United States Fourth Circuit - Opinion Summaries

ABRAHAM v. COUNTY OF GREENVILLE

Civil Rights
Recording the phone calls of judges who have offices in the county detention facility is not part of the ordinary course of law enforcement duties,...

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMM'N v. SARA LEE CORP.

Labor & Employment Law
Where employee's epilepsy does not substantially limit her major life activities to an extent beyond that of the general population, she is not...

AMAECHI v. WEST

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure
A search which results in an male law enforcement officer's hand slightly penetrating a woman's naked genitalia is not a reasonable search within the...

GRIGGS v. E. I. DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO.

ERISA, Labor & Employment Law
Petitioner may have a remedy where ERISA fiduciary breached its obligation by leading petitioner to believe that he was eigible for a tax-deferred...

COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORP. v. DRAIN

Civil Procedure
In a declaratory judgment action, the federal right litigated may belong to the declaratory judgment defendant rather than the declaratory judgment...

GRINNELL FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS v. NLRB

Labor & Employment Law
An employer does not violate its duty to bargain in good faith merely by seeking reductions in existing wages and benefits, or pay nonstriking...

BELL v. JARVIS

Criminal Law & Procedure
Trial court's closure of courtroom from during trial testimony of sexual abuse victims does not violate defendant's Sixth Amendment rights.

PROVIDENT BANK OF MARYLAND v. TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CORP.

Insurance Law
A "Check Stop Payment Liability" endorsement to "Commercial General Liability" insurance policy imposes duty on insurance company to defend insured...

FRYE v. LEE

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure
Where petitioner refused to allow himself or his family to participate in the development or presentation of mitigation evidence before sentencing,...

HUDSON v. HUNT

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure
Where defendant's counsel merely informed defendant that they do practice appellate law, but did not inform of his right to appeal, they were...