Search

District of Columbia v. R.W. - Reasonable Suspicion

The Supreme Court reversed the D.C. Court of Appeals in District of Columbia v. R.W., holding that Officer Vanterpool had reasonable suspicion to stop R.W. based on the totality of circumstances: a late-night dispatch about a suspicious vehicle, two passengers fleeing upon seeing police, and the driver backing up without closing the open door. The Court found the D.C. Court of Appeals erred by 'excis[ing]' the radio dispatch and companions' flight from its analysis, which is incompatible with the totality-of-circumstances test required by Fourth Amendment precedent.

Justice Department Files Clean Water Act Complaint Against DC Water for Potomac Interceptor Failure

The Department of Justice, on behalf of EPA, filed a civil complaint in federal court against the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) and the District of Columbia for Clean Water Act violations stemming from the January 19, 2026 collapse of the Potomac Interceptor, which discharged more than 200 million gallons of raw, untreated sewage into the Potomac River. The complaint alleges DC Water failed to properly operate and maintain its sewer system in a manner that keeps untreated sewage out of waterways and areas with risk of human contact. The complaint seeks financial penalties, sewer assessment and rehabilitation projects, pollutant mitigation work, and an order requiring DC Water to develop an Enhanced Operations and Maintenance Plan for all its sewer lines.

Live Nation Will Pay $9.9M for Deceptive Ticket Pricing

The District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General has settled with Live Nation for $9.9 million over allegations of deceptive ticket pricing, hidden fees, and misleading pressure tactics from 2015 to May 2025. The settlement requires Live Nation to display total ticket prices upfront and provide additional fee disclosures, with up to $8.9 million going to consumer refunds. The settlement resolves a consumer protection investigation separate from an ongoing antitrust case.

District of Columbia v. R.W. — Certiorari Granted, Fourth Amendment Reasonable Suspicion Standard Clarified

The Supreme Court reversed the D.C. Court of Appeals in District of Columbia v. R.W., holding that Officer Vanterpool had reasonable suspicion to stop R.W. based on the totality of circumstances: a late-night dispatch about a suspicious vehicle, two passengers fleeing upon seeing police, and R.W.'s unusual conduct in backing up the car without closing the open door. The Court clarified that the totality-of-circumstances test precludes 'divide-and-conquer analysis' where courts excise individual factors before assessment. The case was remanded for further proceedings.

John Doe v. Securities and Exchange Commission

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a sealed opinion on April 17, 2026, in Case No. 23-1124, resolving a petition for review filed by John Doe challenging an SEC enforcement action (SEC-2023-47). The opinion remains under seal and is not available to the public. A panel comprising Circuit Judges Pillard, Pan, and Senior Circuit Judge Rogers presided over the matter.

Liu v. 2000 Broadway G2 LLC et al - Consumer Credit Suit

Chang Liu filed a civil consumer credit complaint in the Northern District of California against 2000 Broadway G2 LLC, Columbia Debt Recovery LLC (dba Genesis), and Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC on April 17, 2026. The complaint carries a $405 filing fee and has been assigned case number 3:26-cv-03289. Proposed summonses have been filed for all three defendants.