8th Circuit Court

En banc 5th Circuit allows Medicaid defunding of Planned Parenthood

Medicaid patients don’t have a right to sue over a state’s decision to end Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, the en banc 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans ruled Monday.

Nov 25, 2020 11:13 AM CST

No new wave of election lawsuits emerged Tuesday; which pending cases could make a difference?

A wave of Election Day litigation did not materialize Tuesday, even as President Donald Trump vowed to take voting cases to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nov 4, 2020 10:44 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Texas courts allow count of drive-thru votes; 8th Circuit questions extended ballot deadline

Drive-thru votes can be counted in Texas, 2 courts say The Texas Supreme Court and a federal judge in Houston have refused to stop the counting of nearly 127,000 votes cast in drive-thru voting in Harris County, Texas. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas said…

Nov 2, 2020 4:36 PM CST

8th Circuit rules judge can’t sentence defendant after telling him federal system ‘sucks,’ advising on plea bargain

A federal judge in Kansas City, Missouri, can’t sentence a defendant after telling him that the federal judicial system “sucks,” and he probably would get less time if he opted for trial instead of a guilty plea, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Sep 14, 2020 11:18 AM CDT

8th Circuit rules against grand juror who wanted to talk about Michael Brown case

A federal appeals court has ruled against a grand juror who wanted to correct the record after a prosecutor discussed evidence in the 2014 fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

Aug 19, 2020 2:36 PM CDT

Will Roberts opinion ‘eviscerate abortion rights’? 8th Circuit cites new standard

Abortion restrictions should be evaluated under a new approach as a result of a June opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a federal appeals court said Friday.

Aug 10, 2020 12:07 PM CDT

Threat against judge not protected by attorney-client privilege, 8th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of a man for threatening a federal judge in a phone call with his lawyers.

Jul 28, 2020 11:42 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: ‘Highly irregular conduct’ by DOJ alleged; satanist loses abortion case

DOJ engaged in ‘highly irregular conduct,’ says amicus appointee in Michael Flynn case The U.S. Department of Justice “engaged in highly irregular conduct to benefit a political ally of the president” when it sought to drop the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to an amicus lawyer…

Jun 10, 2020 4:01 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: 8th Circuit OKs surgical abortion ban; holdout juror’s ouster leads to new trial

8th Circuit allows Arkansas to ban most surgical abortions during pandemic The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis has allowed Arkansas to enforce its ban on surgical abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arkansas still allows surgical abortions needed to protect the life or health of the patient,…

Apr 23, 2020 4:51 PM CDT

ABA brief criticizes trend in which courts fail to consider prevailing norms in ineffective assistance cases

The ABA has filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reaffirm that courts must look to “prevailing professional norms” when assessing lawyers’ performance in ineffective assistance cases.

Feb 28, 2020 10:28 AM CST

Federal judge refuses to OK consent decree limiting caseloads for Missouri public defenders

A federal judge in Missouri has refused to approve a consent decree that would have limited state public defenders to no more than 173.3 hours worth of cases each month, a standard that is based on a 40-hour workweek.

Jan 30, 2020 2:30 PM CST

Equity partner at law firm wasn’t protected from mandatory retirement by federal age bias law, 8th Circuit rules

An equity partner at Armstrong Teasdale can’t sue under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act for his ouster under a mandatory retirement policy, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Dec 4, 2019 2:47 PM CST

Anti-panhandling law likely violates First Amendment, 8th Circuit says

A ban on harassing panhandling in Arkansas is likely unconstitutional, and enforcement of the law may be banned statewide, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Nov 7, 2019 12:36 PM CST

8th Circuit rejects lawyer’s challenge to mandatory bar dues

A federal appeals court has rejected a lawyer’s challenge to North Dakota’s procedures for collecting mandatory bar dues.

Sep 3, 2019 1:52 PM CDT

8th Circuit reinstates legal challenge by videographers who won’t make same-sex wedding videos

A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated a challenge to Minnesota’s anti-bias law by videographers who say they can’t be required to make same-sex wedding videos because it would violate their religious beliefs. The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Carl and Angel Larsen, owners of…

Aug 26, 2019 12:11 PM CDT