Legal news archive
Every item ever ingested, 2075 total. Nothing is deleted or overwritten as new items arrive -- this page just paginates further back.
USA v. Wilson
ORDER ADOPTING 45 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS as to Laron Wilson. Accordingly, Defendants Motion to Suppress (ECF No. 35) is hereby DENIED. Defendants Supplemental Motion to Suppress (ECF No. 44) is also DENIED. Signed by District Judge John Thomas Shepherd on September 18, 2026. (mbm)
2026-09-18 · via GovInfo (US GPO / USCOURTS)
USA v. Peralta
ORDER denying 30 Motion to Suppress Firearm and Drug Evidence as to Nicholas Leigh Peralta (1). Signed by Judge Rosemary Marquez on 9/18/26.(MYE)
2026-09-18 · via GovInfo (US GPO / USCOURTS)
Fikes v. Perry County Commission et al
ORDER on 16 Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART, as set out. Signed by District Judge Kristi K. DuBose on 9/18/2026. (jmr)
2026-09-18 · via GovInfo (US GPO / USCOURTS)
Terrie L. Fischer, Kendall Fischer, and Jasmine Fischer v. City Parc @ Keller Apartments
Terrie L. Fischer, Kendall Fischer, and Jasmine Fischer sued City Parc @ Keller Apartments for damages and health issues resulting from mold and water damage in their apartment, arguing that their evidence was sufficient to defeat a summary judgment motion. The appeals court affirmed the trial court's grant of the apartment complex’s no-evidence motion, holding that the plaintiffs had failed to produce competent evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Rodriguez v. Leyva et al
AMENDED MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER granting Petition for Habeas Corpus. This Amended Memorandum Decision and Order replaces the Memorandum Decision and Order entered on August 25, 2026. The previous Memorandum Decision and Order (ECF No. 16) is hereby VACATED. Signed by Judge Jill N. Parrish on 9/18/2026. (dle)
2026-09-18 · via GovInfo (US GPO / USCOURTS)
Miguel Popovich v. Alexa Popovich, Baylie Popovich, Cassidy Popovich
An appeal involves the probate court’s decision to declare a will invalid due to lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence, thereby granting the estate to the deceased’s daughters. Miguel Popovich argues the probate court erred in denying jurisdiction over his untimely motion for new trial and requests reversal. The appeals court affirms the judgment because no written order in the record demonstrates the probate court denied jurisdiction, and the appeal was timely filed.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
John Darrell West and Terry Lynn West v. Nasreen Naqvi
This appeal concerns a dispute between John Darrell West, Terry Lynn West, and Nasreen Naqvi originating from a Harris County Probate Court, which was initially stayed pending settlement. After the parties reported in September 2026 that they had reached a fully executed settlement agreement and the trial court had nonsuited the case, the appellate court reinstated the appeal and dismissed it as moot.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
In Re April Clark v. the State of Texas
Pro se relator April Clark filed a petition for writ of mandamus requesting relief regarding the transfer of her claims to Probate Court No. 1 of Harris County. The court denied her petition and dismissed any pending motions, including a motion for temporary relief and stay, as moot.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
In re: In the Matter of Adoption of P.L.F.
