10th Circuit Case Commentaries

Tenth Circuit Reaffirms AEDPA’s One-Year Limit on State-Prisoner § 2241 Petitions; Equitable Tolling Not Triggered by Postconviction Counsel’s Missteps

Date: Oct 19, 2025

Tenth Circuit Reaffirms AEDPA’s One-Year Limit on State-Prisoner § 2241 Petitions; Equitable Tolling Not Triggered by Postconviction Counsel’s Missteps Introduction In St. Clair v. Quick, No. 24-7090...

Rule 60(b) Is Not a Second Appeal: Tenth Circuit Dismisses Frivolous Post‑Judgment Appeals and Limits Review to the Denial Order

Date: Oct 19, 2025

Rule 60(b) Is Not a Second Appeal: Tenth Circuit Dismisses Frivolous Post‑Judgment Appeals and Limits Review to the Denial Order Introduction In Sullivan v. Graham, consolidated Nos. 24‑3113 and...

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: No Rule 11 Advisement Required for Supervised-Release Admissions; Repeated Breach of Trust Can Justify a Major Upward Variance

Date: Oct 19, 2025

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: No Rule 11 Advisement Required for Supervised-Release Admissions; Repeated Breach of Trust Can Justify a Major Upward Variance Case: United States v. King, No. 24-6209 (10th...

No “Zero‑Month Lock‑In” After Probation Revocation: Tenth Circuit Reaffirms Moore’s Two‑Step Resentencing and Clarifies Plain‑Error Limits

Date: Oct 19, 2025

No “Zero‑Month Lock‑In” After Probation Revocation: Tenth Circuit Reaffirms Moore’s Two‑Step Resentencing and Clarifies Plain‑Error Limits Introduction In United States v. Moon Seals (10th Cir. Oct....

United States v. Bycroft: Tenth Circuit Requires On-the-Record, Defendant-Specific §3583(d) Findings for Lifetime Internet Bans; Generic §3553(a) Recitations Are Insufficient

Date: Oct 18, 2025

United States v. Bycroft: Tenth Circuit Requires On-the-Record, Defendant-Specific §3583(d) Findings for Lifetime Internet Bans; Generic §3553(a) Recitations Are Insufficient Introduction In United...

When the BIA Misapplies Clear-Error Review, the Tenth Circuit May Reinstate an IJ’s Asylum Grant Without Remand

Date: Oct 17, 2025

When the BIA Misapplies Clear-Error Review, the Tenth Circuit May Reinstate an IJ’s Asylum Grant Without Remand Introduction In Ramos v. Bondi, the Tenth Circuit issued a precedential opinion that...

Futility Trumps the Ordinary-Remand Rule: Tenth Circuit Polices BIA’s Clear-Error Review and Orders Reinstatement of Asylum

Date: Oct 17, 2025

Futility Trumps the Ordinary-Remand Rule: Tenth Circuit Polices BIA’s Clear-Error Review and Orders Reinstatement of Asylum Introduction Ramos v. Bondi is a published decision of the U.S. Court of...

No Appeal, No Exhaustion: The Tenth Circuit Confirms Postage Receipts Don’t Prove PLRA Exhaustion in Wiggins v. Hatch

Date: Oct 17, 2025

No Appeal, No Exhaustion: The Tenth Circuit Confirms Postage Receipts Don’t Prove PLRA Exhaustion in Wiggins v. Hatch Introduction In Wiggins v. Hatch, Nos. 24-2159 & 24-2160 (10th Cir. Oct. 15,...

Wiggins v. Hatch: Proof of PLRA Exhaustion Requires Documented Grievance Appeals—Generic Postage Charges Are Insufficient

Date: Oct 17, 2025

Wiggins v. Hatch: Proof of PLRA Exhaustion Requires Documented Grievance Appeals—Generic Postage Charges Are Insufficient Introduction In Wiggins v. Hatch, the Tenth Circuit affirmed a district...

Ramos v. Bondi: Enforcing Clear-Error Review and the Futility-of-Remand Remedy—Tenth Circuit Orders Reinstatement of IJ’s Asylum Grant

Date: Oct 17, 2025

Ramos v. Bondi: Enforcing Clear-Error Review and the Futility-of-Remand Remedy—Tenth Circuit Orders Reinstatement of IJ’s Asylum Grant Introduction In Ramos v. Bondi (10th Cir. Oct. 15, 2025), the...

