Browse recent court opinions from the Fifth Circuit. AI-powered plain English summaries, key holdings, and legal analysis of 30 cases. Federal Appellate Court.
Fifth Circuit Upholds Warrantless Vehicle Search Under Automobile Exception
Battieste v. United States, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 22, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress evidence obt...
Fifth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment in Excessive Force Case
Martin v. Burgess, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 22, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the defendant, Burgess,...
Fifth Circuit Denies Injunction Over Voter Registration Forms
Davis v. Warren, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 21, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a preliminary injunction sought by the plain...
Teacher's speech not protected by First Amendment; termination upheld
Nathan v. Alamo Heights ISD, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 21, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to Alamo Heights...
Fifth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment in Excessive Force Case
Carter v. Dupuy, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 20, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the defendant, Dupuy, in ...
Fifth Circuit: Consent to search vehicle was voluntary despite language barrier
United States v. Lezama-Ramirez, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 20, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress evidenc...
Fifth Circuit Reverses NLRB Order Against Starbucks Over Store Closure
Starbucks v. NLRB, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 17, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit reviewed the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) order finding that Starbucks ...
Fifth Circuit Upholds Border Patrol Vehicle Stop and Search
United States v. Conchas-Mancilla, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 16, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress evide...
Contract's 'as is' and 'entire agreement' clauses bar claims
Cuevas Machine v. Calgon Carbon, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 15, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to Calgon Ca...
Fifth Circuit Affirms Qualified Immunity for Officer in Excessive Force Case
Alexander v. Arceneaux, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 13, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the defendant, Arc...
Fifth Circuit Upholds FOIA Exemption 7(A) for Ongoing Investigation
McNutt v. US Dept of Justice, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 10, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a Freedom of Information Act...
Fifth Circuit: Google's AI training data use likely fair use, denies injunction
In Re: Google, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 7, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a preliminary injunction, holding that the plai...
Fifth Circuit Denies Porch.com's Preliminary Injunction in Trade Secret Dispute
Porch.com v. Gallagher Re, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 2, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a preliminary injunction, finding t...
Fifth Circuit Upholds Warrantless Vehicle Search Under Automobile Exception
United States v. Weaver, decided by Fifth Circuit on April 2, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of the defendant's motion to suppress ev...
Fifth Circuit Upholds No Fraudulent Conveyance Finding in Briar Capital Case
Briar Capital Working Fund v. Remmert, decided by Fifth Circuit on March 31, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's decision, holding that the plain...
Fifth Circuit Upholds Denial of Suppression and New Trial Motions in Ryan v. United States
Naoise Ryan v. United States, decided by Fifth Circuit on March 31, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of the plaintiff's motion to suppr...
Fifth Circuit Upholds Vehicle Search and Confession in Drug Case
Parker v. Hooper, decided by Fifth Circuit on March 30, 2026, resulted in a defendant win outcome. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to suppress evidence, finding that...
Fifth Circuit Affirms Conviction for Illegal Reentry, Denying Plea Withdrawal Based on Alleged Bad Legal Advice
This case involves Mr. Cardenas-Ramirez, who was convicted of illegal reentry into the United States after being deported. He appealed his conviction, arguing that the district court should have allow...
Fifth Circuit Affirms Felon-in-Possession Conviction, Rejecting Justification Defense Due to Insufficient Evidence
In United States v. Grace, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed a case where the defendant, Grace, appealed his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Grace argued that the d...
Former Employee's Bonus Claim Barred by Signed Release Agreement
This case involves a dispute between Bell, a former employee of Cantor Fitzgerald (now known as Lutnick), and his former employer regarding a bonus payment. Bell claimed he was owed a bonus for his wo...
Fifth Circuit Affirms District Court's Judgment in Congious v. Shaw
This case involves a dispute between Congious and Shaw, where Congious alleged various claims against Shaw. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed the district court's decision. The court ultimat...
Appeals Court Revives Former FBI Agent's Age and Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Against FBI
This case involves a former FBI agent, Mr. Hagar, who sued the FBI alleging that he was discriminated against based on his age and disability when he was not selected for a supervisory position. Mr. H...
Fifth Circuit Reverses Lower Court, Upholds City of Mansfield's Denial of Megatel's Zoning Request
This case involves a dispute between Megatel, a real estate developer, and the City of Mansfield regarding a proposed residential development. Megatel sought to develop a large tract of land, but the ...
Fifth Circuit Affirms Lower Court Ruling in SEC v. Barton, Upholding SEC's Win
This case, SEC v. Barton, was heard in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and involved the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) bringing an enforcement action against Barton. The specifics of the ...
Fifth Circuit Affirms BIA's Denial of Motion to Reopen Immigration Case for Salvadoran Citizen
This case involves Mr. Fuentes-Pineda, a citizen of El Salvador, who sought to appeal a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) that denied his motion to reopen his immigration proceedings....
Fifth Circuit Affirms Criminal Conviction in United States v. Williamson
This case, United States v. Williamson, involved an appeal from a criminal conviction. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's judgment. The specific details of the charges an...
Fifth Circuit Affirms FAA's Termination of Air Traffic Controller Hardwick
This case involves a dispute between Mr. Hardwick and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding his employment. Mr. Hardwick, an air traffic controller, was terminated by the FAA. He appeale...
Fifth Circuit Blocks Intuit's Attempt to Halt FTC Deceptive Advertising Case, Citing Lack of Jurisdiction
This case involves Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC had issued an administrative complaint against Intuit, alleging that Intuit engaged in deceptive adver...