federal Case Commentaries

United States v. Griffin: Heightened Appellate Deference to District-Court Credibility Findings in § 2255 Ineffective-Assistance Hearings

Date: Jun 25, 2025

United States v. Griffin: Heightened Appellate Deference to District-Court Credibility Findings in § 2255 Ineffective-Assistance Hearings 1. Introduction United States v. Griffin, No. 22-60453 (5th...

“Chinnery v. Kaiser” – The Fourth Circuit Reaffirms the Minimal Pleading Standard for Sincerity in Title VII Religious-Accommodation Claims

Date: Jun 25, 2025

Chinnery v. Kaiser: The Fourth Circuit Reaffirms the Minimal Pleading Standard for Sincerity in Title VII Religious-Accommodation Claims Introduction The unpublished opinion in Naisha Chinnery v....

United States v. Adams: Fourth Circuit Re-Affirms the “Central Thesis” Standard for Sentencing Explanations

Date: Jun 25, 2025

United States v. Adams: Fourth Circuit Re-Affirms the “Central Thesis” Standard for Sentencing Explanations Introduction The Fourth Circuit’s unpublished decision in United States v. Maurice Adams...

United States v. Yelizarov: Narrowing the “Miscarriage-of-Justice” Escape Hatch to Appellate-Waiver Clauses After a § 924(c) Vacatur

Date: Jun 25, 2025

United States v. Yelizarov: Narrowing the “Miscarriage-of-Justice” Escape Hatch to Appellate-Waiver Clauses After a § 924(c) Vacatur Introduction The Fourth Circuit’s published decision in United...

Fourth Circuit Clarifies Enforceability of Appeal-Waivers after § 924(c) Vacatur: A Commentary on United States v. Stanislav Yelizarov (2025)

Date: Jun 25, 2025

Fourth Circuit Clarifies Enforceability of Appeal-Waivers after § 924(c) Vacatur: A Commentary on United States v. Stanislav Yelizarov (2025) 1. Introduction In United States v. Stanislav Yelizarov,...

Biers v. Dentons US: Tenth Circuit Clarifies Appealability of Interlocutory Orders and Reinforces Limits on Stand-Alone Cross-Claims

Date: Jun 25, 2025

Biers v. Dentons US: Tenth Circuit Clarifies Appealability of Interlocutory Orders and Reinforces Limits on Stand-Alone Cross-Claims Introduction In Biers v. Dentons US LLP, the United States Court...

Teetz v. Stepien: The Tenth Circuit Brands Prolonged Prone Restraint of a Subdued Detainee as “Deadly Force”

Date: Jun 25, 2025

Teetz v. Stepien: The Tenth Circuit Brands Prolonged Prone Restraint of a Subdued Detainee as “Deadly Force” Introduction In Teetz v. Stepien, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit...

Always Compare the Defendant to Actual Participants: Berryhill’s Clarification of § 3B1.2 Mitigating-Role Analysis

Date: Jun 25, 2025

Always Compare the Defendant to Actual Participants: United States v. Berryhill and the Clarified Duty to Perform a Relative-Culpability Analysis Under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2 Introduction United States v....

United States v. Roark: Tenth Circuit Clarifies (1) When Failure to Give a Specific-Unanimity Instruction Constitutes Reversible Plain Error and (2) A District Court’s Power to Vacate Its Own Erroneous Rule 29 Acquittal Without Offending Double Jeopardy

Date: Jun 25, 2025

United States v. Roark: Tenth Circuit Clarifies (1) When Failure to Give a Specific-Unanimity Instruction Constitutes Reversible Plain Error and (2) A District Court’s Power to Vacate Its Own...

Dismissal without Prejudice for Corporate Suspension Does Not Constitute “Favorable Termination” in Malicious-Prosecution Actions – A Commentary on Wyles v. Sussman (10th Cir. 2025)

Date: Jun 25, 2025

Dismissal without Prejudice for Corporate Suspension Does Not Constitute “Favorable Termination” in Malicious-Prosecution Actions A Comprehensive Commentary on Wyles v. Sussman, 10th Cir., 23 June...

