9th Circuit Court of Appeals (34 summaries)
Lal v. California
Ninth Circuit upholds qualified immunity in officer involved shooting where "suspect posed an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others." Further, qualified immunity "does not become less if [the] assailant is motivated to commit 'suicide by cop.'"
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Rights § 1983
United States v.Morales-Isabarras
Delays in executing a warrant under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(i) must be "'reasonably necessary,' taking into account 'the legitimate interests of the defendant and the government."
Area(s) of Law:- Immigration
United States v. Williams
An Alford plea to a state charge does not provide sufficient evidence “to prove commission of a state crime for purposes of a federal supervised release violation” when the state does not treat the plea as “sufficiently probative of the fact that the defendant actually committed the acts constituting the crime or crimes of conviction.”
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Procedure
Legal Voice v. Stormans, Inc.
A non-party may appeal an interlocutory order within thirty days after entry of final judgment to the same extent that a party may appeal such an order.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Procedure
United States v. Roybal
Allowing a child pornography victim to access pornographic images stored on a computer and “create copies of those images” constitutes “distribution” under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2), regardless of whether the "child victim was in-person rather than over the internet."
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Law
Seven Arts v. Content Media
When parties are in a “close relationship,” the three-year statute of limitations under the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 507(b), will bar an untimely claim “for copyright infringement where the gravamen of the dispute is ownership."
Area(s) of Law:- Copyright
United States v. Tosti
The Fourth Amendment does not protect information that is voluntarily turned over to a third party and then subsequently viewed by law enforcement officers.
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Procedure
Wild Fish Conservancy v. Jewell
Section 8 of the Reclamation Act of 1902 "makes clear that Congress did not intend to permit private parties who lack water rights a private right of action to compel enforcement of state law against federal agencies."
Area(s) of Law:- Administrative Law
Flores v. Danielson
Under 11 U.S.C. § 1325(b)(1)(B), a bankruptcy court may confirm a Chapter 13 plan if it is at least as long as the period set forth in § 1325(b)(4); Maney v. Kagenveama’s holding that “§ 1325(b)(1)(B) does not impose a minimum duration for a Chapter 13 plan” for debtors with no projected income is overruled.
Area(s) of Law:- Bankruptcy Law
Ching v. Mayorkas
An individual has a protected property interest in an I-130 visa petition and therefore "is entitled to the protections of due process."
Area(s) of Law:- Immigration
Brown v. Electronic Arts, Inc.
Video games are expressive works "entitled to the same First Amendment protection as great literature, plays, or books," and, as a result, claims asserted against video game manufactures under the Lanham Act are subject to the Rogers test.
Area(s) of Law:- Trademarks
Woods v. Carey
Provision of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, 42 USC 1997e(d)(2), capping attorney fees to 150% of the monetary judgment "does not apply to fees incurred on appeal by a prisoner who successfully defends the verdict he obtained in the district court."
Area(s) of Law:- Attorney Fees
City of San Buenaventura v. The Ins. Co. of Pa.
"Continuous exposure" and "continuous damage" language in an insurance policy will not provide a remedy for an occurrence arising prior to coverage.
Area(s) of Law:- Insurance Law
Regalado-Escobar v. Holder
Opposition to a political party's violence constitutes a "political opinion that is a protected ground for asylum purposes."
Area(s) of Law:- Immigration
United States v. Sandoval-Orellana
Sexual penetration by a foreign object, in violation of Cal. Penal Code § 289(a)(1), "involves a substantial risk of the use of force against another and therefore qualifies as an aggravated felony crime" as defined in 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(F).
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Law
Sams v. Yahoo! Inc.
The good faith reliance defense available under the Stored Communications Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2703(e), is satisfied when "the defendant complies with a subpoena that appears valid on its face, in the absence of any indication of irregularity sufficient to put the defendant on notice that the subpoena may be invalid or contrary to applicable law."
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
United States v. Hayat
Exclusion of hearsay statements which may help establish the bias of a witness does not violate the confrontation clause if the facts already on the record were "adequate to develop the issues of bias."
