11th Circuit Case Commentaries

Supplemental Jurisdiction Affirmed in Environmental Liability Case: PARKER v. SCRAP METAL PROCESSORS, INC.

Date: Oct 25, 2006

Supplemental Jurisdiction Affirmed in Environmental Liability Case: PARKER v. SCRAP METAL PROCESSORS, INC. Introduction The case of Quebell P. Parker, Sandra Skypek, Charles Parker, individually, as...

Hutcherson v. Riley: Defining the Scope of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in Capital Punishment Cases

Date: Oct 25, 2006

Hutcherson v. Riley: Defining the Scope of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in Capital Punishment Cases Introduction Larry Hutcherson, a convicted capital murderer, appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for...

Untimely State Post-Conviction Petitions Do Not Toll Federal Habeas Statute of Limitations Under AEDPA: Sweet v. Secretary, Department of Corrections

Date: Oct 24, 2006

Untimely State Post-Conviction Petitions Do Not Toll Federal Habeas Statute of Limitations Under AEDPA: Sweet v. Secretary, Department of Corrections Introduction In the landmark case of William Earl...

Curtis Osborne v. William Terry: Establishing Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims

Date: Oct 17, 2006

Curtis Osborne v. William Terry: Establishing Standards for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims Introduction Curtis Osborne v. William Terry, 466 F.3d 1298 (11th Cir. 2006), is a significant...

Strict Pleading Requirements under Rule 9(b) and PSLRA: DeKalb County Pension Plan v. NDC Health Corporation

Date: Oct 13, 2006

Strict Pleading Requirements under Rule 9(b) and PSLRA: DeKalb County Pension Plan v. NDC Health Corporation Introduction The case of Robert GARFIELD, indi v. dually and on behalf of all others...

No Racial Discrimination Found in Zoning Decision: Hallmark Developers v. Fulton County

Date: Oct 13, 2006

No Racial Discrimination Found in Zoning Decision: Hallmark Developers v. Fulton County Introduction Hallmark Developers, Inc. and Charles Garrison (collectively, "Hallmark") appealed a decision by...

Automatic Stay Termination Upon Discharge in Bankruptcy Cases Involving Non-Dischargeable Tax Debts

Date: Oct 12, 2006

Automatic Stay Termination Upon Discharge in Bankruptcy Cases Involving Non-Dischargeable Tax Debts Introduction The case of United States of America v. James W. White, 466 F.3d 1241 (11th Cir....

Affirmation of Obscene and Harassing Communications under 47 U.S.C. § 223: United States v. Eckhardt

Date: Oct 5, 2006

Affirmation of Obscene and Harassing Communications under 47 U.S.C. § 223: United States v. Eckhardt Introduction United States of America v. Robert Eckhardt, 466 F.3d 938 (11th Cir. 2006), is a...

Finality of State Convictions as Limiting Factors for Federal Habeas Corpus Petitions: Pugh v. Smith

Date: Sep 30, 2006

Finality of State Convictions as Limiting Factors for Federal Habeas Corpus Petitions: Pugh v. Smith Introduction Gerard Joseph Pugh filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging his conviction...

Establishing Corporate Liability under RICO: Insights from Mohawk Industries v. Williams

Date: Sep 28, 2006

Establishing Corporate Liability under RICO: Insights from Mohawk Industries v. Williams Introduction In the landmark case of MOHAWK INDUSTRIES, INC. v. WILLIAMS, the United States Court of Appeals...

Application of Procedural Default and Actual Innocence Claims in Habeas Corpus: Davis v. Terry

Date: Sep 27, 2006

Application of Procedural Default and Actual Innocence Claims in Habeas Corpus: Davis v. Terry Introduction Troy Anthony Davis v. William Terry, Warden, Georgia Diagnostic Prison, 465 F.3d 1249 (11th...

Enhanced Pleading Requirements for Non-Fraud Securities Claims under Rule 9(b)

Date: Sep 19, 2006

Enhanced Pleading Requirements for Non-Fraud Securities Claims under Rule 9(b) Introduction In the landmark case of Harry Wagner et al. v. First Horizon Pharmaceutical Corporation et al. (464 F.3d...

Eleventh Circuit Establishes Precedent for Dismissal with Prejudice in Cases Involving Willful Use of False Names

Date: Sep 14, 2006

Eleventh Circuit Establishes Precedent for Dismissal with Prejudice in Cases Involving Willful Use of False Names Introduction The case of Yan Zocaras, a/k/a Carlos Vasquez, v. Castro, et al....

United States v. Wilks: Affirmation of Youthful Offender Convictions as Predicate Offenses under ACCA and Career Offender Guidelines

Date: Sep 14, 2006

United States v. Wilks: Affirmation of Youthful Offender Convictions as Predicate Offenses under ACCA and Career Offender Guidelines Introduction In United States of America v. Javonne Wilks, 464...

Reaffirming the Exhaustion Doctrine in Immigration Appeals: Analysis of Amaya-Artunduaga v. U.S. Attorney General

Date: Sep 12, 2006

Reaffirming the Exhaustion Doctrine in Immigration Appeals: Analysis of Amaya-Artunduaga v. U.S. Attorney General Introduction The case of Andres Amaya-Artunduaga v. U.S. Attorney General, decided by...

U.S. v. Pham: Affirmation of Sentencing Guidelines Compliance in the Context of Plea Agreements

Date: Sep 12, 2006

U.S. v. Pham: Affirmation of Sentencing Guidelines Compliance in the Context of Plea Agreements Introduction In United States v. Mike Linh Pham, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh...

Enhancement for Substantial Disruptions in Sentencing: United States v. Tracey Dudley

Date: Sep 9, 2006

Enhancement for Substantial Disruptions in Sentencing: United States v. Tracey Dudley Introduction In United States of America v. Tracey Dudley, 463 F.3d 1221 (11th Cir. 2006), the United States...

Adverse Credibility Determinations under IIRIRA: Insights from Wei Chen v. U.S. Attorney General

Date: Sep 9, 2006

Adverse Credibility Determinations under IIRIRA: Insights from Wei Chen v. U.S. Attorney General Introduction The case of Wei Chen v. U.S. Attorney General, adjudicated by the United States Court of...

Enforcement of Maritime Liens for Necessaries Supersedes Preferred Ship Mortgages under CIMLA

Date: Sep 7, 2006

Enforcement of Maritime Liens for Necessaries Supersedes Preferred Ship Mortgages under CIMLA Introduction The case of DRESDNER BANK AG v. M/V OLYMPIA VOYAGER is a pivotal decision from the United...

Affirmation of Conspiracy and Mail Fraud Under Medicare Regulations: United States v. Gupta

Date: Sep 6, 2006

Affirmation of Conspiracy and Mail Fraud Under Medicare Regulations: United States v. Gupta Introduction In United States of America v. Mahendra Pratap Gupta et al., the United States Court of...