Eleventh Circuit: Finest Meridor v. Attorney General

Immigration Judge's finding as to likely future danger was a finding of fact that could only be reviewed for clear error; the agency erred by reversing de novo.

Subsequent statute holding that a certain agency is the only authority to issue a certain visa under that article operates as a context-specific enhancement to an earlier statute authorizing the issuance of the visa by other authorities.

http://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201514569.pdf

Federal Circuit: PGS Physical v. Iancu

(Reminder: We don't know many things.  We especially don't know Patent.)

Agency decision presenting both non-instituted claims and rulings on instituted claims and grounds is sufficiently final for judicial review.

Erroneous non-institution is waiveable, and presents no sua sponte obligation in subsequent judicial review.

(Again, completely guessing here.)

Board decision on motivation to combine prior art was reasonable.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/16-2470.Opinion.6-6-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: Martin v. O'Rourke

Although the All Writs Act isn't an independent basis for jurisdiction, Mandamus against unreasonable administrative delay validly runs from the Circuit Courts when necessary to protect their future jurisdiction.

Mandamus against delay by the Dept of Veterans Affairs should be governed not by a finding of the official's refusal to act, but by a common-law balancing test.

Concur: An over five-year appeals process, mostly composed of ministerial tasks and docketing, is excessive.  Mandamus is the only viable option.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-1747.Opinion.6-5-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: Rose v. O'Rourke

(Complex) summary remand.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-1762.Opinion.6-5-2018.1.pdf

Havensight Capital LLC v. Nike Inc.

Appeal of Rule 11 sanctions and dismissal of amended complaint does not not incorporate appeal of post-judgment sanctions orders.

Pending post-judgment motion that can be construed as a challenge to the decision on the merits, when filed before entry of judgment, does not toll the time limit for appeals.

Numerous and voluminous motions justified Rule 11 sanctions.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/07/15-56607.pdf


Ninth Circuit: White v. Square, Inc.

Visiting a website with the intent to use its services and then declining to advance past a user agreement that incorporated an allegedly discriminatory bar on the use of its services constitutes a sufficiently concrete and particularized Article III injury.

Questions certified to California: whether a patron must use a business services to qualify for the statutory antidiscrimination provisions at issue, or if merely presenting themselves is sufficient.  Also -- what the internet correlative to this standard might be.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/07/16-17137.pdf

Ninth Circuit: Ellis v. Harrison

State court's holding that Habeas petitioner must establish prejudice from his counsel's racial animus by a preponderance was an unreasonable application of federal constitutional law.

To establish prejudice from counsel's racial animus, petitioner must establish either his or her knowledge of the animus at a critical phase of the proceedings, resulting in a communications breakdown, or another adverse effect of the animus.

Concurrence to per curiam: prejudice should be the presumption in strategic decisions once animus is established.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/07/16-56188.pdf


Eighth Circuit: Mahn v. Jefferson County

In First Amendment retaliation case, once the plaintiff produces substantive proof from which the finder of fact can infer that the protected conduct was a motivating factor, the full burden of proof to establish a nondiscriminatory motive for the action passes to the deft.

At summary judgment, this nondiscriminatory explanation must be indisputable.

Reinstatement is an equitable remedy permitted against a state official under Ex Parte Young.

Allegations against second official and municipality too speculative to present issue for trial.

http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/18/06/161731P.pdf

Seventh Circuit: Carl Leo Davis v. US

The Supreme Court's holding that the residual clause of ACCA was unconstitutionally vague announced a substantive change in the law that applies to petitioners seeking collateral review of sentences imposed under a parallel provision of the mandatory sentencing guidelines, despite the Supreme Court's subsequent holding that the provision in the guidelines was constitutional, as the gudelines, in the interval, had become merely advisory.

This substantive shift in the law was a sharp reversal from precedent, legitimately causing the petitioners not to raise the issue on direct appeal.

A second substantive change in the law that removed an alternate basis for the sentence of one of the petitioners did not trigger a mandatory limitation period for filing the writ, as it would merely have shifted the ultimate basis for the sentence.