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Law
Inst. of Cetacean Research v. Sea Shepherd
A piracy claim requires acts "committed for private ends... [which] include those pursued on personal, moral or philosophical grounds." Belief that your actions serve the public does not insulate them from piracy claims.
Area(s) of Law:- Admiralty
Inst. of Cetacean Research v. Sea Shepherd
A piracy claim requires acts "committed for private ends... [which] include those pursued on personal, moral or philosophical grounds." Belief that your actions serve the public does not insulate them from piracy claims.
Area(s) of Law:- Admiralty
United States v. Pleasant
A defendant’s “agreed sentencing range” is not necessarily his “applicable sentencing range.” “The applicable guideline range is determined before consideration of any departure provision in the Guidelines Manual or any variance.”
Area(s) of Law:- Sentencing
United States v. Hernandez-Estrada
To successfully plead violations of the Jury Selection Service Act of 1968, a plaintiff must show a substantial interference with the "Act's key goals of randomness and objectivity."
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Law
Miller v. Wright
Entering into and complying with the legal requirements of a state contract does not amount to waiver of an Indian Tribe's sovereign immunity.
Area(s) of Law:- Indian Law
United States Aviation Underwriters v. Nabtesco
The eighteen-year statue of ultimate repose under § 2(a)(1)(A) of the General Aviation Revitalization Act "commences with the delivery date of the used part to its first purchaser."
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
Montes-Lopez v. Holder
An alien denied his statutory right to counsel during an immigration proceeding does not need to show "he was prejudiced by the absence of the attorney."
Area(s) of Law:- Immigration
Lacey v. Maricopa County
A claim against a party "dismissed with prejudice, and without leave to amend" is considered preserved for appeal, regardless of whether the dismissed party is included in a repled complaint.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
United States v. Acosta-Sierra
The proper standard to apply for a “criminal assault charge based on causing the apprehension of imminent bodily injury, under 18 U.S.C. § 111, is that of a “reasonable person who observes what the official observes.”
Area(s) of Law:- Criminal Law
Carlin v. DairyAmerica, Inc.
The USDA possesses sufficient regulatory authority over "agency-set minimum prices for raw milk" to make applicable the filed rate doctrine. The USDA’s expression of disapproval of prices set, while not necessarily an explicit rejection, may preclude application of the doctrine.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
Terenkian v. Republic of Iraq
When asserting jurisdiction over a foreign country under the commercial activity exception of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, 28 U.S.C. §1602, et seq., a plaintiff must assert more than the mere execution of a contract within the boarders of the United States and/or prove the action constituted a "legally significant act" which had a "direct effect on the United States."
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Procedure
Pacific Rivers Council v. USFS
An Environmental Impact Statement related to proposed changes of a forest regulated by the National Forest Management Act must, where "reasonably possible," take a "hard look" at the environmental consequences on wildlife likely to be affected by changes to the land.
Area(s) of Law:- Environmental Law
M.M. v. Lafayette School District
In challenging an administrative proceeding under 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq ., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a party may not seek review in district court until the ALJ makes a final decision as to all claims.
Area(s) of Law:- Administrative Law
Alday v. Raytheon Company
When a collective bargaining agreement clearly establishes rights for eligible retired employees, their rights cannot be abrogated by clauses contained in an ERISA plan that is not incorporated into the collective bargaining agreement.
Area(s) of Law:- Contract Law
Buckwalter v. Nevada Board of Medical Examiners
When exercising its summary suspension powers, the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners is performing a function "comparable to a judicial act" and is afforded absolute immunity from liability.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Rights § 1983
Brantley v. NBC Universal, Inc.
To state a valid claim under the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1, a plaintiff must plead facts that show actual injury to competition. It is not enough to allege a reduction of consumer choice or increased prices without demonstrating actual anticompetitive effects.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law
Angle v. Miller
Ballot initiative legislation that requires initiative proponents to obtain signatures equal to 10 percent of the registered voters in the prior general election from each of a states congressional districts, does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause or the First Amendment.
Area(s) of Law:- Civil Law