J. Sales finds a lower court improperly dismissed the Secretary of State for the Home Department's order to deport a native of Belarus. The native of Belarus argued that he is entitled to remain in the U.K. in order to shed his limbo status. However, the Home Department sufficiently showed in court that he was convicted for carrying a false identity document, which landed him in prison for 10 months. Affirmed.
Court: Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Judge: Sales, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 2024UKSC13, Categories: Civil Rights, Fraud, Immigration
J. McDonough grants the sheriff's department defendants' summary judgment motion in this lawsuit brought by a former probation officer asserting claims of malicious prosecution and false arrest, in connection with her alleged arrest on charges of "official misconduct." The charges were dismissed against the former probation officer, but she fails to show that certain incident reports were false or that the defendants "intentionally or recklessly falsified the reports."
Court: USDC Eastern District of Tennessee , Judge: McDonough, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 4:22cv44, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Civil Rights, Malicious Prosecution
J. McDonough grants the state defendant's motion for summary judgment in this disability discrimination lawsuit brought by a former employee asserting claims under the Rehabilitation Act for failure to engage in the interactive process and failure to provide a reasonable accommodation. The termination letter "cited job abandonment as the cause," and the record shows that the employee failed to provide the employer with a credible return-to-work date, after she allegedly suffered an injury that caused her to miss work for an extended period. The court concludes that she does not establish "a prima facie case of failure to accommodate."
Court: USDC Eastern District of Tennessee , Judge: McDonough, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 1:23cv88, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Ada / Rehabilitation Act, Employment Discrimination
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J. Trauger partially grants the pharmacy defendants' dismissal motion in this lawsuit seeking injunctive relief against a former employee who allegedly went to work for a direct competitor. The dismissal motion is granted as to two of the plaintiff companies, as the complaint "fails to state a claim on behalf of these entities for which relief may be granted." The court additionally finds that the remaining plaintiffs are entitled to a preliminary injunction, based on the relevant factors.
Court: USDC Middle District of Tennessee , Judge: Trauger, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 3:23cv1217, NOS: Other Contract - Contract, Categories: Interference With Contract, Contract
Per curiam, the appellate division finds that that lower court properly denied the man's petition to be deemed a member of the NYC Employees' Retirement System based on his work for 54 days in 1997 as a provisional assistant engineer. The man never applied for membership in the pension system, and cannot not seek retroactive membership. Affirmed.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 02198, Categories: Pensions, Labor / Unions
J. Osteen denies a retired businessman’s motion for preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prevent it from enforcing the Horse Protection Act against him. The department claims the businessman violated the Act when he entered his own horse into a Virginia horse show when the horse was sored, or exposed to harmful chemicals in order to make the horse produce a more desirable gait. The businessman denies that he sored the horse and contests the process by which he was accused. Because one of the department’s judicial officers, and not its secretary, filed the complaint against the businessman, he incorrectly believes this delegitimizes the process and demands a jury trial. He is not likely to succeed on the merits and his motion is therefore denied.
Court: USDC Middle District of North Carolina, Judge: Osteen, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 1:24cv175, NOS: Other Statutory Actions - Other Suits, Categories: Agriculture, Constitution, Injunction
J. Higginson finds the district court properly found the owner of the unpowered drillship to be liable for the ship's moorage breakaway during Hurrican Harvey. Maritime negligence law, rather than a "towage law," was appropriately applied in the court's holding the force majeure contract defense was not available to the ship owner in relation to the tugboat owner hired to tend to the ship during the storm. The tugboat owner also had expressly refused to agree to the terms of the agreement for provision of services. Because the tugboat owner had supplied another vessel to monitor the ship after the breakaway, and that tug failed to stop the vessel’s allision with a University of Texas pier, the court correctly found both owners were equally liable for damages suffered by the school. Affirmed.
Court: 5th Circuit, Judge: Higginson , Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 23-40209, Categories: Maritime, Damages, Negligence
J. Smith finds that the trial court properly and improperly ruled in a breach of fiduciary duty case filed by the co-owner of a corporation against an attorney who represented the corporation in litigation. The co-owners alleged in their complaint that the attorney failed to inform the corporation's board of directors of a possible conflict of interest and aided another owner of the corporation in starting a competing firm. Nothing in the evidence establishes a relationship between the co-owner and the attorney. However, remaining questions on the award of attorney fees in this litigation still exist and should be adjudicated. Affirmed in part.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Smith, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 03-22-00234-CV, Categories: Corporations, Fiduciary Duty, Attorney Fees
J. Baker finds that the trial court improperly ruled against an interior design firm that a design communications company sued for breach of a promissory note. The design firm argues that genuine fact issues remain on their counterclaims, specifically, an affidavit purporting to challenge the notion that there was a joint venture between the entities, entitling the communications company to a promissory note from the design firm. The trial court did indeed err in excluding the affidavit. Furthermore, the company is not entitled to summary judgment on the firm's breach of fiduciary duty claims while these fact issues exist. Reversed.
