J. AliKhan largely grants the employer's motion for summary judgment and denies the employee's cross-motion for partial summary judgment in her suit alleging that the employer failed to accommodate her disabilities and cut her hours and threatened to terminate her for taking medical leave. Summary judgment is denied to the employer as to claims related to failures to provide an ergonomic chair and desk and related to the employer's requirement that the employee recertify her FMLA leave. It is otherwise granted.
Court: USDC District of Columbia, Judge: AliKhan, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 1:19cv1766, NOS: Employment - Civil Rights, Categories: Employment, Employment Discrimination, Employment Retaliation
J. Cradle finds the trial court did not violate the inmate's due process rights when it denied his motion for a continuance during his habeas trial. Although a crucial witness failed to appear, the inmate was able to present numerous exhibits and call other witnesses throughout the three day trial. Additionally, the absent witness had been served with multiple subpoenas and the trial court issued a capias in an attempt to force his appearance, and so there was no legitimate reason for a further delay. Affirmed.
Court: Connecticut Court Of Appeals, Judge: Cradle, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: AC46237, Categories: Criminal Procedure, Habeas, Due Process
J. Garcia denies all parties' motions for summary judgment, ruling the bus drivers' cited evidence fails to establish all necessary elements for their retaliation and discrimination claims and, therefore, precludes judgment in their favor. Meanwhile, the drivers' claims regarding the employer's failure to properly sanitize buses or use hypoallergenic sanitizers in the wake of Covid-19 are not preempted by the National Transit Systems Security Act because the complaint filed with OSHA before this suit was filed was dismissed by the agency.
Court: USDC Connecticut, Judge: Garcia, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 3:22cv217, NOS: Employment - Civil Rights, Categories: Evidence, Preemption, Employment Retaliation
J. Brennan grants the federal government's motion to dismiss, ruling the restaurants lack standing to challenge the Small Business Administration's refusal to prosecute fraudulent recipients of Covid-19 relief funds. The relevant legislation does not require such enforcement measures. Additionally, the restaurants' claims have been mooted by the expiration of the grant period, such that even if the court were to grant them relief and require disbursement of grants, the businesses would be required to immediately return the funds to the federal government.
Court: USDC Northern District of Ohio, Judge: Brennan, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 1:21cv2361, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Civil Procedure, Government, Covid-19
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J. Oldham finds the district court properly denied qualified immunity for the Houston officers. The good Samaritan was arrested after effectuating a citizen's arrest after a drunk driver crashed. He was charged with felony impersonation of an officer and spent thousands of dollars defending himself before the city dropped the charges. The Samaritan's actions were in accordance with Texas law, and the only evidence he impersonated an officer was the drunk driver’s statement that he identified himself as police. The driver was highly intoxicated and gave other, wildly inconsistent statements, and no reasonable officer could have suspected a felony had occurred. A corrected warrant affidavit could not have established probable cause. Affirmed.
Court: 5th Circuit, Judge: Oldham , Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 22-20621, Categories: Civil Rights, Immunity, Police Misconduct
Per curiam, the appellate division finds that the trial court properly found for the employer in defamation claims concerning statements that had been made about the employee's professional and medical misconduct because the employer had been required to make such a report. Affirmed.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: CA 23-00146 , Categories: Employment, Defamation
J. Peterson declines to dismiss the former employee's complaint alleging that the healthcare company eliminated her position and knowingly fired her for using the grievance procedures of her union's collective bargaining agreement with the healthcare company. The healthcare company argues that dismissal is appropriate because a federal court must interpret the CBA, but the CBA is based on state law and thus does not require interpretation in this court. This action is remanded to the Clark County District Court.
Court: USDC Western District of Washington, Judge: Peterson, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 3:24cv5138, NOS: Other Labor Litigation - Labor, Categories: Jurisdiction, Labor / Unions
J. Acree finds that the lower court properly determined that a father abused his child based on pictures the mother submitted of bruises discovered on different parts of the child's body and evidence indicating the child feared visiting his father and had sustained an injury on a previous visit. Affirmed.
Court: Kentucky Court Of Appeals, Judge: Acree, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 2023-CA-0218-ME, Categories: Child Victims
[Consolidated.] J. McNeill finds that the lower court properly reduced a $250,000 award for loss of earning capacity caused by an injury plaintiff sustained while interning for Western Kentucky University because plaintiff was only due the amount that remained following discharge of medical bills. Affirmed.
Court: Kentucky Court Of Appeals, Judge: McNeill, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 2023-CA-0521-MR, Categories: Employment, Damages, Negligence
J. Eckerle finds that grandparents were properly denied requests to bring motions for child support, discovery, and permanent custody during the period that their temporary custody was in effect because the motions were not ripe for consideration until permanent placement of their grandchild had been established. Affirmed in part.
