Verdict . News

•Oregon Supreme Court denied state's mandamus petition seeking to compel trial court action on sentencing credit issues

Oregon Supreme Court

Oregon Supreme Court Denies State's Mandamus Petition in Fletes Case

The Oregon Supreme Court denied the state's petition for writ of mandamus in State v. Fletes, a youth justice case involving sentencing credit disputes. Justice Bushong dissented, arguing the court should have heard full arguments on the merits.

•Case involves 56-month total prison sentence across multiple consecutive terms for defendant Fletes

Federal Circuit

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity to Officer in Fatal Shooting

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit denied qualified immunity to Officer Arnold Oliver III in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the 2021 shooting of Jonathan Pears, a veteran with PTSD. The February 5, 2026 ruling allows the civil rights case to proceed against the officer.

•Eleventh Circuit denied qualified immunity to Officer Arnold Oliver III in wrongful death case involving veteran Jonathan Pears

•Court found officer's use of force was excessive and violated clearly established constitutional law

•Oregon Supreme Court dismissed mandamus petition filed by Allen Rex Roberts as moot

Oregon Supreme Court

Oregon Supreme Court Dismisses State v. Roberts Mandamus Petition

The Oregon Supreme Court dismissed as moot a mandamus petition filed by defendant Allen Rex Roberts in a criminal case that attracted significant attention from public defender organizations and civil rights groups. The court's brief ruling concluded a case that had drawn extensive amicus support from major legal advocacy organizations.

•Case attracted extensive amicus support from public defense organizations and civil rights groups

Federal Circuit

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

Federal Circuit Affirms Non-Infringement in Ladder Patent Dispute

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a Minnesota district court's summary judgment of non-infringement in favor of Tricam Industries against Little Giant Ladder Systems in a patent dispute decided Feb. 5, 2026. The nonprecedential decision involves U.S. Patent No. 10,767,416 and marks the latest development in ongoing intellectual property litigation between the competing ladder manufacturers.

•Federal Circuit affirmed Minnesota district court's summary judgment of non-infringement in favor of Tricam Industries

•Case involves U.S. Patent No. 10,767,416 and dispute between two major ladder manufacturers

Federal Circuit

Federal Circuit Court of Appeals

Federal Circuit Affirms Walmart Win in Q Technologies Patent Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a Texas district court ruling that invalidated three Q Technologies patents under Section 101, dealing a setback to the company's infringement claims against Walmart.

•Federal Circuit affirmed Texas district court's invalidation of three Q Technologies patents under Section 101

•All patents in the family were found ineligible for patent protection as a matter of law

•Utah Supreme Court's first 2026 opinion addresses Church temple construction dispute in Heber Valley

Utah Supreme Court

Utah Supreme Court Rules on Temple Construction Dispute in Heber Valley

The Utah Supreme Court issued its first opinion of 2026 in a land-use dispute over The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' planned 88,000 square-foot temple in Heber Valley, with nearby residents challenging Wasatch County's approval of the project.

•Residents challenged Wasatch County's approval of 88,000 square-foot temple project

•Arkansas Supreme Court reprimanded attorney Dana McClain for filing AI-generated fake case citations

Arkansas Supreme Court

Arkansas Court Reprimands Attorney for Filing AI-Generated Fake Case Law

The Arkansas Supreme Court issued a formal reprimand to attorney Dana McClain after she filed legal pleadings containing case law and statutes generated by artificial intelligence. McClain admitted to professional misconduct and accepted self-imposed sanctions after using Microsoft Office Copilot to generate citations to non-existent cases.

•McClain used Microsoft Office Copilot to generate non-existent legal precedents and statutes

•Arkansas Supreme Court proposes expanding who can receive legal service for incarcerated persons beyond just facility administrators

Arkansas Supreme Court

Arkansas Supreme Court Seeks Comment on Service Rule Changes for Inmates

The Arkansas Supreme Court has published proposed amendments to Rule 4(f)(4) of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure that would streamline how legal documents are served on incarcerated persons. The court is accepting public comments through April 1, 2026, before considering final adoption of the changes.

•Current rule requiring service specifically on "the administrator" has proven impractical when administrators are unavailable

•Proposed Rule 412 would only allow evidence of medical costs actually paid or legally owed in Arkansas courts

Arkansas Supreme Court

Arkansas Supreme Court Proposes Rule Limiting Medical Cost Evidence

The Arkansas Supreme Court has proposed a new evidentiary rule that would restrict what medical cost evidence can be presented in personal injury lawsuits. The proposed Rule 412 would only allow evidence of costs actually paid or legally owed, potentially reducing damage awards by excluding inflated medical bills.

•The rule responds to 2025 legislative changes and aims to prevent recovery based on inflated medical bills