Free Newsletter
Criminal: Section 922(g)(4) withstands post-‘Bruen’ attack
Where the defendant argued that the Second Amendment renders 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4), which imposes a lifetime ban on those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution from purchasing or possessing a firearm, facially unconstitutional, this challenge failed.
Criminal: Defendant ‘constructively possessed’ meth
Where the defendant arranged for delivery of the methamphetamine, guaranteed its price, promised that he could arrange delivery of more, told the confidential informant that “we sent that other dude to Texas to pick up what you ordered” and told the government agent that he could “send” somebody else to pick up more meth “right now,” his conviction for constructively possessing the met[...]
Employment: COVID-19 religious discrimination claims are reinstated
Where two employees pleaded facts making it plausible that their beliefs were an essential part of a religious faith and they connected those beliefs to their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the district court erred in dismissing their Title VII claims.
Criminal: Evidence supports marijuana conspiracy conviction
Where the defendant used his business for marijuana distribution, told another man that third parties wanted to buy marijuana and the other man then supplied marijuana for sales, a jury could reasonably conclude the two men conspired to sell marijuana.
Negligence: State employee is immune against claims arising out of tax lien
Even if a state employee erred when he failed to require a lien holder to search or check county records anew for the property owner’s address, after learning that mailed notices to redeem her property were returned as undeliverable or unclaimed, he was entitled to qualified immunity.
Immigration: Petitioner claims he will be tortured if returned to Guyana
Where the Board of Immigration Appeals failed to address a man’s argument that he will be tortured if returned to Guyana, because he’s a Black criminal deportee with physical disabilities, it erred.
Search and Seizure: Cellphone search was lawful
Where a man argued his Fourth Amendment rights were violated when his probation officer directed him to return home, so he would be present while law enforcement executed a warrant, which allowed the government to seize and search his cellphone, his argument was rejected.
Tort: Vaccine Act claims filed too late
Where three persons alleging they were injured after receiving a vaccine failed to file required petitions in the Court of Federal Claims within the period allowed by the Vaccine Act, their subsequent federal court suit was dismissed.
Civil Rights: Man files suit after he’s arrested on stale warrant
Where a man was arrested on a stale warrant that the clerk’s office failed to recall or cancel, the district court erred when it held the clerk was immune on his state-law negligence claims. To be entitled to the immunity, there must be some discretion involved in the action or inaction. Because the lower court did not reach that issue, the case was remanded for that analysis.
Constitutional: Fairfax statute limiting firearms in sensitive places is not unconstitutional
Where gun owners challenged a Fairfax statute that prohibits them from bringing their weapons to county parks, the statute survived their facial attack.
Immigration: Petit larceny is a crime involving moral turpitude
Where a woman argued that petit larceny did not qualify as a crime involving moral turpitude, rendering her ineligible for cancellation of removal, the court rejected this argument.
Arbitration: Court lacks jurisdiction to review non-final arbitration decision
Where an arbitrator resolved the issue of liability, but ordered the parties to fashion a remedy (while retaining jurisdiction if they reached an impasse), and one party instead challenged the arbitrator’s decision in federal district court while the other party moved to confirm it, the district court lacked jurisdiction over the dispute, because it was not final.
Verdicts & Settlements
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – Unicycle rider dies after being hit by car
- Premises Liability – Delivery driver injured by porch decking collapse
- Premises Liability – Fall down stairs at resort results in injuries, death
- Medical Malpractice – Jurors side with doctor in suit over rescue surgery
- Workers’ Compensation- Seasonal worker paralyzed in tobacco baler accident
- Medical Malpractice- Death from cancer followed stomach pain misdiagnosis
- Workers’ Compensation – Struck in face by forklift, woman suffers brain injury
- Negligence and Tort – Group home resident falls, sustaining femur fracture
- Medical Malpractice – Nursing facility patient dies after fracturing ankle in fall
- Medical Malpractice- Patient has bladder injury during colostomy reversal
- Premises Liability- Apartment guest burned by gas grill spewing fire
Opinion Digests
- The Most Important Opinions, January-June 2026
- Criminal – Court of Appeals wrongly vacated murder conviction
- Tort – U.Va. prevails on former professor’s claims
- Constitutional – Company’s due process claim against county is dismissed
- Administrative – Plaintiffs’ effort to enjoin ITC proceeding fails
- Patent and trademark – Amazon patent infringement suit transferred to New Jersey
- Tort – Chesterfield County dismissed from wrongful death suit
- Consumer Protection – Lawsuit over kratom survives motion to dismiss
- Criminal – Defendant convicted of attempted sexual exploitation of a child
- Evidence – Motion to exclude transmission expert is rejected
- Damages – Court awards pre-judgment interest following parties’ acquiescence
- Employment – Court approves overtime wage collective action settlement