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals granted a biological mother’s petition for a writ of mandamus, ordering the Madison Probate Court to transfer her adoption case to the Madison Juvenile Court. The court found that the mother properly invoked a statutory mandatory transfer provision that required the coordination of jurisdiction over the adoption contest. Consequently, the appeals court directed the probate court to move the case to juvenile court specifically to adjudicate the mother’s objections to the adoption.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Monikang v. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Plaintiff Ntseh Monikang sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging it wrongfully withheld his records under the Freedom of Information Act after his notice of right to sue expired. The court determined that Monikang failed to exhaust administrative remedies because his FOIA request was deemed "unperfected" under 29 C.F.R. § 1610.5(b)(3), as it did not include a filed court complaint. Consequently, the court granted the EEOC’s motion to dismiss.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Chicago Trust Co. v. Cherukuri
A guardian and wife of a permanently disabled man sued healthcare providers alleging medication monitoring negligence caused a catastrophic stroke, while the defendants argued the lawsuit was time-barred because the wife was not disabled. The appellate court affirmed the trial court, ruling that the defendants lacked legal support for their affirmative defenses and that prejudgment interest was correctly calculated from the initial complaint. The court also upheld the jury's awards for pain and suffering and denied the defendants' forfeited arguments regarding continuous disability.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
P.W. v. E.D., R.W., and Limestone County Department of Human Resources
P.W. appealed an order from the Limestone Juvenile Court denying her motion to intervene and emergency request for custody in a dependency matter involving a child. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals reversed the denial of the motion to intervene but dismissed the appeal regarding the emergency custody due to P.W.'s lack of standing as a non-party. The court determined that failing to hold a hearing on P.W.'s postjudgment motion was harmless error and remanded the case for further proceedings.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Stargell
Nicole Stargell El Bey appeals her conviction for interference with custody following a bench trial in which she retained her children past a police station drop-off time, claiming a federal document overrode a prior custody order. She contested the trial court's rulings excluding her body cam footage and admitting hearsay evidence to rebut her affirmative defense that she was protecting the children from harm. The appellate court affirmed the trial court’s judgment.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Adrian Jackson v. Janell A. Francis Brown
Adrian Jackson and Janell A. Francis Brown are co-parents appealing a trial court order involving unpaid child support, contempt, the suspension of parenting time, and a custody modification. The Court of Appeals concluded that Jackson is entitled to a direct appeal of the custody determination because legal custody and suspended parenting time are directly appealable under Georgia law. Accordingly, the court granted Jackson’s application for discretionary review and directed him to file a notice of appeal in the superior court.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Benjamin Baier v. Kimberly Baier
Benjamin Baier sought a discretionary review of his divorce decree, but the Court of Appeals dismissed his application because it was filed 111 days after the decree, exceeding the 30-day jurisdictional deadline under OCGA § 5-6-35(d). The court stated that it lacks the authority to accept an application for appeal that does not comply with the statutory time limits.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Bellamy
The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed a district court decision revoking probation and ordering prison time for Deliliah Denise Bellamy, rejecting her claim that the State lost jurisdiction over detainer charges for failing to act within 180 days. The court ruled that although Bellamy had initiated a detainer request while incarcerated, the Uniform Mandatory Disposition of Detainers Act no longer applied once she was released on parole because her speedy trial rights became the same as those of any other citizen. Additionally, the court denied her request for duplicative jail credit because she is not entitled to such credit in a non-direct criminal appeal.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Wilson
Defendant Todd Wilson appealed convictions for aggravated menacing, arguing the offenses should merge and that the verdicts were against the manifest weight of the evidence. However, the court dismissed the appeal as moot because Wilson voluntarily served his concurrent sentences without seeking a stay and failed to demonstrate any collateral legal disability.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Jordan
The defendant in State v. Jordan appealed convictions for rape of a minor, arguing the evidence was insufficient and against the manifest weight of the evidence. The appellate court determined that minor inconsistencies in the child witness's testimony did not create a miscarriage of justice given corroborating evidence like DNA results. Ultimately, the court affirmed the judgment of the trial court.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Hayes
In State v. Hayes, Anamarie J. Hayes appealed her conviction for failing to yield the right of way after turning left onto a 50-mph road and being rear-ended. The First District Court of Appeals overruled her multiple assignments of error, determining that the evidence sufficiently supported the conviction and that the trial court applied the correct standard under R.C. 4511.44. The court ultimately affirmed the trial court’s judgment.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Hernandez v. State of Florida
Samuel Hernandez appealed an order denying his motion for postconviction relief alleging ineffective counsel in relation to an open plea for DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. The appellate court ruled that the lower court erred by denying his claims without applying the necessary standards to determine whether he would have rejected the plea or suffered prejudice. Consequently, the court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case for reconsideration under the proper legal framework.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
S.G. v. A.A.
