In Human Rights Defense Center v. Uttecht, published December 11, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded summary judgment for the defendants. The plaintiff publisher publishes a habeas corpus guide that it distributes to prisoners. The guide contains sample pleadings with party names redacted. The state department…
In Cheairs v. City of Seattle, published August 1, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment in favor of the defendants. During a protest of the death of George Floyd, protesters breached police fencing surrounding a police station, ignored police orders to fall back, and advanced on the police line. Protesters shined lasers…
In Brown v. City of Inglewood, published July 7, 2025, the California Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the lower court of appeal, which reversed the denial of an anti-SLAPP special motion to strike. The plaintiff, the elected treasurer of the defendant city, wrote to the city and several of its officials, including the mayor and…
In DeFrancesco v. Robbins, published May 7, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 lawsuit at the pleadings stage due to qualified immunity. The lawsuit alleged that both the plaintiff and his husband held high positions at a university. The plaintiff's husband spoke out about the university's hiring…
In Jensen v. Brown, published March 10, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 lawsuit without leave to amend. The plaintiff is a mathematics professor at a state community college. The board of regents for the state college system adopted a policy that lowered the academic level…
In Bird v. Dizurenda, published March 13, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court's denial of summary judgment to defendant prison guards based on qualified immunity. The plaintiff inmate approached the officer in charge of his cell unit and requested that he be moved from his cell at once because of issues…
In Wiley v. Kern High School District, ordered partially published on December 20, 2024, the Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed a demurrer to a claim under Civil Code section 52.1, the Bane Act. The plaintiff alleged that she engaged in a verbal altercation with various students, staff members, and a school district police officer when…
In Puente v. City of Phoenix, published December 19, 2024, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part and reversed in part a summary judgment order in a lawsuit brought against police officers, supervisors, and the defendant city. Then-President Trump held a rally at a city convention center. Before the event, the police designated a…
In Linke v. Freed, published March 15, 2024, the United States Supreme Court unanimously reversed a circuit court decision dismissing a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 claim, and remanded the case for further proceedings. The defendant created a Facebook page when in College. He later became a city manager. He listed his status as city manager in…
In Linthcum v. Wagner, published February 29, 2024, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's denial of a preliminary injunction. An Oregon initiative provides that a state legislator's failure to attend ten or more legislative sessions without permission or excuse shall be deemed disorderly behavior and shall disqualify the legislator from holding office…