Federal Circuit: Pfizer v. Lee

Patent, Procedure

Claim not waived, as it was referenced in briefs and at argument below.

The time that should have been added to the end of the patent was appropriately tolled during the interval between the notice of insufficiency and the revised notice of insufficiency, as the initial notice put the petitioner on notice of the shortcomings in the claim.

Dissent: A response to an incomplete notice might have itself been incomplete.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/15-1265.Opinion.1-20-2016.1.PDF

Federal Circuit: Lumen View Technollgy v. FindTheBest.com

Patent, Fees

No abuse of discretion in award of fees, given ill-supported allegations of infringement.

While deterrence is to be considered in whether to award fees, it is not a permissible basis for adjusting the lodestar award.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/15-1275.Opinion.1-20-2016.1.PDF

DC Circuit: Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. v. FEC

Administrative

Agency rulemaking that election contributions must be for the purpose of furthering electioneering electoral communications was a permissible and persuasive exercise of authority.

Not A&C.

Bonus: odd Yeats quote in peroration.

https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/E90D7BF9ECC39D1085257F41006AF4EC/$file/15-5016-1594896.pdf

DC Circuit: Jefferson Morley v. CIA

FOIA, Fees

Fees should be partially denied for FOIA proceedings that partially result in records already in the public domain only where the fees that resulted in public documents are segregable and whether the difficulties encountered militate against denial of fees.

https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/3D5B77098A5F717385257F41006AF4C8/$file/14-5230-1594919.pdf

DC Circuit: USA v. Eddie Burroughs

Fourth Amendment, FRCrimP

No plain error in a court's declining to give preclusive effect in the same proceeding to a pretrial determination of another court's finding of lack of probable cause for a search.

https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/14051A07C66684D585257F41006AF4AC/$file/13-3031-1594913.pdf


DC Circuit: DHL Express, Inc. v. NLRB

Labor

Mixed use space ruling contested at ALJ stage, but not before Board - issue (apparently somewhat) preserved for appeal.

Substantial evidence for Board finding that hallway is a mixed-use area.

https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/A5D074B128A1960A85257F41006AF48E/$file/12-1072-1594886.pdf

Eleventh Circuit: USA v. Demetrius Renaldo Bowers

FRCrimP

No error in denial of severance of joined counts, as motion was untimely, and no compelling prejudice resulted.

Sufficient evidence.

ACCA upheld against SOP, other constitutional challenges.

Mandatory 187 year sentence for brandishing firearm during robberies not grossly disproportionate.

http://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201411585.pdf


Eleventh Circuit:Ernest Edgar Black, et al. Jeff Wigington, et al

S1983

Qualified immunity on trespass, as no actual malice established.

Exclusionary rule does not bar use of illegally obtained evidence to establish probable cause in a civil suit. (!)

No sovereign immunity for Sheriff in ADA claim.

http://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201510848.pdf




Ninth Circuit: Ronald Taylor v. Matthew Cate, Secretary CDCR

Habeas

De novo/ non-AEDPA review, as no state court has considered the specific constitutional claim.

Where the jury is instructed on aiding and abetting, but instead votes to convict on actual murder, but with a special verdict supporting felony murder that is later vacated, a resentencing for aiding and abetting based on subsequent admissions by deft doesn't sufficiently violate 6A to justify Habeas relief, as the resentencing judge is relying on the earlier verdict.

https://d3bsvxk93brmko.cloudfront.net/datastore/opinions/2016/01/21/11-55247.pdf

Eighth Circuit: O&S Trucking, Inc. v. Mercedes Benz Financial Serv.

Bankruptcy

While a person can appeal their own Chapter 11 amended bankruptcy plan if it incorporates adverse elements, there must be sufficient objection to the plan, and this isn't achieved by referring to an already-filed appeal and any subsequent appeals.

http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/16/01/152048P.pdf

Eighth Circuit: Munna Godfrey v. Loretta E. Lynch

Immigration

Petitioner has burden to prove that checking a box indicating citizen/national reflected an intent to select the latter -- here, petitioners other representations to the contrary bar the claim.

Late introduction of the I9 in the immigration proceedings doesn't violate Due Process.

http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/16/01/151027P.pdf


Seventh Circuit: Fidlar Technologies v. LPS Real Estate Data Solutions

Civil CFAA

Direct access to data layer by licensed party bypassing the web interface did not violate statutes barring unauthorized computer access.

Interfering with tracking doesn't violate statute / constitute trespass to chattels.

http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2016/D01-21/C:15-1830:J:Flaum:aut:T:fnOp:N:1690861:S:0







Seventh Circuit: USA v. Tyree Neal, Sr.