S.G. appeals the order granting A.A.'s petition to transfer this custody case to Missouri, arguing the Chester County court misapplied local rules and failed to adequately address his objections. The Superior Court reversed the order and remanded for further proceedings because the trial court incorrectly believed it lost its authority to act on S.G.’s motion for reconsideration.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Com. v. Serrano, C.
Commonwealth v. Serrano involves an appeal from the trial court’s order suppressing a firearm that police found in a truck bed during an arrest. The trial court suppressed the evidence, ruling that the officers did not have a warrant or an applicable exception to the warrant requirement to enter the truck bed and seize the satchel. However, the Superior Court has reversed the suppression order and remanded the case for further proceedings.
2026-09-18 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
CIVIL RIGHTS CORPS v. WALKER et al
ANTED. (ssc)MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by District Judge LINDSEY A. FREEMAN on 09/17/2026: The Recommendation, Dkt. 89, is ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS. Defendants' objections, Dkts. 92-94, are OVERRULED. CRC's objections, Dkt. 95, are also OVERRULED. Defendants' motions to dismiss, Dkts. 43, 65, 67, are DENIED. And CRC's motion for a preliminary injunction, Dkt. 12, is DENIED. NCAOC's motion to intervene, Dkt. 41, is GR
2026-09-17 · via GovInfo (US GPO / USCOURTS)
Stewart v. QT South LLC-TX et al
ORDER & FINAL JUDGMENT: The undersigned District Judge believes that the 52 Findings and Conclusions of the Magistrate Judge are correct, and they are accepted as the Findings and Conclusions of the Court. The Court therefore ORDERS that the above-styled and numbered case be DISMSSED with prejudice against Defendants Kinglsey Estrada and John Wagner. (Ordered by Judge Mark Pittman on 9/17/2026) (saw)
2026-09-17 · via GovInfo (US GPO / USCOURTS)
In the Interest of M.T., H.T., R.T., K.T., and G.T., Children v. the State of Texas
A mother acting pro se appealed a jury’s findings that terminating her parent–child relationships with five of her children was in their best interest. The appellate court affirmed the trial court after determining that the evidence was legally sufficient to support the jury’s findings that the mother had endangered the children through substance abuse and conduct. The court upheld the judgment despite the mother’s challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence on both the predicate-conduct and best-interest grounds.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Pamela J. Winnick v. City of Fort Worth
Pamela Winnick appeals the order to euthanize her dog following a serious injury incident, challenging the warrant used for seizure and the sufficiency of the evidence. Although the county court held a de novo hearing and found the child under the age of eight sustained serious bodily injury, the provided opinion text does not state the appellate court's ultimate ruling on the case.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
MCDONALD, MADISON v. the State of Texas
Madison McDonald appeals the admission of testimony from a State-salaried expert during her competency evaluation, claiming the expert violated her Fifth Amendment rights by questioning her about her guilt and was improperly appointed as a disinterested witness for the insanity defense. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the lower courts, ruling that allowing the State's expert to testify was not improper and that any error in the procedure did not have a substantial and injurious effect on the jury's verdict.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Application of 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) to Young Adults
This memorandum opinion concludes that 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) is unconstitutional as applied to young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty who wish to purchase handguns. The ruling states that the government cannot demonstrate that these restrictions are consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation, thereby barring the enforcement of criminal penalties against dealers who sell handguns to this class of law-abiding adults.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
John Elwyn Hanson v. the State of Texas
John Elwyn Hanson was convicted of intoxication assault and sentenced to seventy-five years in prison after his vehicle crashed while he was intoxicated and speeding. He appealed, filing nine issues alleging violations of his rights to confrontation and Brady disclosure. The court affirmed his conviction and sentence.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Wahlstrom
Mark Allan Wahlstrom appeals his conviction for driving under the influence, challenging his attorney’s ineffective assistance for failing to object to a coercive Allen charge given to a deadlocked jury. The Utah Court of Appeals agrees with this assessment, reversing Wahlstrom’s DUI conviction and remanding the case for a new trial or other proceedings on that charge. The court also remands the case to address a contested error in his presentence investigation report.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Heimbigner v. Edgewater Services, LLC
