Verdict . News

Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

10th Circuit Upholds Summary Judgment Against Policyholder in Bad Faith Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment ruling in favor of Sedgwick Claims Management Services and Tristar Group in a bad faith insurance case brought by Cyrus Rajabi under Colorado law.

•Tenth Circuit affirmed summary judgment against policyholder in bad faith insurance case

•Cyrus Rajabi sued Sedgwick and Tristar Group for breach of good faith duty under Colorado law

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Orders Forfeiture in Panama Money Laundering Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed a district court's denial of a forfeiture money judgment against Nidal Ahmed Waked Hatum, who pled guilty in 2017 to conspiracy to commit money laundering involving fraudulent bank transactions in Panama.

•Eleventh Circuit reversed district court's denial of forfeiture money judgment in money laundering case

•Defendant admitted to fraudulent banking scheme between Panama and U.S. through Florida corporations

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

2nd Circuit Affirms SEC Victory in Marcus Trust Securities Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a summary order affirming the Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement action against Paul Marcus and multiple family trusts in a complex securities fraud case. The consolidated appeals spanning from 2017 to 2024 represent a significant victory for federal securities regulators.

•Second Circuit affirmed SEC enforcement action against Paul Marcus and family trust network in summary order

•Case consolidated four separate appeals spanning 2017-2024, involving multiple Marcus family trusts

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

2nd Circuit Remands Harris Drug Case Over Supervised Release Terms

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit remanded a federal drug and firearms case to the district court with instructions to vacate multiple supervised release conditions. The court ruled in United States v. Harris that 13 standard conditions and three special conditions must be removed from defendant Daniel Harris's supervised release terms.

•Second Circuit ordered district court to vacate 13 standard supervised release conditions and three special conditions

•Harris was convicted of drug trafficking and firearms offenses in 2019 and sentenced to 120 months in prison plus five years supervised release

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

2nd Circuit Upholds Terrorism Enhancement in Hezbollah Training Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the conviction and 10-year sentence of Alexei Saab for receiving military training from Hezbollah between 1996 and 2005. The court applied federal terrorism sentencing enhancements despite timing issues with the underlying statute.

•Alexei Saab was convicted in 2022 of receiving military training from Hezbollah from 1996 to 2005

•The Second Circuit affirmed his 10-year sentence and application of federal terrorism sentencing enhancements

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

5th Circuit Reviews Venezuelan Sisters' Asylum Cases vs Trump Officials

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is reviewing consolidated immigration cases filed by two Venezuelan sisters against newly appointed Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pamela Bondi and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The cases challenge denials of affirmative asylum applications and involve complex questions about Temporary Protected Status.

•Two Venezuelan sisters appeal denied asylum applications against Trump administration officials in Fifth Circuit

•Cases challenge interaction between Temporary Protected Status and asylum renewal opportunities

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Third Circuit Affirms Drug Conviction Despite Witness Challenges

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Diego Castillo-Pedraza for methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute. Castillo-Pedraza had challenged the admission of cooperating witness testimony and his below-Guidelines sentence, but the appellate court rejected both arguments in a non-precedential opinion filed January 14, 2026.

•Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed conviction for methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute

•Defendant challenged admission of cooperating witness testimony at trial

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

6th Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity to Detroit Police in Wrongful Conviction Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a lower court's denial of qualified immunity to Detroit police officers accused of misconduct that led to Lacino Hamilton's wrongful murder conviction. Hamilton served 26 years in prison before his conviction was vacated by Wayne County's Conviction Integrity Unit.

•Sixth Circuit affirmed denial of qualified immunity to two Detroit police officers in wrongful conviction case

•Lacino Hamilton served 26 years for murder before Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit vacated his conviction

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

3rd Circuit Upholds Fentanyl Distribution Conviction for Pennsylvania Man

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the conviction of Leroy Irvin, who pleaded guilty to federal fentanyl distribution charges. The non-precedential opinion rejected Irvin's appeals challenging evidence obtained through search warrants and his 120-month prison sentence.

•Leroy Irvin's conditional guilty plea to federal fentanyl distribution charges was upheld by the Third Circuit

•The case began with ShotSpotter detection of gunfire at a Pittsburgh housing complex, leading to search warrants