Fifth Circuit: Innova Hospital San Antonio LP v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield

ERISA action need not identify the specific language of every plan provision at issue to state a claim, so long as the pleading is not overly conclusory; the suit might be resolved using representative terms.

Under state law, similar analysis applied to the claim for breach of contract.

As a suit for monetary damages is possible, a suit for breach of fiduciary duty is barred by the statute and precedent.

No error in denial of leave to amend second amended complaint, as the request did not discuss the legal standard for untimely leave to amend.

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/14/14-11300-CV0.pdf

Fifth Circuit: USA v. Richard Evans

No plain error in conviction where the procedures of the medical practice were the subject of testimony and the link to the individual cases in the indictment was merely the patients' medical files.

Finder of fact might reasonably have found the non-narcotics elements of the medical practice to be cookie-cutter and superficial cover for the actual work of the practice.

Even absent a showing as to the amount of "clean money" in a commingled account, no plain error in the aggregation of all withdrawals in computing the total amount of withdrawals to determine if the amount withdrawn must necessarily have included the criminal proceeds.

No plain error in mail fraud conviction where finder of fact might have found an implied promise in the patient communications of a proper standard of care.

Witness' opinion of illicit nature of practice sufficiently based in commonsensical inference.

Arguendo, if Confrontation Clause was violated by not allowing deft to cross after prosecution assertion in direct that witness (who had been notified that she was a target of an investigation) was not a suspect; testimony was cumulative.


http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/17/17-20159-CR0.pdf

Third Circuit: Marie Gillispie v. Regionalcare Hospital Partners

Whistleblower who merely objected in internal meetings to non-reporting of facts already known to the decisionmakers does not qualify for the protections of the federal statute.

State common-law employment protections are preempted by the state whistleblower statute.

http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/164307p.pdf


Second Circuit: Edrei v. Bratton

A 14th Amendment S1983 action alleging excessive force in the use of acoustic weapons states a claim where the force is intentionally applied and the officer is aware of its unreasonable use, given lack of exigency, proportionality of response, and mitigation.

http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/594b7f87-3c10-48a4-8c8c-42b1d446d0a8/1/doc/17-2065_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/594b7f87-3c10-48a4-8c8c-42b1d446d0a8/1/hilite/

Second Circuit: ING Bank N.V. v. M/V TEMARA

A statutory maritime lien arises by operation of law when a vessel contracts for covered supplies and the supplies are delivered pursuant to the contract, regardless of whether the eventual provision occurred through a chain of intermediaries.

The subcontractor is operating pursuant to another's agreement with the party to the contract with the vessel, and therefore the subcontractor cannot assert a lien against the vessel.

Equitable remedies such as unjust enrichment are not a basis for a judgment against the vessel, as the lien is an in rem action.

Error for the District Court to issue a sua sponte summary judgment absent notice to parties where a reasonable possibility existed of a factual dispute.

http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/594b7f87-3c10-48a4-8c8c-42b1d446d0a8/2/doc/16-3923_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/594b7f87-3c10-48a4-8c8c-42b1d446d0a8/2/hilite/






Second Circuit: U.S. v. Daugerdas

Although, since the interest attached at the time of the offense, the government has a superior claim to the forfeited funds, if the recipient of a gratuitous transfer can allege facts sufficient to infer that the transfer preceded the criminal acts, Due Process and the statute both allow the third party, despite the issues resolved in the criminal action, to claim a superior interest, since commingling of funds would bar the relation-back of the government's interest.

"Pled."

http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/594b7f87-3c10-48a4-8c8c-42b1d446d0a8/3/doc/17-898_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/594b7f87-3c10-48a4-8c8c-42b1d446d0a8/3/hilite/


Eleventh Circuit: Sandra Slater v. U.S. Steel Corporation

Maintenance of inconsistent positions in civil litigation (e.g., not disclosing a suit for damages in a bankruptcy litigation) is not in itself making a sham of the judicial system; the court, when making such a determination, must consider the plaintiff/petitioner's sophistication and the conduct of the suit.

11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201215548.op2.pdf


Eleventh Circuit: US v. Ramon Cobena Duenas

Sufficient evidence for a courier's conviction for counterfeiting conspiracy under the prudent smuggler doctrine where the prosecution demonstrates a plenitude of contacts among the organization, the courier evinces an awareness of the unlawful nature of the operation, and the courier's actions are critical to the success of the operation.

http://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201710509.pdf

Federal Circuit: Agility Logistics v. Defense


Errratum.  (Caption change.)

