Verdict . News

Regulatory

•Prime Food Processing LLC voluntarily recalled dried croaker fish for failing to meet FDA evisceration standards

Brooklyn Food Company Recalls Dried Fish Over FDA Safety Violations

Prime Food Processing LLC of Brooklyn voluntarily recalled dried croaker fish products after failing to meet FDA evisceration requirements. The recall highlights potential health risks from improperly processed fish products.

•Improperly eviscerated fish poses health risks including bacterial contamination and potential allergen exposure

Supreme Court

•Chief Justice Roberts implemented mandatory NDAs for Court staff in November 2024

Supreme Court

Chief Justice Roberts Requires NDAs for Court Staff After Major Leaks

Chief Justice John Roberts began requiring Supreme Court employees to sign nondisclosure agreements in November 2024, following a series of unprecedented leaks including the Dobbs abortion decision draft. The new confidentiality measures represent a departure from the Court's traditional reliance on informal codes of conduct.

•Decision follows major leaks including the Dobbs abortion decision draft and ethics reports

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

2w ago•2 min read

11th Circuit Rejects Prisoner's Claims Over Cellmate Violence

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed lower court rulings dismissing federal prisoner David A. Diehl's civil rights lawsuit against prison officials. Diehl alleged negligent cellmate assignment and excessive force through pepper spray use following an attack by his cellmate.

•Federal prisoner David A. Diehl lost his civil rights lawsuit against prison officials on appeal

•The Eleventh Circuit affirmed dismissal of claims for negligent cellmate assignment and excessive force via pepper spray

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

8th Circuit Upholds 63-Month Sentence for Prohibited Firearm Possession

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a 63-month federal prison sentence for Christopher King, who pled guilty to illegal firearm possession by a prohibited person. King unsuccessfully challenged the district court's sentencing guidelines calculations on appeal.

•Christopher King pled guilty to federal firearms violations under 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 922(g)(3), and 924(a)(8)

•The Eighth Circuit affirmed his 63-month sentence, rejecting challenges to sentencing guidelines calculations

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

2w ago•5 min read

3rd Circuit: Attempted Murder of Federal Witness Is 'Crime of Violence'

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a precedential ruling February 3 determining that attempted murder of a federal witness qualifies as a 'crime of violence' under federal sentencing guidelines. The decision in *United States v. Dameia Smith* upholds enhanced penalties for crimes targeting witnesses in federal cases.

•Third Circuit ruled attempted murder of federal witness qualifies as 'crime of violence' under § 924(c)

•Decision upholds 40-year sentence enhancement for defendant who targeted federal witness

State Court

•Florida Supreme Court denied death row inmate Ronald Palmer Heath's final appeals with execution set for February 10, 2026

Florida Supreme Court

Florida Supreme Court Denies Death Row Inmate's Final Appeals

The Florida Supreme Court denied all appeals from death row inmate Ronald Palmer Heath, scheduled for execution February 10, 2026. Heath was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1989 killing of Michael Sheridan in Gainesville.

•Heath was convicted of first-degree murder of traveling salesman Michael Sheridan in Gainesville in 1989

State Court

•Supreme Court of Georgia unanimously denied certiorari petition in medical malpractice case

Georgia Supreme Court

Georgia Supreme Court Denies Cert in Medical Malpractice Case

The Supreme Court of Georgia unanimously denied a petition for certiorari in Georgia Bone & Joint Surgeons, P.C. v. Keel, effectively ending the medical malpractice case's appeals process. The denial leaves standing a Court of Appeals ruling that rejected the medical practice's challenge to jury instruction procedures.

•Case involved dispute over jury instruction standards for evaluating medical expert testimony

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

Second Circuit Issues Summary Order in Residential Capital LLC Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a summary order on February 3, 2026, in the ongoing Residential Capital LLC bankruptcy case involving the ResCap Liquidating Trust and multiple settlement class representatives. The ruling addresses disputes stemming from the collapse of the mortgage lender that was a key player in the 2008 financial crisis.

•Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued summary order in long-running Residential Capital LLC bankruptcy case

•Case involves ResCap Liquidating Trust and multiple settlement class representatives seeking remedies

State Court

•Georgia Supreme Court denied Jeffrey Flakes Jr.'s appeal of murder conviction in 2018 shooting death

Georgia Supreme Court

Georgia Supreme Court Splits on Murder Convictions in 2018 Shooting Case

The Georgia Supreme Court issued split decisions Feb. 3 in appeals stemming from the 2018 murder of Stanford Duane Jones, denying Jeffrey Flakes Jr.'s appeal while reviewing the State's challenge to Curtis Williams III's granted new trial motion.

•Curtis Williams III received new trial from lower court due to prosecutorial conflict of interest concerns