Proper Exhaustion Requires Proof of Appeal: Tenth Circuit Confirms Generic Postage Charges Cannot Substantiate PLRA Exhaustion in Religious-Diet Claims

Date: Oct 17, 2025

Proper Exhaustion Requires Proof of Appeal: Tenth Circuit Confirms Generic Postage Charges Cannot Substantiate PLRA Exhaustion in Religious-Diet Claims Case: Wiggins v. Hatch, United States Court of...

Plain View Through a One‑Inch Curtain Gap: Tenth Circuit Rules Motel Exterior Walkways Are Not Curtilage and Unaided Peering Is Not a Search

Date: Oct 16, 2025

Plain View Through a One‑Inch Curtain Gap: Tenth Circuit Rules Motel Exterior Walkways Are Not Curtilage and Unaided Peering Is Not a Search Case: United States v. Watkins, No. 23-6210 (10th Cir....

Tenth Circuit clarifies: No immediate appeal from a magistrate judge’s denial of IFP service pending § 1915(e)(2) screening; collateral-order, § 1292, and access-to-courts theories rejected

Date: Oct 16, 2025

Tenth Circuit clarifies: No immediate appeal from a magistrate judge’s denial of IFP service pending § 1915(e)(2) screening; collateral-order, § 1292, and access-to-courts theories rejected...

Frericks v. Department of the Navy: Tenth Circuit Clarifies that Motive and Timing May Inform “Reasonable Belief” Under the WPA and Endorses Disclosure-by-Disclosure Contributing-Factor Analysis

Date: Oct 11, 2025

Frericks v. Department of the Navy: Tenth Circuit Clarifies that Motive and Timing May Inform “Reasonable Belief” Under the WPA and Endorses Disclosure-by-Disclosure Contributing-Factor Analysis...

Tenth Circuit rejects categorical “hub” placements: Individualized placement determinations are required under IDEA, ADA, and Section 504; futility excuses Section 504 exhaustion when hearing officers lack jurisdiction

Date: Oct 11, 2025

Tenth Circuit rejects categorical “hub” placements: Individualized placement determinations are required under IDEA, ADA, and Section 504; futility excuses Section 504 exhaustion when hearing...

Unexplained VE Skill Labels Won’t Do: Tenth Circuit Requires Record Documentation of Transferable Skills Under SSR 82-41

Date: Oct 11, 2025

Unexplained VE Skill Labels Won’t Do: Tenth Circuit Requires Record Documentation of Transferable Skills Under SSR 82-41 Introduction This commentary analyzes the Tenth Circuit’s unpublished order...

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: Mental-Health Progress Notes Without Functional Assessments Are Not “Medical Opinions” Under SSA’s Post-2017 Regulations

Date: Oct 11, 2025

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: Mental-Health Progress Notes Without Functional Assessments Are Not “Medical Opinions” Under SSA’s Post-2017 Regulations Introduction In Parsons v. Commissioner, SSA (10th...

Pre‑Enforcement Standing Demands a Proscribing Law: Tenth Circuit Rejects HCSM Challenge Based on New Mexico’s Insurance Definition

Date: Oct 11, 2025

Pre‑Enforcement Standing Demands a Proscribing Law: Tenth Circuit Rejects HCSM Challenge Based on New Mexico’s Insurance Definition Introduction In Samaritan Ministries International v. Kane, No....

No State Action in Private Condemnation: Tenth Circuit Holds Private Landowners Using Oklahoma’s “Private Way of Necessity” Statutes Are Not § 1983 Actors

Date: Oct 11, 2025

No State Action in Private Condemnation: Tenth Circuit Holds Private Landowners Using Oklahoma’s “Private Way of Necessity” Statutes Are Not § 1983 Actors Introduction In Witherspoon v. Ince, the...

No Automatic Liberal Construction for Legally Trained Pro Se Litigants; Rule 41(b) Dismissal Affirmed Under Ehrenhaus After Failure to Cure Pleading Defects

Date: Oct 10, 2025

No Automatic Liberal Construction for Legally Trained Pro Se Litigants; Rule 41(b) Dismissal Affirmed Under Ehrenhaus After Failure to Cure Pleading Defects Introduction In Cohen v. Hartman, No....