5th Circuit Case Commentaries

Perez v. City of San Antonio: Limiting Texas’s Religious Services Clause and Applying Strict Scrutiny to Public Land Management

Date: Dec 15, 2025

Perez v. City of San Antonio: Limiting Texas’s Religious Services Clause and Applying Strict Scrutiny to Public Land Management I. Introduction In Perez v. City of San Antonio, No. 23-50746 (5th Cir....

Town of Vinton v. Indian Harbor: Separate-Contract Endorsements, the New York Convention, and Louisiana’s Ban on Insurance Arbitration

Date: Dec 12, 2025

Town of Vinton v. Indian Harbor: Separate-Contract Endorsements, the New York Convention, and Louisiana’s Ban on Insurance Arbitration I. Introduction In Town of Vinton v. Indian Harbor Insurance Co....

United States v. Kirchner: Clarifying Wire-Fraud “Furtherance,” Judicial Questioning, and Abuse‑of‑Trust Enhancements in Integrated Fraud–Money‑Laundering Schemes

Date: Dec 12, 2025

United States v. Kirchner: Clarifying Wire-Fraud “Furtherance,” Judicial Questioning, and Abuse‑of‑Trust Enhancements in Integrated Fraud–Money‑Laundering Schemes I. Introduction In United States v....

Evans v. Garza: No Younger Abstention and a High Bar for Pre‑Enforcement First Amendment Challenges to Texas’s Bathroom‑Privacy Imaging Statute

Date: Dec 12, 2025

Evans v. Garza: No Younger Abstention and a High Bar for Pre‑Enforcement First Amendment Challenges to Texas’s Bathroom‑Privacy Imaging Statute I. Introduction In Evans v. Garza, No. 23‑50541 (5th...

Vasquez v. Guerrero and the Objective “Reasonable Attorney” Standard for AEDPA Due Diligence in Successive Habeas Petitions

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Vasquez v. Guerrero and the Objective “Reasonable Attorney” Standard for AEDPA Due Diligence in Successive Habeas Petitions I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s unpublished, per curiam decision in...

Intervention Orders as Non‑Appealable Steps Toward Final Judgment: The Fifth Circuit’s Clarification in Johnson v. Stone County Hospital

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Intervention Orders as Non‑Appealable Steps Toward Final Judgment: The Fifth Circuit’s Clarification in Johnson v. Stone County Hospital I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s decision in Johnson v....

Realistic Probability, Categorical Child Abuse, and Stop-Time Ineligibility: Commentary on Silva de Santiago v. Bondi (5th Cir. 2025)

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Realistic Probability, Categorical Child Abuse, and Stop-Time Ineligibility: Commentary on Silva de Santiago v. Bondi (5th Cir. 2025) I. Introduction In Silva de Santiago v. Bondi, No. 25‑60064 (5th...

Berrocal v. Samsung: Legal-Certainty Limits on Magnuson–Moss Amount-in-Controversy in Low-Value Consumer Warranty Suits

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Berrocal v. Samsung: Legal-Certainty Limits on Magnuson–Moss Amount-in-Controversy in Low-Value Consumer Warranty Suits I. Introduction In Berrocal v. Samsung, No. 25‑50259 (5th Cir. Dec. 4, 2025)...

Plain-Error Limits on Challenging Misstated Criminal History and Bare Arrest Records in Sentencing: Commentary on United States v. Rodriguez‑Jimenez

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Plain-Error Limits on Challenging Misstated Criminal History and Bare Arrest Records in Sentencing: Commentary on United States v. Rodriguez‑Jimenez I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s unpublished...

Diversity Allegations, Void Judgments, and Timely Appeals: A Commentary on Williamson v. Wilmington Savings Fund Society

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Diversity Allegations, Void Judgments, and Timely Appeals: A Commentary on Williamson v. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s unpublished decision in Williamson v....

Limited Remands to Clarify Diversity Jurisdiction: The Fifth Circuit’s Approach in OXEA Corp. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Limited Remands to Clarify Diversity Jurisdiction: The Fifth Circuit’s Approach in OXEA Corp. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s unpublished per curiam decision in...

Finality of Confirmed Chapter 11 Plans and Bankruptcy “Related-To” Jurisdiction: Commentary on Choudhri v. National Bank of Kuwait

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Finality of Confirmed Chapter 11 Plans and Bankruptcy “Related-To” Jurisdiction: Commentary on Choudhri v. National Bank of Kuwait (5th Cir. Dec. 4, 2025) I. Introduction This Fifth Circuit decision...

Trotter v. Loden: No Constitutional Right to Vacatur Before a Miller-Compliant Juvenile LWOP Hearing

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Trotter v. Loden: No Constitutional Right to Vacatur Before a Miller-Compliant Juvenile LWOP Hearing I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s unpublished per curiam decision in Trotter v. Loden, No....

Perrotta v. Bank of America: Loan-Modification Paperwork and Oral Foreclosure Postponements Under the Texas Statute of Frauds

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Perrotta v. Bank of America: Loan-Modification Paperwork and Oral Foreclosure Postponements Under the Texas Statute of Frauds I. Introduction In Perrotta v. Bank of America, N.A., No. 24-50948 (5th...

United States v. Rubalcava: Special‑Needs Trusts and Home Equity as “Financial Resources” for AVAA Assessments

Date: Dec 10, 2025

United States v. Rubalcava: Special‑Needs Trusts and Home Equity as “Financial Resources” for AVAA Assessments I. Introduction In United States v. Rubalcava, No. 24‑40463 (5th Cir. Dec. 3, 2025), the...

United States v. McCree: Violent-Felon Disarmament and Expansion of §2K2.1(b)(6)(B) in the Fifth Circuit

Date: Dec 4, 2025

United States v. McCree: Violent-Felon Disarmament and Expansion of §2K2.1(b)(6)(B) in the Fifth Circuit I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s decision in United States v. McCree deepens two major...

Tailored Rule 37 Sanctions and Deference to Jury Verdicts: A Commentary on Smith v. State Farm Lloyds

Date: Dec 3, 2025

Tailored Rule 37 Sanctions and Deference to Jury Verdicts: A Commentary on Smith v. State Farm Lloyds I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s unpublished per curiam opinion in Smith v. State Farm Lloyds,...

Excising Conflicting Supervised Release Conditions: The Fifth Circuit’s Bright-Line Rule in United States v. Currier

Date: Dec 3, 2025

Excising Conflicting Supervised Release Conditions: The Fifth Circuit’s Bright-Line Rule in United States v. Currier I. Introduction In United States v. Currier, No. 24-50974 (5th Cir. Dec. 2, 2025),...

Strict Enforcement of Final‑Judgment and Notice‑of‑Appeal Rules for Pro Se Litigants: Commentary on Martin v. City of Las Vegas (5th Cir. 2025)

Date: Dec 2, 2025

Strict Enforcement of Final‑Judgment and Notice‑of‑Appeal Rules for Pro Se Litigants: Commentary on Martin v. City of Las Vegas (5th Cir. 2025) I. Introduction The Fifth Circuit’s unpublished, per...

Coastal Voyages as “Ocean Going” Under New York Marine Insurance Law: Commentary on Parr v. Yachtinsure

Date: Dec 2, 2025

Coastal Voyages as “Ocean Going” Under New York Marine Insurance Law: A Commentary on Parr v. Yachtinsure (5th Cir. 2025) I. Introduction In Parr v. Yachtinsure, No. 25‑30134 (5th Cir. Nov. 25, 2025)...