Verdict . News

•11th Circuit granted en banc rehearing after majority of active judges voted in favor

11th Circuit Grants En Banc Rehearing in ESOP Class Action Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has granted a rare en banc rehearing in *Bolton v. Inland Fresh Seafood Corporation of America*, a class action lawsuit involving Employee Stock Ownership Plan participants. The full court's decision vacates the previous panel opinion.

•Previous three-judge panel opinion has been vacated pending full court review

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed revocation of supervised release for armed robbery allegations

11th Circuit Affirms Supervised Release Revocation for Armed Robbery

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected an appeal by Emmannuel Rodole Francois challenging the revocation of his supervised release. Francois argued that the government failed to produce sufficient evidence of armed robbery and armed false imprisonment.

•Francois challenged both evidence sufficiency and confrontation rights violations

•Veteran filed FTCA negligence claim against VA after alleged neck injury during urological surgery

11th Circuit Dismisses Veteran's Medical Malpractice Suit Against VA

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit dismissed a Federal Tort Claims Act lawsuit filed by veteran Cassius Standifer Peak against the Department of Veterans Affairs. Peak alleged that VA medical staff negligently injured his neck during urological surgery while he was under anesthesia at the Atlanta VA Medical Center.

•District court dismissed lawsuit for missing six-month filing deadline after VA claim denial

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed Metropolitan Life's denial of accidental death benefits when chronic diseases contributed to death after accidental injury

11th Circuit Affirms Insurance Denial in Accidental Death Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed an insurance company's denial of accidental death benefits in *Brittany Finney v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company*, ruling that the insurer properly applied a policy exclusion when the deceased's chronic diseases contributed to her death following surgery for an accidental leg fracture.

•Selina Anderson died within a week of breaking her leg in a parking lot fall, but underlying health conditions made her vulnerable to fatal surgical complications

•11th Circuit found district court exceeded statutory maximum when sentencing defendant for supervised release violation

11th Circuit Vacates Sentence in Child Pornography Case Over Statutory Limit

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted a defendant's motion to vacate his prison sentence after finding the district court exceeded statutory limits when sentencing Randolph Ashlock for violating supervised release. The court remanded the case for resentencing on child pornography convictions.

•Ashlock was originally convicted for possession and receipt of child pornography involving victim under 12 years old

•Pro se inmate Shaun Stewart seeks appeal deadline extension, claiming jail staff obstructed his court mail

11th Circuit Reviews Inmate's Mail Obstruction Claims in Civil Rights Appeal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is considering whether to extend appeal deadlines for pro se inmate Shaun Patrick Stewart, who alleges jail staff systematically obstructed his court mail and prevented timely filing of his civil rights lawsuit appeal.

•Stewart's civil rights lawsuit against two Florida counties and jail officials was dismissed in February 2025

•The 11th Circuit affirmed Martinez's conviction for conspiracy to steal trade secrets under 18 U.S.C. § 1832(a)(5)

11th Circuit Upholds Trade Secrets Conviction in Martinez Appeal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Juan Martinez for conspiracy to steal trade secrets under federal law. Martinez challenged both the trial court's exclusion of a legal impossibility defense and the sentencing enhancement based on intended loss calculations.

•The court rejected Martinez's argument that he should have been allowed to raise a legal impossibility defense in closing arguments

•District court dismissed GS Holistic's case without prejudice due to attorney's failure to attend final pretrial conference

11th Circuit Affirms Dismissal After Attorney Skips Pretrial Conference

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's dismissal of GS Holistic LLC's lawsuit after the plaintiff's attorney failed to attend a mandatory final pretrial conference. The January 23, 2026 ruling demonstrates the serious consequences when counsel fails to comply with basic procedural requirements.

•Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal in a brief per curiam opinion

•Eleventh Circuit reissued revised opinion maintaining partial affirmance and vacation of Hassan Jones's drug and gun convictions

Eleventh Circuit Reissues Opinion Affirming Hassan Jones Convictions

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has reissued a revised opinion in *United States v. Hassan Jones*, partially affirming and partially vacating the defendant's drug and gun-related convictions. The court made clarifications regarding prosecutorial misconduct while maintaining its original holding.

•Court clarified findings on prosecutorial misconduct, distinguishing between reversible error and deliberate intent to mislead jury