4th Circuit Court

Passenger had First Amendment right to livestream traffic stop, but officer is protected, 4th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a car passenger had a First Amendment right to livestream a traffic stop in in Winterville, North Carolina.

Feb 9, 2023 10:51 AM CST

11th Circuit upholds school’s ban on transgender students using bathrooms corresponding with gender identity

Updated: In a decision that creates a circuit split, a federal appeals court has upheld a Florida school district’s policy that bans transgender students from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

Jan 4, 2023 10:10 AM CST

Federal appeals court considers whether driver has right to livestream traffic stop on Facebook

A federal appeals court is considering whether a Black man who says he broadcasts his interactions with police for his protection had the right to livestream a traffic stop on Facebook.

Dec 6, 2022 9:26 AM CST

Federal appeals court bars libel prosecution based on state attorney general’s campaign ad

The campaign organization for North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has obtained an injunction that bars a local district attorney from prosecuting people involved in producing a negative advertisement about Stein’s opponent in the 2020 election.

Aug 24, 2022 12:49 PM CDT

Disability law protects people with gender dysphoria, 4th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with gender dysphoria, which describes the condition in which a person experiences distress because of a conflict between their biological sex and their gender identity.

Aug 17, 2022 12:15 PM CDT

Federal judge’s $216K, contingency-fee separation agreement with county leads to public reprimand

A federal judge in South Carolina has received a public reprimand after entering into a separation agreement with his former county employer that paid him for future nonlegal advice and a 1.5% contingency fee for work on opioid litigation.

Aug 1, 2022 10:22 AM CDT

Retired Judge Luttig explains ‘slow and methodical’ speech during Jan. 6 hearing

Retired Judge J. Michael Luttig has responded to social media speculation about his slow speaking style during testimony Thursday before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.

Jun 21, 2022 9:42 AM CDT

Charter school dress code requiring skirts for girls violates equal protection clause, 4th Circuit rules

An en banc federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a public charter school in North Carolina violated the equal protection clause when it required girls to wear skirts.

Jun 15, 2022 9:04 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Fish definition includes bees, court says; judge decries ‘fair-weather originalism’

Bees can sometimes be considered fish, court says Bees can be protected under the California Endangered Species Act because they are invertebrates within the law’s definition of fish, the California Third District Court of Appeal ruled May 31. The law defines fish as “a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian…

Jun 10, 2022 11:56 AM CDT

Second Loss for Rep. Madison Cawthorn: 4th Circuit revives claim that he is an insurrectionist unfit for office

Congress didn’t give amnesty to future insurrectionists who are barred from office under the Constitution’s disqualification clause, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

May 25, 2022 11:08 AM CDT

4th Circuit upholds restrictions on lawyer ads seeking drug and device clients

A federal appeals court has upheld West Virginia’s restrictions on lawyer advertising that seeks clients for litigation involving medication and medical devices.

Apr 29, 2022 11:43 AM CDT

Federal court officials can be sued for alleged failure to protect public defender from sex bias, 4th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a former assistant federal public defender in North Carolina can sue court officials for constitutional violations stemming from an alleged faulty investigation of sexual harassment.

Apr 27, 2022 10:48 AM CDT

Can Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene be banned from reelection? 14th Amendment at issue

Georgia voters who want to ban a reelection bid by Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene got a boost Friday, when a federal judge in Atlanta indicated that she will likely allow the election challenge.

Apr 12, 2022 11:17 AM CDT

Richard Posner’s lawyer says the retired judge has Alzheimer’s, didn’t have capacity to contract

Richard Posner, a retired judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago, didn’t have the capacity to enter into a contract because of Alzheimer’s disease, his lawyer said in a letter.

Mar 30, 2022 9:46 AM CDT

Potential SCOTUS nominee Childs helps others succeed; is ‘typical corporate lawyer’ work a problem?

U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs, a potential U.S. Supreme Court nominee, wins high praise from lawyers who practiced before her and those who worked with her. But some liberal critics see her work for a management-side labor law firm as a negative.

Feb 3, 2022 9:27 AM CST