Martin Heimbigner appeals the dismissal of his wrongful termination claim against his indirect employer and two Edgewater executives. The Ninth Circuit certified two questions of Washington law to that state’s Supreme Court to determine whether the state recognizes common-law wrongful termination claims against indirect employers and against officers, managers, or supervisors.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Stephanie G. Rapkin
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered Attorney Stephanie G. Rapkin to a one-year suspension and $3,164.77 in costs after finding six counts of professional misconduct, including failure to communicate fees, neglect of estate duties, and conduct leading to a criminal conviction. Because neither party appealed the referee’s report, the court adopted the finding and sanction, though it noted that Rapkin has appealed the probate court’s denial of her claim for services and order for repayment.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Irama Valdes v. in Re: Estate of Andres Jesus Capetillo
The Third District Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court’s decision regarding attorney’s fees in a probate matter, emphasizing that fee awards must be analyzed based on the reasonableness of the services rendered. The court held that when reasonable men could differ on the propriety of the court’s actions, there is no finding of an abuse of discretion.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Darrin Joseph Dickerson v. Erika Priscila Florencio Dickerson
The Court of Appeals of Georgia affirmed a superior court decision granting Erika Priscila Florencio Dickerson’s petition to be recognized as the surviving spouse of the decedent despite the probate court’s finding of a procedural error in the issuance of the marriage certificate. The appellate court held that under Georgia law, a foreign marriage valid under the country's laws and recognized by comity remains binding until a subsequent judicial act invalidates it, concluding that the delay in notice did not render the marriage void.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
People v. Doolin
Howard Doolin was convicted of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and aggravated battery with a firearm and sentenced to life imprisonment on those charges. On appeal, Doolin argued that an aggravated battery lacked an independent felonious purpose to support his felony-murder conviction, that the trial court failed to comply with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 431(b) during voir dire, and that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance. The appellate court ultimately affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded the case with directions.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Kimberly Denise Polston v. John Marcus Polston
The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal seeking a second judgment on a divorce decree for lack of jurisdiction due to procedural errors and timeliness issues. The court ruled that the appellant failed to obtain a certificate of immediate review required for interlocutory custody rulings and that her notice of appeal was filed outside the permissible 30-day window.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Weilbacher v. Weilbacher
John Weilbacher appealed a Franklin County judgment that modified the parties’ shared parenting plan to make him the sole residential parent and legal custodian of their children. The appellate court, however, reversed the trial court’s decision regarding the modification of the parenting plan.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
Rebecca Ann Reynolds v. Robert W. Nicholson
Rebecca Ann Reynolds appealed a trial court’s order granting Robert W. Nicholson a declaratory judgment regarding their 2009 divorce settlement obligations. The Court of Appeals of Georgia held that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal because disputes arising out of a divorce decree mandate a discretionary application, which Reynolds failed to file. Consequently, the court dismissed the appeal without hearing the case.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Brown
Phoenix Brown appeals his convictions, arguing that the trial court improperly joined his two indictment cases without bifurcating them and that his aggravated-robbery conviction was against the manifest weight of the evidence. The appellate court ruled that the evidence connecting the two matters was simple and direct, thus justifying their joinder, and found that competent, credible testimony supported the verdict. Consequently, the justices held that the conviction was not against the manifest weight of the evidence and affirmed the trial court’s judgment.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)
State v. Allen
Carlton Allen appealed the trial court’s denial of his motion to withdraw his guilty plea to 15 counts of drug trafficking and aggravated robbery, arguing that he was under the influence and lacked understanding of the proceedings. The appellate court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion and affirmed the judgment because Allen appeared alert and denied substance use during the plea colloquy.
2026-09-17 · via CourtListener (Free Law Project)