Verdict . News

Fourth Judicial District Court

Colorado Funeral Home Owner Gets 40-Year Sentence for Body Neglect

A Colorado Springs judge sentenced a former funeral home owner to 40 years in prison for leaving 189 bodies to decompose in a warehouse while collecting fees from families for cremations and burials that never occurred. The shocking case involved nearly 200 victims whose families received fake ashes instead of proper funeral services.

•Jon Hallford received a 40-year state prison sentence, adding to his previous 20-year federal sentence for wire fraud

•The couple operated the scheme from September 2019 to October 2023, collecting $130,000 while storing bodies in deteriorating conditions

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Reviews Racial Hostile Work Environment Standards

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing a case that could reshape how workplace discrimination claims are evaluated, deciding whether evidence of general discrimination against racial minorities can support an individual employee's hostile work environment claim.

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed dismissal of discriminatory termination claims but revived hostile work environment claim

•Court found substantial evidence to support racial hostile work environment allegations despite insufficient evidence for termination claims

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Eleventh Circuit Reviews Successive Federal Sentence Challenge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is considering Michael Bowe's application to file a second federal sentence challenge under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. The court must determine whether Bowe's claims meet strict statutory requirements for successive habeas petitions.

•Michael Bowe seeks Eleventh Circuit authorization for a second federal sentence challenge under 28 U.S.C. § 2255

•Court must certify the motion meets narrow requirements involving newly discovered evidence or new constitutional law

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

Second Circuit Rules Appeal Waiver Too Vague in Arbitration Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that a contractual waiver of the 'right to appeal' in an arbitration agreement was too ambiguous to prevent appellate review. The decision came in a commercial loan dispute between Lanesborough 2000, LLC and Nextres, LLC.

•Second Circuit found arbitration appeal waiver language too vague to be enforceable

•Court required waiver provisions to be 'clear and unequivocal' to prevent appellate review

Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Third Circuit Affirms Dismissal of ADA Suit Against NJ Courts

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a federal disability discrimination lawsuit filed by Hilda Kennedy against the New Jersey court system. Kennedy, who is legally blind and physically impaired, alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act during state court proceedings in Atlantic County.

•Third Circuit affirmed dismissal with prejudice of ADA discrimination lawsuit against New Jersey court system

•Plaintiff Hilda Kennedy alleged disability discrimination during four state court proceedings in Atlantic County

First Circuit Court of Appeals

First Circuit Revives Design Defect Claims in Fatal Laser-Cutting Death

The First Circuit Court of Appeals partially reversed a lower court's dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit against Cincinnati Incorporated, allowing design defect claims to proceed while affirming dismissal of other claims in a case involving a laser-cutting system operator who died when trapped by a descending steel beam.

•First Circuit partially reversed summary judgment, allowing design defect claims to proceed against Cincinnati Incorporated

•Luis Prieto died when trapped by descending steel beam in laser-cutting system manufactured by defendant

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

5th Circuit Affirms State Court Remand in CentroMed Data Breach Case

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to remand a data breach class action lawsuit against CentroMed back to state court. The healthcare provider had unsuccessfully sought federal jurisdiction under federal removal statutes.

•Fifth Circuit affirmed remand of CentroMed data breach class action to state court

•Court rejected healthcare provider's removal attempts under federal statutes

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

2nd Circuit Dismisses Anesthesiologists' Appeal Against UnitedHealthcare

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a summary order on Feb. 6, 2026, in Long Island Anesthesiologists PLLC v. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York Inc., a dispute involving the Empire Plan Medical/Surgical Program administration.

•Second Circuit issued summary order with no precedential effect in healthcare reimbursement dispute

•Long Island Anesthesiologists PLLC challenged UnitedHealthcare's administration of Empire Plan Medical/Surgical Program

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

5th Circuit Affirms Jury Verdict Denying Overtime Pay to Farm Bureau Manager

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict denying overtime compensation to Jerry Merritt, a former Texas Farm Bureau agency manager. The court ruled that the insurance company lacked knowledge of Merritt's claimed overtime work.

•Fifth Circuit affirmed jury verdict denying overtime pay to Texas Farm Bureau agency manager Jerry Merritt

•Court ruled Texas Farm Bureau lacked actual or constructive knowledge of Merritt's overtime work