Verdict . News

5d ago•4 min read

•Eighth Circuit vacated district court's partial denial of immunity claims for former St. Louis officials

8th Circuit Vacates Immunity Ruling in St. Louis Homeless Encampment Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated a district court's qualified and official immunity ruling involving former St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Human Services Director Dr. Yusef Scoggin. The appellate court remanded the case for further analysis of immunity claims in a lawsuit brought by homeless advocate Yitzchak Simon.

•Case stems from March 2023 homeless encampment decommissioning near St. Louis riverfront

•Eighth Circuit reversed district court's denial of motion to suppress evidence from traffic stop

8th Circuit Reverses Drug Conviction Over Extended Traffic Stop

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reversed Alex Johnson's drug conspiracy conviction, ruling that police unreasonably prolonged a traffic stop in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The court held that evidence obtained during the extended stop should have been suppressed.

•Court found police unreasonably prolonged stop beyond time needed for traffic violations

•Eighth Circuit reversed district court's denial of qualified immunity for Missouri State Trooper Dylon Wyatt

8th Circuit Reverses Qualified Immunity Denial for Missouri Trooper

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court's denial of qualified immunity to Missouri State Trooper Dylon Wyatt in an excessive force case involving police canine deployment. The federal appeals court remanded with instructions to dismiss claims against the trooper.

•Case involved excessive force allegations related to police canine deployment during November 2020 arrest

•19-year-old Ethan Marks suffered ruptured eyeball, fractured eye socket, and traumatic brain injury from police chemical projectile fired at close range

8th Circuit Revisits Police Excessive Force Case After Supreme Court Remand

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals is reconsidering a case involving Minneapolis Police Officer Benjamin Bauer, who shot 19-year-old Ethan Marks with a chemical-filled projectile from close range, causing severe injuries including a ruptured eyeball and traumatic brain injury. The Supreme Court vacated the previous ruling and remanded for reconsideration in light of Barnes v. Felix.

•Supreme Court vacated Eighth Circuit's previous ruling and remanded for reconsideration in light of Barnes v. Felix precedent

•Wooten pleaded guilty to felon in possession while on supervised release for prior similar convictions

8th Circuit Affirms Consecutive Terms for Repeat Firearm Offender

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose consecutive sentences against Anthony Wooten, who pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm while on supervised release for similar prior convictions.

•District court imposed 24-month concurrent revocation sentences to run consecutively to new conviction

•8th Circuit affirmed summary judgment for employer in CDL disability discrimination case

8th Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment in CDL Disability Case

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's summary judgment for United States Environmental Services LLC in a disability discrimination case brought by a former employee who disclosed a heart condition at work. The court held that Donald Stephens was not disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act and did not engage in protected activity.

•Court found employee was not disabled under ADA despite heart condition disclosure

1w ago•4 min read

•Benjamin Melendez had permanent brain damage and made multiple brief 911 calls believing police were stalking him

8th Circuit Reviews 911 Response Case in Brain-Damaged Man's Death

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing a federal civil rights case involving the death of Benjamin Melendez, a brain-damaged Nebraska man who made multiple 911 calls believing police were stalking him. The case raises questions about emergency response obligations to disabled individuals.

•Dispatcher failed to relay Benjamin's specific threat to kill anyone who came to his home

1w ago•4 min read

•Eighth Circuit reversed jury verdict holding CRC Industries liable for fatal car crash caused by driver impaired from huffing duster gas

8th Circuit Reverses $2M Verdict Against Duster Maker in Fatal Crash

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reversed a jury verdict that held CRC Industries liable for the death of Cynthia McDougall, who was killed by a driver impaired by huffing difluoroethane gas from the company's computer duster product. The appellate court overturned the lower court's denial of CRC's motion for judgment as a matter of law.

•Jury had found CRC's warnings adequate but ruled the duster product was defectively designed

1w ago•4 min read

•Eighth Circuit affirmed denial of preliminary injunction against Minnesota deepfake election law

8th Circuit Upholds Denial of Injunction Against Minnesota Deepfake Law

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's denial of a preliminary injunction against Minnesota's deepfake election law. The court ruled that plaintiffs Christopher Kohls and Mary Franson unreasonably delayed in seeking relief against the statute regulating AI-generated content in elections.

•Court found plaintiff Mary Franson unreasonably delayed in seeking emergency relief