Browse Fourth Circuit's 2026 caseload. 25 opinions with AI-powered summaries, key holdings, and legal analysis.
Officer denied qualified immunity for fatal shooting of man in mental health crisis
Baby Doe v. Joshua Mast, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 22, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of qualified immunity to a former pol...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Vehicle Search Based on Plain View and Smell
Patrick Nichols v. N. Bumgarner, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 22, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress evide...
Fourth Circuit Upholds ACCA Sentence Enhancement for Drug Offense
Rahshjeem Benson v. Warden FCI Edgefield, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 22, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Rahshjeem Benson'...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Cell Phone Search Incident to Arrest
Benjamin Sandoval Diaz v. Todd Blanche, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 20, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Benjamin Sandoval D...
Fourth Circuit: Knock-and-announce rule not violated by pre-entry announcement
Mandriez Spivey v. Michael Breckon, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 20, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress ev...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Vehicle Search Based on Probable Cause
United States v. Preston Mills, Jr., decided by Fourth Circuit on April 20, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress e...
Fourth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment for Officer in Excessive Force Case
Alan Dorrbecker v. Kevin Howard, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 17, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the def...
Fraudulent concealment claims time-barred by statute of limitations
John Eichin v. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 17, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment t...
Fourth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Discrimination Claims Against Merrill Lynch
Kelly Milligan v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., decided by Fourth Circuit on April 17, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismis...
Fourth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment in Excessive Force Case
Margaret Byers v. Gordon Painter, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 17, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the de...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Vehicle Stop and Search Based on Corroborated Informant Tip
United States v. Nathaniel Martin, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 17, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Nathaniel Martin's motio...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Warrantless Vehicle Search Based on Probable Cause
United States v. Dennis Hernandez, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 16, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of the defendant's motion t...
Statements about public controversy are protected opinion, not defamation
Crystal Rice v. Scott Adams, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 14, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a defamation lawsuit brough...
Fourth Circuit: Furtive movements and marijuana smell justify vehicle search
United States v. Derickson Lawrence, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 14, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress e...
Fourth Circuit: Informant Tip Corroborated by Police Observation Justifies Traffic Stop and Vehicle Search
United States v. Naeem Jones, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 14, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Naeem Jones' motion to suppre...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Vehicle Search Based on Probable Cause and Plain View
United States v. Trent Russell, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 14, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress eviden...
Fourth Circuit Affirms Prisoner's Claims Against BOP Official for Unlawful Surveillance
Vaughn Gardner v. Todd Blanche, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 14, 2026, resulted in a plaintiff win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to dismiss a compl...
Lien Avoidance Denied: Settlement Agreement Lien Not Judicial
Christopher M. Cook v. Chapter 13 Trustee, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 13, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the bankruptcy court's denial of the debtor's m...
Officer Denied Qualified Immunity for Excessive Taser Use on Compliant Suspect
Jeffery Payne v. Joshua Moser, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 13, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of qualified immunity to a poli...
SSA policy change on vocational experts invalid without notice and comment
American Federation of State, County and Municipal v. SSA, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 10, 2026, resulted in a plaintiff win outcome. The Fourth Circuit addressed whether the Social Security Ad...
Fourth Circuit: Temporal Proximity Alone Insufficient for Title VII Retaliation Claim
Geneva Enterprises, LLC v. Aaron Chavez, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 10, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to...
Former employee can disclose info; injunction denied
O.W. v. Marie Carr, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 9, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a preliminary injunction sought by O.W. ...
Fourth Circuit: Correctional Officer's Use of Force Was Objectively Reasonable
Krystle Perry v. Stacy Marteney, decided by Fourth Circuit on April 8, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the defe...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Vehicle Search Based on Corroborated Informant Tip
United States v. Sergio Murillo, decided by Fourth Circuit on March 5, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Sergio Murillo's motion to ...
Mold Not a 'Pollutant' Under Insurance Policy, Fourth Circuit Rules
City of Wausau v. Illinois Union Insurance Comapy, decided by Fourth Circuit on March 4, 2026, resulted in a plaintiff win outcome. The Fourth Circuit addressed whether an insurance policy's "pollutio...
CaseLawBrief tracks 25 opinions from Fourth Circuit in 2026. This includes published and unpublished decisions.
The most common legal topics were: Fourth Amendment Search And Seizure (10 cases), Automobile Exception To Warrant Requirement (6 cases), Fourth Amendment Excessive Force (5 cases), Qualified Immunity Standard (3 cases), Probable Cause For Vehicle Searches (3 cases).
Outcomes: Defendant Win: 22, Plaintiff Win: 3.