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/15-1555.Errata.6-8-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: Medtronic, Inc. v. Barry

Patent -- substantial evidence. 

etc, etc.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-1169.Opinion.6-8-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: Stone Baskets LLC v. Cook Medical LLC

No abuse of discretion in denial of fees in patent litigation, etc, etc.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-2330.Opinion.6-8-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: Williams v. MSPB

Agency regulation holding a minimal period of unemployment when transferring between jobs is sufficient to constitute a break in employment for purposes of qualifying for protections of judicial review is a reasonable one, and as it's specific, it's not subject to the anti-parroting canon.

When an agency does not inform an employee of the loss of appeal rights from a transfer, those appeal rights can't later be grated by the Board when they are outside of the statutory jurisdiction of the Board.

No Due Process rights, as the boundaries of the right are coterminous with the boundaries of the statute.

http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-1535.Opinion.6-7-2018.1.pdf

Federal Circuit: Chicago Coating Company v. US

As the deeds of conveyance to the railway were in quitclaim form, a presumption of conveyance in fee simple arises.  Reference in one case to a right of way is insufficient to overcome this presumption, as it was likely used to identify the existing easement that ran across the property to be conveyed.  Right of re-entry doesn't argue either way, but a reverter in the second deed further reinforces the conveyance in fee simple.  Etc, etc.

Carlos Quinteros-Cisneros v. Jefferson B. Sessions III

As state law distinguishes sentencing enhancements from aggravating circumstances and requires sentencing enhancements to be included in the charge, an element of a sentencing enhancement can make the conviction a predicate felony in an immigration removal proceeding.

As sexual abuse of a minor is per se abusive, the conviction is a valid predicate as a crime of abuse.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/11/13-72632.pdf

Ninth Circuit: Patricia Campbell v. EDU-HI

Employer's loss of a performance report is not, by itself, an adverse employment action. 

Investigation of employee that did not affect her working conditions was not an adverse employment action; the suggestion that others were placed on paid leave while under investigation did not make the continued conditions of employment an adverse action.

Denial of transfer not adverse, since application was untimely.

Music and dance teacher did not establish that classes other than remedial math were available to teach; the assignment therefore was not an adverse one.

Lack of comparators for most claims.

Claim of hostile work environment from student animus is defeated by district's incremental and timely response.

Employer's speech in workplace reasonable.

As no adverse action, no retaliation; actions had sufficient neutral justification.

Standards for Title VII claim identical to Title IX claim.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/11/15-15939.pdf

Ninth Circuit: US v. Paul Swallow

Sentencing determination that the deft's tennis shoes were dangerous weapons when used to stomp on the victim's head was not an abuse of discretion.

Error, though, to hold that the crime was committed for something of value when the deft had attacked the victim after not receiving the promised drugs in exchange for his wife's $10.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/11/16-30224.pdf


Ninth Circuit: April Bain v. California Teachers Ass'n

Where the original parties to the suit challenging union fees leave covered employment during the pendency of the appeal and can therefore no longer receive the sought equitable and injunctive relief, the case is moot; it cannot be converted into an action for damages, and an organizational plaintiff cannot be joined to preserve standing. 

The remedy is dismissal without a vacatur of the earlier decision on the merits.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/11/16-55768.pdf

Ninth Circuit: Richard Vos v. City of Newport Beach

Given the perimeter of police officers with guns, tasers, and dogs, the necessity of killing the gentleman running towards the exit of the 7-11 presents a genuine issue of disputed fact for trial.

Qualified immunity for officers, as circuit precedent as to the appropriate bounds of behavior when dealing with odd, threatening people carrying sharp things was a bit unclear; question of municipal liability remanded.

As the ADA claim of lack of accommodation isn't dispelled by the fact that the officers didn't initiate the confrontation, the issue of reasonable accommodation presents a question for trial.

State tort definition of negligence reasonableness is distinct from Fourth Amendment reasonableness.

Dissent: Fact of mental illness in the suspect shouldn't change the calculus on the use of deadly force in an exigent situation.

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2018/06/11/16-56791.pdf





Eighth Circuit: Porfirio Rodriguez v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc

In an ADA action, occasional delays in a good-faith negotiation are not a basis for equitable estoppel against deft's argument that the agency filing required by the statute wasn't timely.

http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/18/06/171737P.pdf

Eighth Circuit: Henry Miranda v. Jefferson Sessions, III

For purposes of immigration removal, the question of whether a particular group is a cognizable social group under the statute is a question of law.

Former taxi drivers who witnessed a murder and were subsequently threatened by a gang do not constitute such a group.

http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/18/06/171430P.pdf