Sentencing

Deft can make substantive, but not procedural, challenges to sentencing conditions not challenged earlier on direct appeal.

Conditions here (warrantless entry) were reasonably related to legitimate goals.

http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2016/D01-21/C:14-3473:J:Hamilton:aut:T:fnOp:N:1690666:S:0



Seventh Circuit: VLM Food Trading International v. Illinois Trading Company

Contracts

Transnational contract was formed under Convention by agreement by the parties, and subsequent inclusion of attorney's fees by one party did not become a binding modification, as it was not mirrored or acknowledged in the return invoice or communications.

Attorney's statement that something had been admitted and was in the record isn't sufficient basis for waiver of claim.

Not raising issue of waiver until the reply brief waived the issue of prior default.

http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2016/D01-21/C:14-2776:J:Sykes:aut:T:fnOp:N:1690495:S:0

Seventh Circuit: USA v. Michael Segal

Sentencing/restitution

No error in denial of extension ot purchase insurance policies, as the funds were held up elsewhere in in the settlement by deft's actions.

Although an offer to purchase an asset does not have to be capable of acceptance by simple affirmation in order to be considered commercially acceptable, the deft's right of first refusal gave him an equitable stake in the transaction, and his rights were impaired by having to match a third party's freely revocable offer.

Deft counsel can properly testify as to having seen or not seen the listing of an asset on a list of properties to be seized when the issue turns on a question of inadvertent omission that was not brought to the government's attention.

http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2016/D01-21/C:14-3533:J:Posner:aut:T:fnOp:N:1690615:S:0

Sixth Circuit: Jose Zaldana Menijar v. Loretta Lynch

From December, but on today's list.  Revised, perhaps.

http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/16a0015p-06.pdf


Sixth Circuit: Hobert Tackett v. M&G Polymers USA, LLC

Contracts

Vesting of retirees in pension plan should follow normal rules of contractual interpretation, with only a thumb on the scales in favor of vesting.  Remanded from Scotus, with a helpful list of such rules.

Remanded to District Court to consider relevance and weight of writings outside the corners of the agreement.

http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/16a0014p-06.pdf


Fifth Circuit: USA v. Larry Thompson

Offender registration

Statute is not an unconstitutional regulation of purely intrastate commerce.

Statute requires timely registration when present in an area - acquisition of a domicile or extended habitation is not necessary.

Conversation in which US Marshall explained the registration requirement was not testimonial in nature, and therefore was not subject to Miranda.

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/15/15-40370-CR0.pdf

Fourth Circuit: Knox Creek Coal Corporation v. Secretary of Labor

Administrative

Commission review of ALJ's decisions did not overreach by reversing on the basis that the ALJ had only considered a snapshot view of the circumstance, and that the ALJ had improperly weighed the possibility disaster actually occurring from the violation of the rules.  Findings of fact were not contradicted in the reversal.

Where commission adopts factual findings of ALJ but reverses, review is for substantial error.

Litigating decisions (adjudications?) of the Secretary are not subject to Chevron deference.  (!)

As the gravity of events resulting from a violation are considered in another prong of the rule, the gravity of the prong under consideration refers to the degree of the material violation itself.

Contemplated - but not implemented - improvements are not mitigations.

http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Published/142313.P.pdf

Fourth Circuit: Colon Health Centers v. Bill Hazel

Commerce clause

State medical facility licensing statute does not facially violate dormant commerce clause, as there is no demonstrable statistical proof of discrimination in favor of in-state providers.

State of incorporation is a valid, testable criterion.

Bias in favor of incumbent businesses is not a proxy for discrimination against out of state businesses.

Sufficient policy benefits to justify policy in a balancing test against de facto dormant commerce clause challenge.

http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Published/142283.P.pdf







Third Circuit: Elnor Whitehead v. Pullman Group LLC

Arbitration

Arbitrator's likely application of statute precluding testimony about unrecorded transactions with deceased party was not an error sufficient to vacate the arbitration.

As the arbitrator likely filtered out barred testimony, opposing party's use of spoken parole evidence to the contrary didn't open the door to use by plaintff.

http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/151627p.pdf


Second Circuit: Yale-New Haven Hospital v. Nicholls, et al.

ERISA

Denial of en banc, with dissent from denial.

ERISA annuity/lump sum benefits / posthumous domestic orders.  Or something like that.

http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/78742b70-321c-4ada-8a3a-2b2b4f09d6b8/1/doc/13-4725comb_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/78742b70-321c-4ada-8a3a-2b2b4f09d6b8/1/hilite/