United States Fourth Circuit - March 2008 Opinion Summaries

Equal Employment Opportunity Comm'n v. Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.

Civil Rights, Labor & Employment Law
In a suit by the EEOC alleging discrimination in the workplace on the basis of religion, summary judgment for defendant-employer is reversed where the...

Bustos v. White

Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus, Professional Malpractice
Grant of a conditional writ of habeas corpus is reversed and remanded where Supreme Court precedent did not clearly establish that petitioner's...

Giarratano v. Johnson

Civil Procedure, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Government Law, Health Law
In a prisoner suit under 42 U.S.C. section 1983 alleging that the Virginia Freedom of Information Act unconstitutionally excludes prisoners from its...

Livingston v. Wyeth, Inc.

Drugs & Biotech, Labor & Employment Law, Securities Law
In a suit alleging wrongful discharge in violation of the whistleblower protection provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, summary judgment for...

US v. Brewer

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
Sentence for distribution of more than five grams of cocaine base is affirmed where: 1) the court is unable to review the district court's decision to...

Penn-America Ins. Co. v. Mapp

Civil Procedure, Injury & Tort Law, Insurance Law
In a suit by an insurance company asserting that it had no duty to defend or indemnify its insured against tort claims, an appeal of partial summary...

Yarbrough v. Johnson

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Habeas Corpus, Sentencing
In a proceeding seeking post-conviction relief for conviction of capital murder and robbery, denial of petitioner's writ of habeas corpus is affirmed...

Cagle v. Branker

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Habeas Corpus, Sentencing
Dismissal of a petition for writ of habeas corpus in a death penalty case is affirmed over claims that: 1) the absence of newly available evidence...

Ellenburg v. Spartan Motors Inc.

Civil Procedure, Injury & Tort Law, Product Liability
In a product liability suit, order remanding action to state court is reversed where: 1) district court's remand order relied on procedural defect...

Ellenburg v. Spartan Motors Inc.

Civil Procedure, Injury & Tort Law, Product Liability
In a product liability action, order remanding an action to state court is reversed where: 1) district court's remanded order relied on procedural...