Court: Kentucky Court Of Appeals, Judge: Eckerle, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 2023-CA-0941-ME, Categories: Civil Procedure, Family Law, Discovery
Per curiam, the appellate court finds that defendant was improperly convicted of multiple counts of child endangerment and sexual abuse because several charges were duplicative, and evidence cast doubt on the exact number of instances of abuse. The state may present the vacated charges to a new grand jury. Reversed in part.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: KA 22-00437, Categories: Criminal Procedure, Sex Offender
Per curiam, the circuit finds that the district court properly dismissed trademark infringement claims contending Thom Browne used product markings resembling sneaker giant adidas' three-stripe logo. Adidas contends the jury instructions did not sufficiently focus on consumer confusion before and after sales, rather than at the point of sale, but prejudicial error had not occurred since the court emphasized the affected periods multiple times. Furthermore, testimony from an adidas expert on branding was properly blocked because his methodology was deemed unreliable in surveying the opinions of "fashionistas on the web." Affirmed.
Court: 2nd Circuit, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 23-166, Categories: Jury, Trademark, Experts
Per curiam, the court of appeals dismisses a veteran's pro se petition seeking an order requiring the VA to show cause as to why its precluding self-represented claimants from remote access to the benefits management system is not invalid. Though accessing the system in person or through a CD mailed to him is difficult and time-consuming, the court does not have jurisdiction to issue such an order.
Court: Court Of Appeals For Veterans Claims, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 23-2587, Categories: Government, Veterans, Jurisdiction
J. Young finds that the court of appeals improperly ruled against Texas State University in an injury case that was filed by an individual who was thrown from a golf cart being driven by a university employee. While the individual sued the driver and the university before the two-year statute of limitations expired under the Texas Tort Claims Act, she did not serve the university until three years after the limitations had expired. Both the action of filing a lawsuit and serving the parties involved is included in the two years allotted to plaintiffs. Because the individual failed to meet that standard, the claims against the university should be dismissed. Reversed.
Court: Texas Supreme Court, Judge: Young, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 22-0291, Categories: Civil Procedure, Government, Tort
J. Dick grants summary judgment to an insurer, dismissing breach of duty allegations by the estate and family trust of a deceased doctor that allegedly resulted in her cousin being declared the sole beneficiary of the physician’s life insurance policy. The counterclaimants concede the insurer provided the doctor with a change of beneficiary form upon her request, but she never submitted the form. They also concede her cousin was named a contingent beneficiary on the policy.
Court: USDC Middle District of Louisiana, Judge: Dick, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 3:21cv469, NOS: Insurance - Contract, Categories: Civil Procedure, Insurance, Trusts
J. Bunn grants the state's writ seeking an order prohibiting enforcement of the lower court's order dismissing a six-count indictment charging defendants, a Monongalia County couple, with child abuse, and neglect causing bodily injury of two of their three adopted children stemming from excessive corporal punishment. The since-retired judge exceeded her authority in granting the defense's motion to dismiss the indictment due to the "numerous hours of testimony" she heard in the related abuse and neglect case resulting in termination of the couple's parental rights.
Court: West Virginia Supreme Court Of Appeals, Judge: Bunn, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 23-155, Categories: Criminal Procedure, Child Victims
J. Pillard reverses the tax court's finding the IRS does not have the authority to assess and collect a $500,000 penalty against a taxpayer who initially failed to report his ownership of Belizean corporations. Congress authorized the agency to assess these types of penalties, and the agency is not required to sue taxpayers in federal court to collect the penalties. Reversed.
Court: DC Circuit, Judge: Pillard, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 23-1179, Categories: Tax
J. Marconi grants the motion for leave to amend a complaint brought by a pedestrian who was injured when he tripped due to a hole in a public sidewalk in Conway, New Hampshire. The pedestrian has the opportunity to include, in his complaint, allegations that satisfy the particularity requirement, which he has failed to achieve so far. Reversed in part.
Court: New Hampshire Supreme Court, Judge: Marconi, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 2022-0648, Categories: Insurance, Municipal Law, Damages
Per curiam, the appeals court finds the trial court improperly dismissed with prejudice the county's breach of contract lawsuit against the county fair association alleging the latter's failure to redevelop real estate where an annual county fair would be held since leasing the land in 1964. The county's amended complaint sufficiently alleges a "continuing breach" of the parties' contract such that the relevant five-year statute of limitations does not apply. The case is remanded for further proceedings. Reversed.
Court: Florida Courts Of Appeal, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 23-1060, Categories: Real Estate, Contract
J. Saylor denies in part several funds and their chairman’s motion for summary judgment against their former administrator who is being sued for breach of fiduciary duty and has asserted counterclaims for sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, retaliation for reporting harassment and failure to accommodate her Type 1 diabetes. The chairman repeatedly behaved inappropriately and made sexual comments to the administrator, such as telling her that he wanted her and had a crush on her and that his wife wasn’t taking care of him, attempting to kiss her against her will immediately after screaming and swearing at her after she gave told him his behavior made her uncomfortable, and if the breasts of an employee on medical leave for breast cancer were “any good.”
Court: USDC Massachusetts, Judge: Saylor, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 1:21cv10163, NOS: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) - Labor, Categories: Employment, Employment Discrimination, Employment Retaliation