding that courts must assess whether the condition is terminal on the defendant-specific record.
First Circuit Revives Part Of Catholic School's Challenge To Maine Anti-Bias Rules
The First Circuit ordered Maine officials to face a preliminary injunction against one religious-expression rule while largely rejecting St. Dominic Academy's bid to block other anti-discrimination requirements tied to public tuition funding.
Sixth Circuit Upholds Veteran's $108K Forfeiture Despite Sentencing Errors
The panel said a Kentucky federal court violated criminal forfeiture timing rules but that the mistakes did not justify vacating Jeremy Wayne Harrell's forfeiture sentence.
5th Circ. Cuts Conditions From Revocation Judgment
The Fifth Circuit said a felon-in-possession defendant could keep challenging two supervised-release conditions tied to a later revocation, then struck them because they were not properly pronounced in court.
Ninth Circuit Backs South Coast AQMD Zero-NOx Appliance Rule
A divided Ninth Circuit said federal energy-efficiency law does not preempt Southern California air regulators’ zero-emissions appliance rule adopted to meet Clean Air Act ozone obligations.
Eighth Circuit Keeps Minnesota Murder Habeas Denial Intact
The panel said a state court reasonably found that an improperly admitted confession was harmless despite a Miranda violation.
First Circuit Tosses Puerto Rico Fee Appeal On PROMESA Stay
The panel said landowners' challenge to a 15% administrative fee on interest from court-held condemnation funds was void because it ran into Puerto Rico's Title III automatic stay.
Tenth Circuit Rejects Murder Defendant's Trial-Concession Challenge
The panel said counsel's second-degree murder strategy did not trigger McCoy structural error or Cronic presumed prejudice in Kyle Quentin Sago's postconviction bid.
Third Circ. Backs Gun Serial Number Sentencing Enhancement
The Third Circuit said a firearm with one illegible serial number can trigger a four-level Guidelines enhancement even if another serial number on the gun remains readable.
7th Circ. Backs WhatsApp Evidence In Fraud Conviction
The Seventh Circuit affirmed Luisito Espanola's wire fraud and money laundering convictions, holding that using his own discovery production as part of the authentication analysis did not violate his right to testify.
Eighth Circuit Says OSHA Penalty Collection Suit Came Too Late
The Eighth Circuit held that the government cannot use the Debt Collection Improvement Act to sidestep the five-year limitations period for collecting OSHA civil penalties.
Tenth Circuit Says Immigrant Detainee Must Get Bond Hearing
The panel rejected the federal government's new reading of immigration detention law, deepening a fast-moving circuit split over mandatory detention for noncitizens arrested inside the U.S.