Verdict . News

•Third Circuit denied asylum petition from Honduran family fleeing MS-13 gang violence

3rd Circuit Denies Asylum for Honduran Family Fleeing Gang Violence

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit denied a petition for review from a Honduran family seeking asylum and withholding of removal after fleeing MS-13 gang violence. The non-precedential decision affects Minerva Carbajal-Recinos and her nephew Delmer Orlando Carbajal-Duque.

•Gang members systematically extorted and pillaged the family's farm from 2008-2009

•Third Circuit affirmed dismissal of pro se lawsuit against Philadelphia child support courts and credit agencies

3rd Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Child Support Court Challenge

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's dismissal of a pro se lawsuit filed by William Williams against Philadelphia child support courts and major credit agencies. The case was dismissed under federal statute allowing courts to reject frivolous claims from indigent litigants.

•Case dismissed under federal statute allowing courts to reject frivolous claims from indigent litigants

•Third Circuit summarily affirmed dismissal of pro se civil rights complaint filed by Abrahim Fata

3rd Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Pro Se Civil Rights Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit summarily affirmed a district court's dismissal of a civil rights complaint filed by Abrahim Fata against Charles and Martha Lang. The court upheld the lower court's decision to dismiss conspiracy allegations as frivolous under federal in forma pauperis statutes.

•District court dismissed conspiracy allegations as frivolous under federal in forma pauperis statute

•Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Department of Labor against Wicare Home Care Agency

3rd Circuit Affirms DOL Victory Against PA Home Care Agency

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for the Department of Labor against Wicare Home Care Agency LLC and Luis D. Hernandez in a Fair Labor Standards Act case. The non-precedential ruling upholds federal enforcement of minimum wage and overtime requirements for in-home care workers.

•Court rejected challenge to regulation limiting third-party employers' use of companionship services exemption

Jan 6, 2026•1 min read

•Third Circuit affirmed conviction of Randar Vasquez Munoz for drug offenses aboard vessel with 383 kilograms of cocaine

3rd Circuit Affirms Drug Conviction in International Waters Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the conviction of Randar Vasquez Munoz for drug offenses committed aboard a vessel in international waters off Colombia. The case involved a November 2020 Coast Guard interception that resulted in the seizure of 383 kilograms of cocaine.

•Coast Guard intercepted stateless vessel 115 nautical miles from Colombia in November 2020 after high-speed chase

•Fourth Circuit affirmed hospital's termination of respiratory therapist who refused COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds

4th Circuit Affirms Hospital's COVID Vaccine Mandate in Religious Case

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Charleston Area Medical Center's termination of respiratory therapist Charles Miller for refusing COVID-19 vaccination based on religious beliefs. The court held that accommodating an unvaccinated respiratory therapist would pose substantial health risks constituting undue hardship under Title VII.

•Court held that accommodating unvaccinated respiratory therapist would pose substantial health risks constituting undue hardship

•Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for United Airlines in employment discrimination case filed by Leslie Anthony

4th Circuit Affirms United Airlines Win in Flight Attendant Bias Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a lower court's summary judgment for United Airlines in an employment discrimination case filed by Leslie Anthony, a Black woman in her late fifties who was terminated during her probationary period as a flight attendant.

•Anthony, a Black woman in her late fifties, was terminated during probationary period for three attendance violations

•Fourth Circuit dismissed Deputy Evans' appeal on jurisdictional grounds, finding factual disputes prevent appellate review

4th Circuit Dismisses Deputy's Appeal in Fatal Shooting of Veteran

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Deputy J. Evans' appeal in a case involving the fatal shooting of Adrian Roberts, a veteran experiencing a mental health crisis during an involuntary commitment order execution. The court ruled it lacked jurisdiction because the case involved factual disputes rather than legal issues.

•Veteran Adrian Roberts was shot and killed by deputy within seconds of officers forcibly entering his home during involuntary commitment order

•Fourth Circuit panel unanimously affirmed the conviction in a January 6, 2026 decision

4th Circuit Affirms Strother Criminal Conviction in Unpublished Opinion

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a criminal conviction against Robert Lee Strother in an unpublished opinion issued January 6, 2026. The three-judge panel unanimously upheld the district court's ruling from the Eastern District of North Carolina.

•Case originated from the Eastern District of North Carolina under Judge James C. Dever III