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Lanaute v. United States - Sentencing Enhancement Appeal

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to apply a career-offender enhancement to Jonathan Lanaute's sentence for bank robbery. The court found that Lanaute's prior Louisiana convictions for armed robbery and attempted armed robbery qualified as "crimes of violence" under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Deras v. Johnson & Johnson - FLSA Unpaid Wages Case

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the district court's dismissal of Francisco Deras's FLSA unpaid wages case against Johnson & Johnson. The appellate court remanded the case for further proceedings, finding the district court's interpretation of local rules and precedent regarding attorney procedural errors to be overly broad.

Fifth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Employment Discrimination Case

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to dismiss a plaintiff's employment discrimination and retaliation claims with prejudice. The dismissal was based on the plaintiff's counsel's repeated failure to comply with discovery orders and court deadlines over four years of litigation. The court found the dismissal to be a proper exercise of discretion.

Teacher v. Principal - First Amendment Prayer Rights

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing a principal's claim of qualified immunity in a lawsuit filed by a teacher who alleges her prayer on school grounds was prohibited. The court will determine if the principal's actions violated the teacher's First Amendment rights.

Ayestas v. Harris County District Attorney's Office - Habeas Corpus

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a discovery order in a habeas corpus case involving a capital murder conviction. The court found that the district court lacked jurisdiction over the selective-prosecution claims, vacating the order that compelled the Harris County District Attorney's Office to produce internal memoranda.