9th Circuit Court of Appeals (16 summaries)
Oyeniran v. Holder
The Board of Immigration Appeals is bound to its prior determinations of past incidents of government-sponsored violence under collateral estoppel, and it abuses its discretion when it fails to reopen a proceeding when the petitioner presents new evidence that is sufficient, dramatic, and compelling.
Area(s) of Law:- Immigration
Beets v. County of Los Angeles
Under Heck v. Humphrey , 512 U.S. 477 (1994), a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim is barred where the issue has already been considered and decided in another proceeding with a sufficient community of interest to the current proceeding.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
United States v. Juvenile Male
Both the statutory text and legislative history of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification ACT ("SORNA") show that the registration requirements for juveniles convicted of aggravated sex offenses do not violate the confidentiality provisions of the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act ("FJDA").
Area(s) of Law:- Juvenile Law
Chettiar v. Holder
Under the Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986, the Citizenship and Immigration Services does not lose jurisdiction of a petition to remove conditions placed on residence pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1186a(c)(3)(A) if it fails adjudicate the petition within ninety days.
Area(s) of Law:- Immigration
Estrella v. Ollison
Sentencing errors under Apprendi v. New Jersey , 530 U.S. 466 (2000), are harmless if the reviewing court can ascertain that the sentencing judge was presented with sufficient evidence to conclude that a jury would have found the aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt.
Area(s) of Law:- Sentencing
Merolillo v. Yates
Under Brecht v. Abrahamson, habeas relief is warranted only if the error has a “substantial and injurious effect” in determining the jury’s verdict and that determination is guided by five non-exclusive factors articulated in Delaware v. Van Arsdall.
Area(s) of Law:- Habeas Corpus
Rock Creek Alliance v. USF & W
Reviewing a challenge to biological opinions issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, the opinions will be upheld so long as they are not arbitrary, capricious, or in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
Area(s) of Law:- Administrative Law
Boyer v. Belleque
In reviewing the petition for a writ of habeas corpus, the court looks first to state law to determine the elements of the crime and then to the federal question of whether the state court was objectively unreasonable in concluding the evidence was sufficient to support its decision.
Area(s) of Law:- Habeas Corpus
United States v. Krupa
A reviewing court should give a magistrate’s determination of probable cause great deference when determining whether, under the totality of the circumstances, the information provided to the magistrates created a fair probability that contraband or evidence would be found.
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Procedure
Trigueros v. Adams
Compelling factual circumstances can indicate that a court denied a petition on the merits instead of as untimely when the court is silent on the issue.
Area(s) of Law:- Habeas Corpus
Chevron U.S.A. v. M & M Petroleum Services
Under 15 U.S.C. § 2805(d), a franchisee can open itself up to liability for attorney’s fees by filing a frivolous counterclaim.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
United States v. Hunt
To sustain an increased penalty beyond the statutory maximum for intent to distribute cocaine, either the defendant must admit his or her intent to possess cocaine or the government must prove the intent to possess cocaine to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.
Area(s) of Law:- Sentencing
United States v. Clements
For persons convicted of sex offenses prior to the Sex Offender Registration Notification Act, the registration requirements were not effective until August 1, 2008.
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Law
In Defense of Animals v. U.S. Dept. of the Interior
An interlocutory appeal from the denial of a preliminary injunction is moot when the event the injunction was filed to stop has already occurred.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
United States v. Espinoza-Baza
The defense of derivative citizenship is not appropriate where the theory is not supported in the record by a factual foundation and the proffered evidence is no more than a mere “scintilla of evidence.”
Area(s) of Law:- Immigration
United States v. Stanley
Consent to search a computer by an individual thought to be a co-owner will survive Fourth Amendment scrutiny when the searching officer believed, based on the totality of the circumstances, that the consenting individual had authority.
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Procedure