United States Sixth Circuit - April 2002 Opinion Summaries

CALDWELL v. BELL

Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus
Because the court was in grave doubt about whether unconstitutional jury instruction, to presume malice from the use of a deadly weapon, prejudiced...

BRANNAM v. HUNTINGTON MORTGAGE CO.

Banking Law, Class Actions, Consumer Protection Law, Property Law & Real Estate
Document processing fee assessed by defendant mortgage company was deemed "bona fide" under exception to Truth In Lending Act disclosure requirement,...

EL-NOBANI v. US

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Immigration Law
Petitioner's claim that his guilty pleas were not knowing or voluntary is procedurally barred where claim was not raised on direct review, and he...

US v. COR-BON CUSTOM BULLET CO.

Criminal Law & Procedure, Tax Law
A felony conviction for tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. section 7201 will not be reversed, even where the indictment did not allege specific affirmative...

SHEETS v. MULLINS

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure
Police sergeant's acts in handling a domestic violence case, even if wrongful, were too remote from a death that eventually resulted from the incident...

CALVERT v. WILSON

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence
Where an accomplice's tape-recorded confession was the most compelling piece of evidence relied upon by the jury in appellant's murder trial, its...

KENTLAND ELKHORN COAL CORP. v. HALL

Health Law, Insurance Law, Labor & Employment Law
Where weighing of all medical evidence supported a finding that a coal miner was totally disabled because of "black lung disease", award of benefits...

MICHIGAN S. R.R. CO. v. BRANCH & ST. JOSEPH COUNTIES RAIL USERS ASS'N, INC.

Civil Procedure, Contracts, Transportation
No federal question subject matter jurisdiction exists where plaintiff essentially seeks specific performance of an agreement for use and maintenance...

MULHALL v. ASHCROFT

Civil Rights, Labor & Employment Law
Summary judgment for employer was proper in a Title VII retaliation claim, where appellant failed to produce either direct or circumstantial evidence...

MICHIGAN PAYTEL JOINT VENTURE v. CITY OF DETROIT

Antitrust & Trade Regulation, Civil Rights, Government Contracts, Public Utilities
City is immune from antitrust liability in a suit over the bidding process for provision of pay telephone service to city facilities, because...