5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals News

5th Circuit Finds Travelers Policy Excluded Waste Dumping by Mississippi Firm

Courts have found that policy exclusions often fail due to ambiguous wording. In the case of a Mississippi company that allegedly dumped corrosive wastewater into sewer systems, though, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company’s pollution exclusion seems to have nailed it, …

Federal Court Rules in Favor of Texas Law on Social Media Regulation

A federal appeals court Friday ruled in favor of a Texas law targeting major social media companies like Facebook and Twitter in a victory for Republicans who accuse the platforms of censoring conservative speech. But the decision by the 5th …

Appeals Court Allows Dallas Police Excessive Force Lawsuit to Proceed

The family of a Dallas man who died in police custody five years ago can proceed with their lawsuit against four officers, a federal appeals court ruled in an opinion filed last week that overturned a lower court’s ruling. Qualified …

Louisiana Bars Lose Appeal in Fight Against Forced COVID-19 Closures

Louisiana bar owners fighting coronavirus-related closures of their businesses lost an appeal at a federal appeals court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 13 upheld rulings from two lower court judges who last year refused to block …

Appeals Court OK’s Suit Over Mississippi School Funding Disparities

A federal appeals court has affirmed that Mississippi parents may pursue a lawsuit that says the state allows grave disparities in funding between predominantly Black and predominantly white schools. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 9-8 Monday to …

Supreme Court Declines to Revive Wrongful Death Suit over Mississippi Police Shooting

The U.S. Supreme Court will not revive a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a black man shot to death by a white police officer in Mississippi. Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert was killed in June 2016 in Tupelo. In …

Appeals Court Justice: Time for Louisiana SnoBall Trademark Fight to Melt

Finely shaved ice. Sugary syrup that tastes like pralines or strawberries or pina coladas. Perhaps a trickle of condensed milk and some whipped cream. The making of a classic New Orleans “sno-ball,” it would seem, is a simple matter — …

U.S. Appeals Court Rules for Whistleblowers in State Farm Katrina Fraud Case

Whistleblowers who sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. can seek more evidence of fraud against the U.S. government after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, a federal appeals court ruled July 13. In its decision, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court …

Federal Appeals Court: U.S. Has Jurisdiction in Chinese Drywall Suits

U.S. courts have jurisdiction over claims that a Chinese drywall company’s defective product wrecked homes, and a company that failed to show up in court must pay $2.7 million for damage to seven Virginia couples, a federal appeals court in …