5th Circuit Case Commentaries

Eleventh Amendment Immunity Applied to Educational Service Centers in Perez v. Region 20

Date: Sep 21, 2002

Eleventh Amendment Immunity Applied to Educational Service Centers in Perez v. Region 20 Introduction Daniel M. Perez v. Region 20 Education Service Center, 307 F.3d 318 (5th Cir. 2002), is a seminal...

Res Judicata vs. Personal Jurisdiction: Rule 60(b)(4) Reaffirmed in Fratelli Tanfoglio Case

Date: Sep 18, 2002

Res Judicata vs. Personal Jurisdiction: Rule 60(b)(4) Reaffirmed in Fratelli Tanfoglio Case Introduction In the landmark case of Arnold Jackson; Linda Jackson; and Brian Jackson v. FIE Corporation;...

Denial of Certificate of Appealability in Johnson v. Cockrell: Implications for Death Penalty Appeals

Date: Sep 18, 2002

Denial of Certificate of Appealability in Johnson v. Cockrell: Implications for Death Penalty Appeals Introduction In the landmark case of Michael Dewayne Johnson v. Janie Cockrell, heard by the...

Reaffirming the "Solely Because Of" Causation Standard in Rehabilitation Act Claims

Date: Sep 13, 2002

Reaffirming the "Solely Because Of" Causation Standard in Rehabilitation Act Claims Introduction The case of Jose A. Soledad v. United States Department of Treasury (304 F.3d 500) adjudicated by the...

Wesson v. U.S. Penitentiary Beaumont: Clarifying Habeas Corpus Petition Standards under §2241

Date: Sep 6, 2002

Wesson v. U.S. Penitentiary Beaumont: Clarifying Habeas Corpus Petition Standards under §2241 Introduction In Thomas Wesson v. U.S. Penitentiary Beaumont, TX, Warden, 305 F.3d 343 (5th Cir. 2002),...

Establishing Limits on Qualified Immunity: McCLENDON v. CITY OF COLUMBIA and the State-Created Danger Theory

Date: Sep 6, 2002

Establishing Limits on Qualified Immunity: McCLENDON v. CITY OF COLUMBIA and the State-Created Danger Theory Introduction McCLENDON v. CITY OF COLUMBIA, 305 F.3d 314 (5th Cir. 2002), is a pivotal...

Apprendi Rule Not Retroactively Applicable to Initial §2255 Motions: Affirmation in Brown v. USA

Date: Sep 6, 2002

Apprendi Rule Not Retroactively Applicable to Initial §2255 Motions: Affirmation in Brown v. USA Introduction In the case of United States of America v. Thomas Charles Brown, adjudicated by the...

Substantial Evidence and Credibility Assessments in Disability Claims: Masterson v. Barnhart

Date: Sep 5, 2002

Substantial Evidence and Credibility Assessments in Disability Claims: Masterson v. Barnhart Introduction Case: John F. Masterson, Jr., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Jo Anne B. Barnhart, Commissioner of...

AUDITING THE ADA: Affirmation of Disability Discrimination Claims Against Public Entities Without Policy Requirements

Date: Sep 4, 2002

Affirmation of ADA and RA Claims Without Mandatory Policymaker Identification Introduction The case of Aubary Delano-Pyle v. Victoria County, Texas explores significant aspects of disability...

Enforceability of 'Reasonable Best Efforts' Clauses under Texas Law: Herrmann Holdings Ltd. v. Lucent Technologies Inc.

Date: Sep 4, 2002

Enforceability of 'Reasonable Best Efforts' Clauses under Texas Law: Herrmann Holdings Ltd. v. Lucent Technologies Inc. Introduction The case of Herrmann Holdings Ltd.; Annem Investments Ltd.;...

Fifth Circuit Reaffirms Strong Enforcement of Arbitration Agreements and Limits Judicial Oversight of Arbitrator Selection under FAA

Date: Aug 31, 2002

Fifth Circuit Reaffirms Strong Enforcement of Arbitration Agreements and Limits Judicial Oversight of Arbitrator Selection under FAA Introduction The case of Gulf Guaranty Life Insurance Company v....

Interpreting "Used for a Commercial Activity" Under FSIA § 1610(a): An In-Depth Analysis of Connecticut Bank of Commerce v. Republic of Congo

Date: Aug 30, 2002

Interpreting "Used for a Commercial Activity" Under FSIA § 1610(a): An In-Depth Analysis of Connecticut Bank of Commerce v. Republic of Congo Introduction In the landmark case of Connecticut Bank of...

Establishing Limits on Fiduciary Duties in Collateral Mortgage Agreements under Louisiana Law: Lifemark Hospitals v. Liljeberg Enterprises

Date: Aug 29, 2002

Establishing Limits on Fiduciary Duties in Collateral Mortgage Agreements under Louisiana Law: Lifemark Hospitals v. Liljeberg Enterprises Introduction The case of Lifemark Hospitals, Inc. v....

Arbitration of Contract Capacity Defenses under the Federal Arbitration Act: Primerica Life Insurance Co. v. Catherine E. Brown

Date: Aug 29, 2002

Arbitration of Contract Capacity Defenses under the Federal Arbitration Act: Primerica Life Insurance Co. v. Catherine E. Brown Introduction Primerica Life Insurance Co.; et al. v. Catherine E. Brown...

Affirmation of RICO and Related Convictions in Edwin Edwards Extortion Scheme Case

Date: Aug 24, 2002

Affirmation of RICO and Related Convictions in Edwin Edwards Extortion Scheme Case Introduction United States v. Edwin Edwards et al. is a landmark judgment delivered by the United States Court of...

Jurisdictional Limits on Bankruptcy Court Orders After Appeals: Insights from Transtexas Gas Corp. Case

Date: Aug 23, 2002

Jurisdictional Limits on Bankruptcy Court Orders After Appeals: Insights from Transtexas Gas Corp. Case Introduction The case of In the Matter Of: Transtexas Gas Corporation (303 F.3d 571)...

Forum Non Conveniens: Adequacy of International Forums in Tort Litigation

Date: Aug 21, 2002

Forum Non Conveniens: Adequacy of International Forums in Tort Litigation Introduction In the landmark case Jorge Luis Machuca Gonzalez; Martha Patricia Lopez Guerrero, Individually and as Heirs and...

Establishing Precedent for Same-Sex Harassment Claims under Title VII: La Day v. Catalyst Technology

Date: Aug 16, 2002

Establishing Precedent for Same-Sex Harassment Claims under Title VII: La Day v. Catalyst Technology Introduction The case of Patrick La Day v. Catalyst Technology, Inc. is a landmark decision by the...

Establishing Good Faith in Open Price Terms: Analysis of Mathis v. Exxon Corporation

Date: Aug 16, 2002

Establishing Good Faith in Open Price Terms: Analysis of Mathis v. Exxon Corporation 1. Introduction The case of James Mathis et al. v. Exxon Corporation (302 F.3d 448, 2002) presented a significant...

Affirming the Nexus Requirement in Asylum Claims: Ontunez-Turcios v. Ashcroft

Date: Aug 14, 2002

Affirming the Nexus Requirement in Asylum Claims: Ontunez-Turcios v. Ashcroft Introduction In Ontunez-Turcios v. Ashcroft (303 F.3d 341, 2002), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth...