5th Circuit Case Commentaries

Public Disclosure Bar Under the False Claims Act: Affirmation in Reagan v. East Texas Medical Center

Date: Sep 22, 2004

Public Disclosure Bar Under the False Claims Act: Affirmation in Reagan v. East Texas Medical Center Introduction In United States of America, ex rel., Sally A. Reagan v. East Texas Medical Center...

Protecting Unrepresented Corporate Plaintiffs: Fifth Circuit Reverses Dismissal with Prejudice

Date: Sep 18, 2004

Protecting Unrepresented Corporate Plaintiffs: Fifth Circuit Reverses Dismissal with Prejudice Introduction In the landmark case of Manzoor A. Memon; et al. v. Allied Domecq QSR; et al., the United...

Waiver of Arbitration Rights Through Judicial Process: Republic Insurance Co. v. PAICO Receivables, LLC

Date: Sep 14, 2004

Waiver of Arbitration Rights Through Judicial Process: Republic Insurance Co. v. PAICO Receivables, LLC Introduction In Republic Insurance Company v. PAICO Receivables, LLC, the United States Court...

Redefining Improper Joinder in Diversity Jurisdiction: Insights from Smallwood v. Illinois Central RR Co.

Date: Sep 11, 2004

Redefining Improper Joinder in Diversity Jurisdiction: Insights from Smallwood v. Illinois Central RR Co. Introduction SMALLWOOD v. ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD COmpany, 385 F.3d 568 (5th Cir. 2004),...

Reasonable Grounds for Removal and the Reversal of Attorney Fee Awards: Hornbuckle v. State Farm Lloyds

Date: Sep 11, 2004

Reasonable Grounds for Removal and the Reversal of Attorney Fee Awards: Hornbuckle v. State Farm Lloyds Introduction Hornbuckle v. State Farm Lloyds, 385 F.3d 538 (5th Cir. 2004) is a pivotal case...

Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and Qualified Immunity in Prisoner's §1983 Claims: Insights from Roderick Johnson v. Gary Johnson

Date: Sep 9, 2004

Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and Qualified Immunity in Prisoner's §1983 Claims: Insights from Roderick Johnson v. Gary Johnson Introduction The case of Roderick Keith Johnson v. Gary...

Res Judicata Applied to Title VII Discrimination and Retaliation Claims: Davis v. Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Date: Aug 28, 2004

Res Judicata Applied to Title VII Discrimination and Retaliation Claims: Davis v. Dallas Area Rapid Transit Introduction In Davis v. Dallas Area Rapid Transit, 383 F.3d 309 (5th Cir. 2004), the...

Broad Interpretation of "Direct Review" Under AEDPA: Insights from Foreman v. Dretke

Date: Aug 28, 2004

Broad Interpretation of "Direct Review" Under AEDPA: Insights from Foreman v. Dretke Introduction Foreman v. Dretke is a pivotal case adjudicated by the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit...

Vais Arms v. Vais: Strengthening Standards for Trademark Abandonment and Validating National Non-Compete Agreements

Date: Aug 27, 2004

Vais Arms v. Vais: Strengthening Standards for Trademark Abandonment and Validating National Non-Compete Agreements Introduction The case of Vais Arms, Inc. v. George Vais serves as a pivotal...

Qualified and Official Immunity Affirmed in Foster Care Liability Case: Hernandez v. Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services

Date: Aug 26, 2004

Qualified and Official Immunity Affirmed in Foster Care Liability Case: Hernandez v. Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services Introduction In the landmark case Hernandez v. Texas...

Defining the Boundaries of 'Crime of Violence' Enhancements: Insights from United States v. Calderon-Pena

Date: Aug 25, 2004

Defining the Boundaries of 'Crime of Violence' Enhancements: Insights from United States v. Calderon-Pena Introduction The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit's decision in United...

Assisting a Federal Officer: Fifth Circuit's Interpretation under 18 U.S.C. §§ 111 and 1114 in United States v. Reed

Date: Aug 24, 2004

Assisting a Federal Officer: Fifth Circuit's Interpretation under 18 U.S.C. §§ 111 and 1114 in United States v. Reed Introduction The case of United States of America v. Malich Chike Reed (375 F.3d...

NAICO v. Primrose Operating Co.: Fifth Circuit Affirms Insurer’s Duty to Defend in Pollution Litigation

Date: Aug 24, 2004

NAICO v. Primrose Operating Co.: Fifth Circuit Affirms Insurer’s Duty to Defend in Pollution Litigation Introduction In the case of Primrose Operating Company; CADA Operating, Inc. v. National...

Qualified Immunity in Checkpoint Operations: Collins v. Ainsworth

Date: Aug 21, 2004

Qualified Immunity in Checkpoint Operations: Collins v. Ainsworth Introduction In Houston Collins et al. v. Frank Ainsworth et al., decided on August 20, 2004, the United States Court of Appeals for...

United States v. Brigham: Affirming Reasonableness of Traffic Stop Extensions under the Fourth Amendment

Date: Aug 20, 2004

United States v. Brigham: Affirming Reasonableness of Traffic Stop Extensions under the Fourth Amendment Introduction United States of America v. Reginald Brigham, 382 F.3d 500 (5th Cir. 2004), is a...

Taxation of Guardian ad Litem Fees Against the Government in FTCA Cases: New Precedent Established

Date: Aug 13, 2004

Taxation of Guardian ad Litem Fees Against the Government in FTCA Cases: New Precedent Established Introduction In the case of Carlton Gaddis and Latanza Gaddis, Individually and as Next Friend of...

Independent Dealer Trademark Use Without Affiliation Does Not Constitute Infringement: Scott Fetzer Co. v. House of Vacuums Inc.

Date: Aug 13, 2004

Independent Dealer Trademark Use Without Affiliation Does Not Constitute Infringement: Scott Fetzer Co. v. House of Vacuums Inc. Introduction The case of The Scott Fetzer Co. v. House of Vacuums Inc....

EX PARTE YOUNG and ADA Enforcement: Fifth Circuit Sets Precedent in McCarthy et al. v. Hawkins et al.

Date: Aug 12, 2004

EX PARTE YOUNG and ADA Enforcement: Fifth Circuit Sets Precedent in McCarthy et al. v. Hawkins et al. Introduction The case of CHRISTY McCARTHY, By and through her next friend Jamie Tra v. s; TODD...

Clarifying the Scope of Excessive Force Under the Fourth Amendment: FLORES v. CITY OF PALACIOS

Date: Aug 11, 2004

Clarifying the Scope of Excessive Force Under the Fourth Amendment: FLORES v. CITY OF PALACIOS 1. Introduction FLORES v. CITY OF PALACIOS is a significant appellate decision by the United States...

Implied Reasonable Duration in Indefinite Contracts: Fluorine On Call Ltd. v. Fluorogas Limited

Date: Aug 11, 2004

Implied Reasonable Duration in Indefinite Contracts: Fluorine On Call Ltd. v. Fluorogas Limited Introduction The case of Fluorine On Call Ltd. (FOC) v. Fluorogas Limited revolves around a dispute...