The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court’s decision to grant summary judgment to the Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) in a wide-ranging employment lawsuit brought by former employee Dion Plump. Plump, a Black male, alleged race discrimination under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981, as…
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Avis Wins on Waiver, But Court Sends Arbitration Fight Back to Lower Court
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court’s finding that Avis Budget Group waived its right to enforce arbitration clauses against customers in a long-running class action lawsuit. The appellate court ruled that Avis’s actions during years of litigation did not demonstrate an intentional preference for the…
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Eleventh Circuit Affirms Convictions Swiftly, Citing Binding Precedent
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has summarily affirmed the convictions and sentence of Romuel Angrand, ruling that his main legal challenges were already settled by existing circuit precedent. The court granted the government’s motion for summary affirmance, concluding that Angrand’s arguments were clearly wrong as…
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Timely Appeal Missed: Court Upholds Denial of Decades-Old Sentencing Challenge
The Ohio Sixth Appellate District Court has affirmed the dismissal of a motion filed by Todd Plassman, who sought to overturn sentences imposed over three decades ago, ruling that his filing was an untimely post-conviction petition that failed to meet strict statutory exceptions. The ruling centers on procedural deadlines, effectively…
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Washington Supreme Court Denies Reimbursement for Community Service Used to Pay Invalidated Fines
The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that individuals whose drug possession convictions were overturned following the landmark *State v. Blake* decision are not entitled to state reimbursement for the value of community service hours used to satisfy their court-imposed financial obligations (LFOs). The denial of reimbursement for this labor, unlike…
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Supreme Court Rules Resentencing Judge Had Power Over All Convictions
The North Carolina Supreme Court has reversed a lower court’s decision, ruling that a trial judge had the authority during resentencing to decide whether ancillary robbery and conspiracy sentences should run consecutively or concurrently with the new murder sentences. The ruling reinstates the 2023 judgments, which had set the defendant’s…
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Supreme Court Upholds Gun Possession Conviction, Citing Flight and Concealment
The North Carolina Supreme Court has affirmed a conviction for possession of a stolen firearm, ruling that the State presented “substantial evidence” that the defendant knew or reasonably should have known the weapon was stolen. The decision hinged on interpreting the totality of the defendant’s actions—including an extreme police chase…
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North Carolina Supreme Court Reverses Murder Conviction Over Faulty “Castle Doctrine” Jury Instructions
The North Carolina Supreme Court has overturned a second-degree murder conviction, ruling that the trial court gave the jury legally flawed instructions regarding the state’s “castle doctrine” defense. The high court found that the errors were fundamental and likely caused the jury to convict the defendant based on conduct the…
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Nebraska Supreme Court Revives Student Lawsuit Against Creighton Over COVID Vaccine Mandate
The Nebraska Supreme Court has partially revived a lawsuit brought by students against Creighton University over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, ruling that the students presented plausible claims for breach of an implied contract and conversion. However, the court upheld the dismissal of the students’ claims related to due process violations,…
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Court Upholds Bindover for First-Degree Child Abuse, Citing Intent Can Be Inferred from Severe Omissions
The Michigan Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court’s decision to send a mother, Brooklynne Rae Davis, to trial on a charge of first-degree child abuse, ruling that the prosecution did not need to show an affirmative act of harm. Instead, the court found that severe, prolonged neglect—specifically the…