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals, Judge: Baker, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 03-22-00451-CV, Categories: Corporations, Evidence, Fiduciary Duty
J. Wilson finds that defendant was properly convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the murder of a 17-year-old in a drive-by shooting after the teenager allegedly shorted a purchase of Xanax by a group of defendant's friends. Defendant asserts that the state did not prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt regarding his specific intent, but the state presented witnesses that placed defendant and his friends in the drive-by shooting, and his testimony shows he felt provoked to kill or help to kill the teenager in retaliation for the failed drug buy. Affirmed.
Court: Louisiana Court Of Appeal, Judge: Wilson, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: KA-23-414, Categories: Evidence, Intent, Murder
J. Hixson finds the circuit court properly terminated the parents' rights to their children based on sufficient evidence. The department was granted a petition for emergency custody and dependency-neglect after the mother tested positive for multiple drugs when giving birth. It then found each parent to be in partial and minimal compliance with the original case plan for reunification. Though certain evidence shows the parents were bonded with the children, the bond is not sufficient to prevent termination. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Hixson , Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: CV-23-785, Categories: Evidence, Family Law, Guardianship
J. Mooney finds the trial court properly granted an industrial property seller's motion for directed verdict in a case involving an active underground storage tank. The buyer “had actual knowledge of the existence and location of the UST prior to the purchase.” Affirmed.
Court: Oregon Court of Appeals, Judge: Mooney, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: A178469, Categories: Property
J. Mooney rejects petitioner’s appeal of his overall post-prison supervision term. “Petitioner presents no authority that would allow us to address a proportionality challenge in this context.” Affirmed.
Court: Oregon Court of Appeals, Judge: Mooney, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: A180327, Categories: Sentencing
J. Volk grants the government's motion for summary judgment in 27 former Beckley Veterans Medical Center patients' suits claiming they contracted infectious diseases from the uncredentialed use of acupuncture by Dr. Jonathan Yates. The 27 patients' claims are barred by res judicata since they all previously filed suits against Yates for malpractice and, prior to the government filing responsive pleadings, signed releases from any claims arising from Yates' medical negligence including those "unknown" or "unsuspected."
Court: USDC Southern District of West Virginia, Judge: Volk, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 5:23cv243, NOS: Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice - Torts - Personal Injury, Categories: Government, Health Care, Medical Malpractice
J. Gruber finds the circuit court properly found for a brother, whose survivorship agreement with his mother transferred her interest in the property at issue to him upon her death. The other brothers challenged the mother's will, with the circuit court ruling it was the product of undue influence, setting it aside and imposing a constructive trust on the property in favor of the estate. The court then granted summary judgment, concluding relitigation was barred by the doctrines of law of the case and res judicata. The brother's cross-appeal for sanctions on the basis this appeal is frivolous is denied. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Gruber , Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: CV-22-188, Categories: Sanctions, Trusts, Wills / Probate
J. Wood upholds defendant's guilty plea conviction for domestic battery and terroristic threatening. Defendant's suspended imposition of sentence was revoked for his failure to pay fines, costs and fees, and for his repeated rape of a minor child, which impregnated her. He was then sentenced to 22 years in prison. Witness and victim testimony, as well as DNA testing, support the conviction for rape. Defendant was originally sentenced to 120 months’ suspended imposition of sentence for the terroristic-threatening offense, which exceeded the six-year maximum sentence allowed for a Class D felony. This matter is remanded to correct the sentencing orders. Affirmed.
Court: Arkansas Court Of Appeals, Judge: Wood , Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: CR-23-496, Categories: Sex Offender, Threats, Battery
J. Sannes preserves claims for failure to intervene against two Syracuse police officers stemming from the alleged used of excessive force during the arrest of two local residents, finding material disputes remain as to whether either officer had the opportunity to intervene during the incident. The court however enters judgment in favor of one of the officers on failure to intervene and excessive force claims for actions that took place while transporting the litigants in an ambulance to a local hospital following the arrest, finding he was not involved in any use of force during that time.
Court: USDC Northern District of New York, Judge: Sannes, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 5:19cv995, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Energy, Tort, Police Misconduct
J. Merchant dismisses a Middle Eastern employee’s retaliation claims against a Brooklyn health care provider, finding that filing complaint she made against her supervisor, for forcing her to work near an employee who tested positive for Covid-19, is not protected activity for purposes of a retaliation claim. The court however preserves her discrimination claims, finding she provides enough detail to allege she faced differential treatment because of her national origin.
Court: USDC Eastern District of New York, Judge: Merchant, Filed On: April 24, 2024, Case #: 1:23cv3313, NOS: Employment - Civil Rights, Categories: Covid-19, Employment Discrimination, Employment Retaliation