5th Circuit Case Commentaries

Strickland Prejudice and Guidelines Miscalculations: No Relief When the Sentencing Court Varied Independently and Says So

Date: Jul 13, 2026

Strickland Prejudice and Guidelines Miscalculations: No Relief When the Sentencing Court Varied Independently and Says So Case: United States v. Schubert (5th Cir. July 10, 2026) (per curiam,...

Qualified Immunity in Transport-Custody Medical Emergencies: No Clearly Established 2019 Duty to Immediately Secure Aid Upon Observed Unconsciousness

Date: Jul 13, 2026

Qualified Immunity in Transport-Custody Medical Emergencies: No Clearly Established 2019 Duty to Immediately Secure Aid Upon Observed Unconsciousness I. Introduction Thorpe v. Weaver (5th Cir. July...

Unrelated Prior Representation of a Victim Bank Does Not Require § 455(a) Recusal on Plain-Error Review; Bruton Is Not Triggered by a Co-Defendant Guilty Plea That Only Implicates by Inference

Date: Jul 13, 2026

Unrelated Prior Representation of a Victim Bank Does Not Require § 455(a) Recusal on Plain-Error Review; Bruton Is Not Triggered by a Co-Defendant Guilty Plea That Only Implicates by Inference 1....

United States v. Castro — Forfeited Rule 33 Timeliness Preserves FRAP 4(b)(3) Tolling; Separate Notice Required for Post‑Judgment Orders

Date: Jul 13, 2026

Forfeited Rule 33 Timeliness Preserves FRAP 4(b)(3) Tolling; Separate Notice Required for Post‑Judgment Orders Introduction United States v. Castro (5th Cir. July 10, 2026) arises from the...

PLRA Exhaustion Applies to Post-Release Supervision Revocation Detainees Housed in County Jail; MDOC ARP Required

Date: Jul 13, 2026

PLRA Exhaustion Applies to Post-Release Supervision Revocation Detainees Housed in County Jail; MDOC ARP Required Introduction In Villarreal v. VitalCore (5th Cir. July 9, 2026) (unpublished), the...

Harmless-Error Affirmance in Supervised-Release Revocations When Uncontested Violations Independently Support Revocation

Date: Jul 13, 2026

Harmless-Error Affirmance in Supervised-Release Revocations When Uncontested Violations Independently Support Revocation Introduction In United States v. Goodwill (5th Cir. July 8, 2026) (per curiam)...

§ 1623(a) Expressly Preempts State Residence-Based In-State Tuition for Unlawfully Present Aliens; Futility Screening Applies to Defense-Side Intervenors

Date: Jul 13, 2026

§ 1623(a) Expressly Preempts State Residence-Based In-State Tuition for Unlawfully Present Aliens; Futility Screening Applies to Defense-Side Intervenors Introduction In United States v. State of...

Fifth Circuit: No Duty to Mitigate Title VII Emotional-Distress Compensatory Damages

Date: Jul 13, 2026

Fifth Circuit: No Duty to Mitigate Title VII Emotional-Distress Compensatory Damages I. Introduction In EEOC v. SkyWest Airlines (5th Cir. July 9, 2026), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission...

Forfeitable Rule 33 Timeliness Triggers FRAP 4(b)(3) Tolling; Post-Judgment Orders Require a Separate Notice of Appeal

Date: Jul 13, 2026

Forfeitable Rule 33 Timeliness Triggers FRAP 4(b)(3) Tolling; Post-Judgment Orders Require a Separate Notice of Appeal Case: United States v. Castro (5th Cir. July 10, 2026) (per curiam, unpublished)...

Crittindon’s DPSC Oversight Rule Applies to Pretrial-Detainee Harm Claims in Parish Jails; Interlocutory Qualified-Immunity Appeals Cannot Revisit Fact Disputes

Date: Jul 11, 2026

Crittindon’s DPSC Oversight Rule Applies to Pretrial-Detainee Harm Claims in Parish Jails; Interlocutory Qualified-Immunity Appeals Cannot Revisit Fact Disputes 1. Introduction Murray v. LeBlanc (5th...

