US District Court WDNC Docket Feed

Jackman-Bey v. Bullard - Next Friend Standing Denied

The United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina denied next friend standing to Michelle Jackman-Bey, who filed a 28 U.S.C. § 2254 habeas corpus petition on behalf of Jeremy Raphael Jackman-Bey, an incarcerated prisoner serving a 200-to-249-month sentence for second-degree murder. The Court found that Ms. Jackman-Bey failed to establish two prerequisites for next friend standing: she lacks a significant relationship with the Petitioner and has not demonstrated dedication to his best interests. The petition remains pending before the Court, with the Petitioner potentially able to refile pro se or through licensed counsel.

Yiyi Zhu v. USAA Federal Savings Bank - Compels Arbitration

The United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina granted USAA Federal Savings Bank's motion to compel arbitration in an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by former employee Yiyi Zhu, who alleges her July 2025 termination was based on sex and an impending pregnancy. Finding that the parties had a written arbitration agreement covering disputes arising from their employer-employee relationship, the Court compelled arbitration and stayed the federal action pending arbitration completion. The ruling applies the Federal Arbitration Act framework and Fourth Circuit precedent requiring courts to rigorously enforce arbitration agreements according to their terms.

James Alexander Ray v. Leslie Cooley Dismukes, et al. — Sovereign Citizen Claim Dismissed

Pro se prisoner James Alexander Ray filed a civil action in the Western District of North Carolina alleging his incarceration is unlawful because he was 'denationalized' from Moorish American citizenship, making his imprisonment illegal for lack of judicial, subject matter, and personal jurisdiction. The Court conducted an initial review under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A and dismissed the complaint as frivolous, finding that sovereign citizen and Moorish Nation arguments have been universally rejected by courts and that the plaintiff's claims lack any legal merit under federal law.