In United States v. Johnson, No. 22-1289 (2d Cir. Sept. 6, 2024), while that panel agrees that the district court erred under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 23(b) by allowing the case to go to deliberation with just eleven jurors, it splits over the impact of the error. The panel majority holds that the ruleContinue reading “Second Circuit Panel Divides Over Whether Unconsented Felony Trial to a Jury of Eleven Constitutes a Structural Error, Creating Split with the Fourth Circuit”
Tag Archives: Second Circuit
Second Circuit Reverses District Court’s Post-Trial Tripling of Jury Award of Damages, Finding No Fundamental Error in Jury Verdict
In Salamone v. Douglas Marine Corp., No. 21-1331 (2d Cir. Aug. 8, 2024), the Second Circuit affirms a jury verdict in a state-law contract case, but reverses the district court’s post-verdict tripling of the damages, holding that the plaintiff forfeited a challenge to the jury’s calculation and there was no fundamental error warranting judicial interventionContinue reading “Second Circuit Reverses District Court’s Post-Trial Tripling of Jury Award of Damages, Finding No Fundamental Error in Jury Verdict”
Divided Second Circuit Panel Invokes 1872 Supreme Court Decision to Toss a Default Judgment, Owing to Inconsistency in the Jury Verdict
In Henry v. Oluwole, No. 21-2468 (2d Cir. July 15, 2024), a 2-1 panel of the Second Circuit holds not only that the district court erred in refusing to reopen a default judgment before and after a jury trial, but that judgment had to be entered for the party in default due to a fatalContinue reading “Divided Second Circuit Panel Invokes 1872 Supreme Court Decision to Toss a Default Judgment, Owing to Inconsistency in the Jury Verdict”
Second Circuit Holds That a District Court Has No Duty to Consider a Belated Argument in Support of Subject-Matter Jurisdiction
In Behrens v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 21-2603 (2d Cir. Mar. 13, 2024), the Second Circuit publishes an opinion “to consider a question of first impression in this Circuit: whether the existence of subject-matter jurisdiction requires a district court to exercise it, even if it is invoked belatedly—on analogy to the rule that aContinue reading “Second Circuit Holds That a District Court Has No Duty to Consider a Belated Argument in Support of Subject-Matter Jurisdiction”
Split Second Circuit Panel Holds That an Organization Must Identify At Least One Affected Member by Name to Qualify for Article III Associational Standing
In Do No Harm v. Pfizer, Inc., No. 23-15_(2d Cir. Mar. 6, 2024), a 2-1 panel of the Second Circuit holds that “an association must identify by name at least one injured member for purposes of establishing Article III standing under a summary judgment standard.” “Do No Harm, a nationwide membership organization, filed suit againstContinue reading “Split Second Circuit Panel Holds That an Organization Must Identify At Least One Affected Member by Name to Qualify for Article III Associational Standing”
Second Circuit Sanctions Attorney Under Rule 11 for Misuse of ChatGPT in Authoring a Reply Brief
In what I believe is a first in a reported federal court of appeals decision, the Second Circuit in Park v. Kim, No. 22-2057 (2d Cir. Jan. 30, 2024) (per curiam) issues sanctions against an appellate lawyer who used ChatGPT to write a reply brief and thereby cited nonexistent case law. The underlying appeal concernedContinue reading “Second Circuit Sanctions Attorney Under Rule 11 for Misuse of ChatGPT in Authoring a Reply Brief”
Second Circuit Adds to Split About Whether There is Appellate Jurisdiction Over Qualified Immunity Orders That Are Not Decided on the Merits
In Maye v. City of New Haven, No. 23-459 (2d Cir. Dec. 26, 2023), The Second Circuit joins the Fifth Circuit in holding that there is no appellate jurisdiction over the denial of summary judgment on a qualified immunity defense that is denied for reasons extrinsic to the merits. The First and Eleventh Circuits haveContinue reading “Second Circuit Adds to Split About Whether There is Appellate Jurisdiction Over Qualified Immunity Orders That Are Not Decided on the Merits”
Unanimous En Banc Second Circuit Holds That Female High-School Athletes Have Article III Standing to Challenge Inclusion of Transgender Girls in Competition Under Title IX, But Fracture Over How Such a Claim May Be Redressable
In Soule ex rel. Stanescu v. Connecticut Assoc. of Schools, Inc., No. 21-1365 (2d Cir. Dec. 15, 2023) (en banc), a rare full-court opinion by the Second Circuit, fifteen judges (thirteen active and two senior) concur that there is Article III standing for four female high-school athletes who alleged they are aggrieved by competition withContinue reading “Unanimous En Banc Second Circuit Holds That Female High-School Athletes Have Article III Standing to Challenge Inclusion of Transgender Girls in Competition Under Title IX, But Fracture Over How Such a Claim May Be Redressable”
Claim of Absolute Presidential Immunity Is Non-Jurisdictional and Waivable, Holds Second Circuit
In Carroll v. Trump, No. 23-1045(L) (2d Cir. Dec. 13, 2023), the Second Circuit holds, in “a vexing question of first impression,” that absolute presidential immunity from suit is not jurisdictional, and – in this case – was waived when the former president failed to allege it as an affirmative defense in his answer. InContinue reading “Claim of Absolute Presidential Immunity Is Non-Jurisdictional and Waivable, Holds Second Circuit”
Split Second Circuit Panel Holds That Curing a Pleading Deficiency Is Not “Mistake, Inadvertence, Surprise, Or Excusable Neglect” Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(1), But the Catchall Rule 60(b)(6) Can Apply
In Mandala v. NTT Data, Inc., No. 22-4 (2d Cir. Dec. 8, 2023), a 2-1 panel holds that the district court erred as a matter of law in applying Rule 60(b)(1) for post-judgment relief to a plaintiff’s motion seeking to reopen a case to correct a pleading deficiency, and abused its discretion by not applyingContinue reading “Split Second Circuit Panel Holds That Curing a Pleading Deficiency Is Not “Mistake, Inadvertence, Surprise, Or Excusable Neglect” Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b)(1), But the Catchall Rule 60(b)(6) Can Apply”
Paul Mollica's Federal Courts Blog 