Verdict . News

•Nevada Supreme Court reversed district court dismissal of construction defect lawsuit involving multiple plaintiffs

Nevada Supreme Court

Nevada Supreme Court Reverses Dismissal of Construction Defect Case

The Nevada Supreme Court reversed a district court's dismissal of a nonresidential construction defect lawsuit, ruling that joint plaintiffs represented by the same attorney need not file separate expert reports when alleging identical defects. The decision affects cases involving Bagelmania Holdings LLC and Somerset Property LLC against three construction companies.

•Court ruled that joint plaintiffs with identical claims need not file separate expert reports under NRS 11.258

•Nevada Supreme Court affirmed Omar Talley's convictions for two murder counts and attempted murder with deadly weapon use

Nevada Supreme Court

Nevada Supreme Court Affirms Murder Convictions in Text Message Evidence Case

The Nevada Supreme Court affirmed Omar Talley's convictions for two counts of murder with use of a deadly weapon and attempted murder. The December 4, 2025 decision addresses authentication standards for text message evidence in criminal proceedings.

•Court established new standards requiring authentication of text message evidence including proof of sender identity and message purpose

•Illinois Supreme Court unanimously reversed appellate court ruling in People v. Seymore

Illinois Supreme Court

Illinois Supreme Court Reverses Good-Behavior Credit for Electronic Monitoring Breach

The Illinois Supreme Court unanimously reversed an appellate court decision that would have granted good-behavior credit to Geoffrey P. Seymore after he was sanctioned for violating electronic monitoring conditions during pretrial release.

•Court held defendant not entitled to good-behavior credit after violating electronic monitoring

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Maine High Court Reverses Child Support Order in Shared Custody Case

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court vacated a district court's child support order, ruling that a father with equal custody should receive an adjustment to his support obligations following the birth of a new child. The decision clarifies Maine's child support statute interpretation.

•Maine Supreme Judicial Court reversed district court's denial of child support adjustment

•Case involved parents with equal shared custody of 10-year-old daughter

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Maine Supreme Court Upholds $6,000 Tenant Victory Over Landlord

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court affirmed a $6,000 judgment plus attorney fees against Shoreline Holdings Five, LLC, after tenants successfully sued for wrongful retention of their security deposit and breach of implied warranty of habitability.

•Maine Supreme Court affirmed $6,000 judgment plus attorney fees against Shoreline Holdings for wrongful security deposit retention and habitability violations

•Landlord's appeal failed on both evidentiary sufficiency and attorney fee limit arguments

•Supreme Court held Pioche case in abeyance pending resolution of related Aragon v. Martinez case

New Mexico Supreme Court

New Mexico Supreme Court Remands Sex Offender Parole Case After Key Precedent

The New Mexico Supreme Court has remanded a case involving sex offender parole duration review requirements back to the district court following a significant precedential ruling in Aragon v. Martinez. Pro se petitioner Darnyle Pioche had sought release from indeterminate sex-offender parole after the state allegedly failed to conduct timely duration review hearings as required by statute.

•Petitioner sought release from sex offender parole due to alleged procedural violations

•Supreme Court affirmed first-degree murder conviction of Breon Lamont Kindred for killing Lavon King

New Mexico Supreme Court

New Mexico Supreme Court Affirms Murder Conviction Despite Appeal Claims

The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the first-degree murder conviction of Breon Lamont Kindred in the killing of Lavon King, rejecting claims of instructional error, evidentiary error, and improper prosecutorial conduct during jury selection. The court issued a nonprecedential decision on December 4, 2025.

•Court rejected defendant's claims of instructional error, evidentiary error, and improper prosecutorial conduct

Supreme Court of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Supreme Court Rules Bond Requirements Incompatible with Labor Law

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico held that non-resident bond requirements under Civil Procedure Rule 69.5 are incompatible with summary labor proceedings established under Law No. 2 of 1961. The December 4, 2025 decision in *Slim v. Royal Blue Hospitality, LLC* clarifies procedural requirements for employment litigation in Puerto Rico.

•Supreme Court ruled Civil Procedure Rule 69.5 non-resident bond requirements are incompatible with summary labor proceedings under Law No. 2 of 1961

•Decision involves El Conquistador Resort and employee Jack Javier Slim in employment dispute

•Justice Womack rejected interpretation that Evans precedent requires review of all unpreserved constitutional claims in criminal appeals

Arkansas Supreme Court

Arkansas Supreme Court Clarifies Scope of Constitutional Review

Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Shawn A. Womack wrote a concurring opinion in *Frank Wheeler v. State of Arkansas*, clarifying that the court's Evans precedent does not require entertaining all unpreserved constitutional claims in criminal appeals. The opinion addresses concerns that a dissent's interpretation would have expanded constitutional review beyond appropriate limits.

•Evans case involved extraordinary circumstances with full adversarial development and structural constitutional problems affecting all local ballot initiatives