A plea deal carve out excepting any constitutionally impermissible factor incorporates any unconstitutional input present at sentencing.

Prior offenses should be considered categorically when deciding whether the conviction is a valid predicate.

(Important decision.  Again, all this is quick work.  Don't rely.)



Sixth Circuit: United States v. Oscar Robinson

Above (almost double) guidelines sentence based on factors possibly resulting from addiction and the specific harms posed by the substance possessed and dealt is not substantively unreasonable.

Pre-plea disclosure of criminal history did not unfairly prejudice things.

http://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/18a0107p-06.pdf

Fifth Circuit: Certain Undwr at Lloyds London v. Lowen Valley

As the insurer established a plausible theory of harm outside the claim, the insured was required to establish some reasonable basis of apportioning the damage; absent this proof, the insurer has no liability under state law.

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/17/17-10914-CV0.pdf

Fifth Circuit: Albert Pierre, Sr. v. Darrel Vannoy, Warden

Amended opinion.

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/17/17-30458-CV0.pdf


Fifth Circuit: Gorman v. Sharp

As the Fourth Amendment requires a willful violation, a training officer who forgets to swap his gun for a dummy gun and shoots the other fellow in the chest does not violate the Federal Constitution by restricting his freedom of movement.

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/17/17-60515-CV0.pdf


Fifth Circuit: In re Rosendo Rodruiguez

Rule 11 show-cause ruling on untimely capital Habeas filing.

Petitioner should have rebutted affidavit timely offered by the state.  No sanctions.

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/18/18-10337-CV0.pdf

Fourth Circuit: Jose Ramirez v. Jefferson Sessions III

Amended opinion.

Second Circuit: Seepersad v. Sessions


No equal protection violation in permitting aliens seeking readmission at the border to waive inadmissibility while requiring a showing of valid residency before granting a similar waiver to resident aliens, as Congress might have wished to encourage doubtful aliens to be elsewhere during the process.

http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/1a213a40-982b-4547-95ac-62b636db872e/1/doc/16-64_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/1a213a40-982b-4547-95ac-62b636db872e/1/hilite/

Second Circuit: AEI Life v. Lincoln Benefit Life

A conformity statement in a contract, when captioned as a conformity clause and not naming a particular jurisdiction, does not sufficiently manifest the intention of the parties to be bound by the law of a particular jurisdiction to operate as a choice of law clause.

Under center of gravity analysis, New York law governs the transaction.

State public policy interests against wagering insurance contracts establish voidability, not ab initio nullity, and the risk can therefore be incorporated in the drafting.

Notary verification on the instrument of trust formation created a presumption of validity that was not overcome by a challenge by a handwriting expert.

http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/1a213a40-982b-4547-95ac-62b636db872e/2/doc/17-224_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/1a213a40-982b-4547-95ac-62b636db872e/2/hilite/

First Circuit: IRS v. Murphy

There is no good faith exception for willful violations of a bankruptcy stay; it suffices that the IRS knew of the stay and intentionally violated it.

With regard to the protection against willful violation, a stay offers the same protections as a discharge order.

This standard was contemplated at enactment, so the implied waiver of sovereign immunity is exactly parallel.

Dissent: presumption is against the waiver of sovereign immunity.  As "willful" modifies "violation," IRS must knowingly violate a valid stay or discharge.

http://media.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/17-1601P-01A.pdf

First Circuit: AIG Property Casualty Co. v. Cosby

Souter, Associate Justice (Ret.), sitting by designation.  And Bill.

Given a more stringent parallel exclusion in the insurance policy, the more laconic exclusion creates an ambiguity sufficient to trigger the presumption for the insured and the resulting duty to defend.

http://media.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/17-1505P-01A.pdf



First Circuit: Congregation Jeshuat Israel v. Congregation Shearith Israel

Denial of en banc.

Clarification from panel (Souter):  holding only addresses trust obligations of parties.

Dissent from denial:  But res judicata.  Also, written contracts might not be the best way of getting at the truth, as the chartered entities didn't exist when the property transfer occurred.

http://media.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/16-1756O-01A.pdf