Generic Rule 11 Appeal-Rights Advisement Does Not Undo a Written Appeal Waiver; Paroline Restitution Inquiry Need Not Be Algorithmic

Date: Jul 11, 2026

Generic Rule 11 Appeal-Rights Advisement Does Not Undo a Written Appeal Waiver; Paroline Restitution Inquiry Need Not Be Algorithmic I. Introduction In United States v. Quintanilla (5th Cir. July 7,...

Standing Requires a Project-Specific Geographic Nexus and Causation in Offshore Environmental Challenges

Date: Jul 11, 2026

Standing Requires a Project-Specific Geographic Nexus and Causation in Offshore Environmental Challenges Case: Center for Biological Diversity v. TRA Court: United States Court of Appeals for the...

FTCA Course-and-Scope: Union “Official Time” Duties and Special-Mission Travel Can Create a Jury Question Under Texas Law

Date: Jul 11, 2026

FTCA Course-and-Scope: Union “Official Time” Duties and Special-Mission Travel Can Create a Jury Question Under Texas Law 1. Introduction In Barrier v. United States (5th Cir. July 7, 2026),...

United States v. Theiler: No Immediate-Disclosure Right for Unanswered Jury Notes; Non-Allen “Keep Deliberating” Response; Circumstantial Proof of AKS-Conspiracy Knowledge

Date: Jul 11, 2026

United States v. Theiler: No Immediate-Disclosure Right for Unanswered Jury Notes; Non-Allen “Keep Deliberating” Response; Circumstantial Proof of AKS-Conspiracy Knowledge I. Introduction Case:...

State “Non-Interference” Protections for 340B Contract Pharmacies Are Not Preempted and Survive Takings, Contracts Clause, and Vagueness Challenges

Date: Jul 9, 2026

State “Non-Interference” Protections for 340B Contract Pharmacies Are Not Preempted and Survive Takings, Contracts Clause, and Vagueness Challenges I. Introduction In Pharm Research and Mfr v....

Uncontroverted Drafter-and-Signatory Testimony Can Resolve Contract Ambiguity as a Matter of Law

Date: Jul 9, 2026

Uncontroverted Drafter-and-Signatory Testimony Can Resolve Contract Ambiguity as a Matter of Law 1. Introduction 20100 Eastex, L.L.C. v. Saltgrass, Incorporated (5th Cir. July 6, 2026) is a Texas...

State 340B Contract-Pharmacy Protection Statutes Survive: No §340B Preemption; No Takings, Contracts Clause, or Vagueness Violation

Date: Jul 9, 2026

State 340B Contract-Pharmacy Protection Statutes Survive: No §340B Preemption; No Takings, Contracts Clause, or Vagueness Violation I. Introduction AstraZeneca v. Murrill (consolidated with appeals...

§ 340B’s Silence on Contract-Pharmacy Delivery Leaves Room for State “Non-Interference” Laws

Date: Jul 9, 2026

§ 340B’s Silence on Contract-Pharmacy Delivery Leaves Room for State “Non-Interference” Laws (and Such Laws Survive Takings, Contracts Clause, and Vagueness Attacks) 1. Introduction In AbbVie v....

Due Process Requires a Bond Hearing Within 90 Days for Long-Resident “Applicants for Admission” Mandatorily Detained Under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A)

Date: Jul 5, 2026

Due Process Requires a Bond Hearing Within 90 Days for Long-Resident “Applicants for Admission” Mandatorily Detained Under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) Angel v. Mullin (consolidated with Rodriguez and...

Fifth Circuit: Due Process Requires a Bond Hearing Within 90 Days for Long‑Term Interior Detainees Held Under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A)

Date: Jul 4, 2026

Fifth Circuit: Due Process Requires a Bond Hearing Within 90 Days for Long‑Term Interior Detainees Held Under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) Case: Sosnava Rodriguez v. Ortega (consolidated with Villegas...