Re-Drawing the Boundaries of Equitable Relief: DHS v. D.V.D. and the Supreme Court’s Expanded Deference to Executive Removal Authority

Date: Jun 24, 2025

Re-Drawing the Boundaries of Equitable Relief: Department of Homeland Security v. D.V.D. (606 U.S. ___, 2025) Introduction On 23 June 2025 the U.S. Supreme Court, acting on an emergency application,...

Third Circuit Reaffirms “No Fundamental Right to Refuse a COVID-19 Vaccine in Public Employment” – Commentary on Cuttler v. Allegheny County

Date: Jun 23, 2025

Third Circuit Reaffirms “No Fundamental Right to Refuse a COVID-19 Vaccine in Public Employment” – Commentary on Cuttler v. Allegheny County (3d Cir. 2025) 1. Introduction Jeffrey L. Cuttler, a...

The “Edwards Waiver Doctrine”: When Extended Premium Acceptance Estops ERISA Insurers from Exercising Discretionary Cancellation Rights

Date: Jun 23, 2025

The “Edwards Waiver Doctrine”: When Extended Premium Acceptance Estops ERISA Insurers from Exercising Discretionary Cancellation Rights 1. Introduction Edwards v. Guardian Life Ins., No. 24-60381...

“Stone Still Stands” – Fifth Circuit Affirms the Ongoing Prohibition against Permanent Religious Displays in Public-School Classrooms (Roake v. Brumley)

Date: Jun 23, 2025

“Stone Still Stands” – Fifth Circuit Affirms the Ongoing Prohibition against Permanent Religious Displays in Public-School Classrooms (Roake v. Brumley) 1. Introduction Roake v. Brumley is the first...

Presumed Prejudice for Improper Mid-Trial Juror Dismissals: United States v. Carpenter

Date: Jun 23, 2025

Presumed Prejudice for Improper Mid-Trial Juror Dismissals: United States v. Carpenter 1. Introduction United States v. Carpenter, No. 24-11076 (5th Cir. 2025) arises out of a multi-million-dollar...

“Premises, Pipelines & Protest”: The Fifth Circuit’s Limiting-Construction Doctrine for Louisiana’s Infrastructure Trespass Statute

Date: Jun 23, 2025

“Premises, Pipelines & Protest” The Fifth Circuit’s Limiting-Construction Doctrine for Louisiana’s Infrastructure Trespass Statute Introduction White Hat v. Murrill, No. 24-30272 (5th Cir. 2025),...

Hughes v. NFL: Second Circuit Shuts the Door on Pixel-Based VPPA Claims by Re-affirming the “Ordinary Person” Standard

Date: Jun 23, 2025

Hughes v. NFL: Second Circuit Shuts the Door on Pixel-Based VPPA Claims by Re-affirming the “Ordinary Person” Standard Introduction In Hughes v. National Football League, the United States Court of...

“Rigorous Scrutiny of Inconsistencies and Corroboration in Asylum Claims” — Commentary on Hussain v. Bondi (2d Cir. 2025)

Date: Jun 23, 2025

“Rigorous Scrutiny of Inconsistencies and Corroboration in Asylum Claims” Commentary on Hussain v. Bondi, 24-1812 (2d Cir. 2025) Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | Decided 20 June 2025 | ...

No Harm, No Constitutional Foul: Jordan v. Chiaroo and the Second Circuit’s Re-affirmation of the “Actual Injury” Requirement

Date: Jun 23, 2025

No Harm, No Constitutional Foul: Jordan v. Chiaroo and the Second Circuit’s Re-affirmation of the “Actual Injury” Requirement 1. Introduction Jordan v. Chiaroo, No. 24-2397 (2d Cir. June 20, 2025),...

Reaffirming the Five-Factor Colon Test – Khan v. Commissioner and the Tax Court’s Discretion to Dismiss for Failure to Prosecute

Date: Jun 23, 2025

Reaffirming the Five-Factor Colon Test – Khan v. Commissioner and the Tax Court’s Discretion to Dismiss for Failure to Prosecute Introduction Parties & Forum. Pro-se taxpayers Atif A. Khan and Huma...

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