5th Circuit Court

5th Circuit avoids immigration-invasion argument in ruling for Texas in buoy barrier case

A Texas effort to deter illegal immigration with floating buoys in the Rio Grande River got a boost Tuesday, when a federal appeals court permitted the state to keep the 1,000-foot barrier in place during a legal challenge.

Aug 1, 2024 12:49 PM CDT

Lifetime voting ban for felony convictions isn’t punishment, 5th Circuit says in Eighth Amendment challenge

A lifetime ban on voting by people convicted of some felonies in Mississippi does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, a federal appeals court ruled last week in an en banc opinion.

Jul 22, 2024 11:17 AM CDT

Federal judge who banned female prosecutor from his courtroom won’t face discipline after giving up cases

A federal judge who banned a female prosecutor from his courtroom and made alleged “disparaging remarks” about female attorneys won’t face discipline for his actions.

Jul 10, 2024 9:18 AM CDT

Did FDA engage in unfair ‘regulatory switcheroos’ when rejecting flavored vapes? SCOTUS will decide

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s refusal to approve the marketing of new flavored vaping products.

Jul 2, 2024 2:38 PM CDT

Law requiring proof of age to access online adult content will get Supreme Court review

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to consider what standard should be used to evaluate the constitutionality of a Texas law that requires proof of age to access websites with pornography and other adult content.

Jul 2, 2024 12:35 PM CDT

States can’t regulate social media platforms to achieve ‘speech nirvana,’ Supreme Court says

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday favored the First Amendment rights of social media companies to moderate content in a decision that sent two cases back to lower courts for more analysis.

Jul 1, 2024 10:25 AM CDT

SEC defendants are entitled to jury trials, SCOTUS rules in case with ‘broad ramifications’

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that defendants facing civil penalties for securities fraud before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are entitled to a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment.

Jun 27, 2024 10:07 AM CDT

5th Circuit ‘glossed over complexities,’ Supreme Court says in refusing to curb US social media contacts

Two states and five social media users don’t have standing to sue U.S. officials for allegedly pressuring social media companies to curb protected speech, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Jun 26, 2024 9:49 AM CDT

5th Circuit rejects nationwide injunction in challenge to task force’s insurer mandates

A task force that issued preventive care mandates for insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act had “unreviewable power” that violated the Constitution, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Jun 25, 2024 1:02 PM CDT

5th Circuit took ‘overly cramped view’ of precedent in retaliatory arrest suit, Supreme Court says

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday for a former city council member who claims that her arrest for placing her citizen petition into a binder stemmed from a retaliatory political vendetta.

Jun 20, 2024 11:30 AM CDT

Court blocks enforcement of Title IX rules protecting transgender students

A federal court temporarily blocked the Education Department from enforcing new regulations aimed at protecting transgender students in schools, finding that opponents who sued to stop it are likely to prevail when the case is fully considered.

Jun 14, 2024 3:45 PM CDT

Federal judge halts disaster aid program for minority farmers

A federal judge in Texas has blocked an Agriculture Department disaster relief program from giving preferences to minority and female farmers, siding with a group of plaintiffs who allege that the program illegally discriminates against White male farmers.

Jun 11, 2024 12:25 PM CDT

5th Circuit orders 8 books returned to shelves of Texas library; ‘flatulent humor’ group not included

Eight library books must be returned to the shelves in Llano County, Texas, as a result of a decision Thursday by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans.

Jun 10, 2024 12:15 PM CDT

Religious-liberty training order likely violates lawyers’ constitutional rights, 5th Circuit says

In-house lawyers for Southwest Airlines would “likely suffer a violation of their constitutional rights” if they had to comply with a judge’s order for religious-liberty training taught by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal advocacy group, a federal appeals court said Friday.

Jun 10, 2024 10:33 AM CDT

Supreme Court restores Louisiana voting map with majority-Black district

The Supreme Court restored a congressional voting map in Louisiana on Wednesday that includes an additional majority-Black district, handing a victory to African American voters and Democrats less than six months before the November election.

May 16, 2024 12:00 PM CDT