Verdict . News

First Circuit Court of Appeals

Jan 22, 2026•2 min read

First Circuit Reviews VA Employee's False Claims Act Retaliation Suit

The First Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing a district court's dismissal of a False Claims Act retaliation claim brought by federal employee Erik K. Sargent against Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas Collins. The lower court dismissed the case for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, ruling that Congress had not waived federal sovereign immunity for such claims.

•Erik K. Sargent, a federal VA employee, sued the VA Secretary claiming retaliation for reporting fraudulent activities

•District court dismissed the case, ruling Congress had not waived sovereign immunity for False Claims Act retaliation claims against the government

First Circuit Court of Appeals

Jan 22, 2026•4 min read

1st Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Rockport Zoning Challenge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed a district court's dismissal of a lawsuit brought by eleven Rockport, Massachusetts residents challenging the creation of a new zoning district. The appeals court agreed that the residents lacked standing to pursue their claims against the Town of Rockport.

•First Circuit affirmed dismissal of lawsuit by eleven Rockport residents challenging new zoning district

•Appeals court agreed residents lacked standing for their constitutional and statutory claims

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed dismissal of prisoner's Section 1983 claims against prison healthcare providers

11th Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Prisoner's Medical Care Claims

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's dismissal of Section 1983 Eighth Amendment deliberate indifference claims brought by prisoner James Bailey against prison healthcare provider Centurion LLC and Dr. Luis Lopez-Rivera. The court also upheld the denial of Bailey's motion to amend his complaint.

•Court upheld district court's finding that deliberate indifference allegations were insufficient

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

5th Circuit Affirms Dismissal of $75M Trade Secrets Award

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to vacate a $75 million jury award against Kellogg Brown & Root and consultant Stephen Harper in a trade secrets case brought by chemical company Trinseo Europe GmbH. The appeals court upheld the trial court's grant of judgment as a matter of law that nullified the substantial damages verdict.

•Fifth Circuit affirmed district court's vacation of $75 million jury award for trade secrets misappropriation

•Case involved alleged theft of polycarbonate manufacturing processes by Kellogg Brown & Root and consultant Stephen Harper

•Three defendants convicted in federal murder-for-hire conspiracy that killed Tywan Armstrong and Roger Ford

11th Circuit Affirms Murder-for-Hire Convictions in Florida Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has upheld the convictions of three defendants in a federal murder-for-hire conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of two men. Kermon Williams, James Higgs Jr., and Jhaphre Higgs lost their appeals after a thirteen-day trial in Florida federal court.

•Eleventh Circuit rejected defendants' challenges to interstate commerce jurisdiction and constitutional authority

•Dr. Charles C. Adams and his practice Full Circle Medical Center were found liable for 4,407 false Medicare claims

11th Circuit Upholds $27.5M Medicare Fraud Judgment Against Georgia Doctor

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld a $27.5 million judgment against Dr. Charles C. Adams and his medical practice for submitting over 4,400 false claims to Medicare. The appellate court's decision, filed Jan. 21, 2026, affirms one of the largest False Claims Act penalties against an individual medical provider in recent years.

•The Eleventh Circuit upheld a $27,567,729 False Claims Act judgment against Adams

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed life sentence for former DOD teacher convicted of child sexual abuse

11th Circuit Upholds Life Sentence for Teacher in Child Sex Abuse Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and life sentence of Stefan Eberhard Zappey, a former elementary school teacher who was found guilty of multiple federal charges involving the sexual abuse of children under 12. Zappey taught at a Department of Defense school in Germany for 20 years before his conviction.

•Zappey taught German immersion classes at U.S. military school in Germany for 20 years

•Eleventh Circuit issued published opinion in discovery dispute between Renco Group mining companies and three law firms

11th Circuit Rules in Discovery Dispute Between Mining Companies, Law Firms

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a published opinion Tuesday in a complex discovery dispute involving The Renco Group Inc. and The Doe Run Resources Corporation against three law firms representing plaintiffs who claimed harm from the companies' mining operations in Peru.

•Case involved Section 1782 application for discovery related to mining operations in Peru

Jan 21, 2026•5 min read

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed district court's summary judgment for City of Sylvester and Police Chief

11th Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment Against Former Police Officer

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the City of Sylvester, Georgia, and Police Chief Raymond Drennon in an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by former police officer Demetric King. The appeals court upheld the lower court's determination that King failed to demonstrate his termination was racially motivated or retaliatory.

•Former officer failed to prove racial discrimination or retaliation in termination