proximate-cause

39 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
24-1302 MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC, a Delaware Series Limited Liability Company, et al. v. Lundbeck LLC, a Delaware Corporation, et al. Fourth Circuit 2025-06-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) civil-rico drug-manufacturer foreseeability prescribing-decisions proximate-cause rico-statute (1) Whether, in a civil RICO action against a drug manufacturer for overpayment of drugs, physicians' prescribing decisions constitute an intervening …
24-629 Petrobras America, Incorporated v. Samsung Heavy Industries Company, Limited Fifth Circuit 2024-12-09 Denied Response Waived circuit-split civil-action direct-relation injury-standard proximate-cause rico-act 1. What is the appropriate standard for assessing a direct relation between the injury asserted and the injurious conduct alleged under RICO? 2. Can …
24-288 Jonathan Zuhovitzky, et ux. v. UBS AG Che 101.329.562, et al. Second Circuit 2024-09-12 Denied Response Waived circuit-court judicial-interpretation legal-causation proximate-cause rico-statute statutory-construction Whether the Second Circuit's interpretation of "proximate cause" is unreasonable because it fails to honor the breadth of the RICO statute and ignores…
23-1141 Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., et al. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos First Circuit 2024-04-22 Judgment Issued Amici (45) aiding-and-abetting drug-cartel-violence drug-cartels firearms-industry firearms-trafficking international-tort legal-causation plcaa proximate-cause trafficking The production and sale of firearms in the United States is the "proximate cause" of alleged injuries to the Mexican government stemming from violence…
23-6331 Hannibal Moore v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-12-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP affirmative-defense burden-of-proof criminal-conduct criminal-law disqualifying-element imminent-threat justification-defense legal-alternative proximate-cause The question presented is whether the courts should also take a narrow view in considering the disqualifying element of the justification defense, and…
23-5587 Daniel Carrington v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-09-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof causation controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law death-causation due-process proximate-cause reasonable-doubt statutory-interpretation WHETHER THIS COURT'S DECISION IN UNITED STATES V. BURRAGE, 571 U.S. 204 (2014), CREATED A BRIGHT LINE RULE ESTABLISHING A RIGHT OF THE DEFENDANT TO PR…
22-7843 George John Maslovar v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography civil-procedure criminal-history paroline-v-united-states proximate-cause restitution statutory-interpretation victim-impact Whether a defendant's criminal history, the nature of images typically trafficked of a child pornography victim, or the amount of restitution collecte…
22-1159 Troy Newman v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., et al. Ninth Circuit 2023-06-01 Denied civil-rico false-identification interstate-commerce pattern-of-racketeering pattern-of-racketeering-activity predicate-acts proximate-cause rico-statute undercover-investigation In a classic case of the "abortion distortion," Planned Parenthood repackaged its PR black-eye over selling aborted baby parts into a court-approved R…
22-7518 John William Iron Road v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-05-10 Denied IFP appeal-waiver appellate-review circuit-split criminal-sentencing proximate-causation proximate-cause restitution restitution-award sentencing statutory-interpretation unlawful-award Whether an appellate court should enforce an appeal waiver where the appeal challenges an unlawful restitution award?
22-642 General Motors, LLC, et al. v. FCA US, LLC, et al. Sixth Circuit 2023-01-11 Denied antitrust civil-procedure civil-rights corporate-conspiracy labor-law labor-union merger-scheme proximate-cause racketeering rico rico-act Whether the direct and intended victim of a racketeering scheme who suffers injury by reason of the scheme is precluded from establishing proximate ca…
21-8116 Demarco Tempo v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-06-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP but-for-causation causation criminal-law death-enhancement drug-statute due-process jury-instructions pinkerton-liability proximate-cause sentencing statutory-interpretation I. Should the government be required to prove proximate cause in addition to but-for causation for the "death results" enhancement in 21 U.S.C. § 841?…
21-1243 City of Oakland, California v. Oakland Raiders, et al. Ninth Circuit 2022-03-14 Denied Amici (3)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) antitrust-standing associated-general-contractors clayton-act judicial-limits lexmark-international proximate-cause prudential-balancing zone-of-interests In Lexmark International, Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc., 572 U.S. 118, 126 (2014), this Court considered a multifactor balancing test of pru…
21-6915 Maxwell Gaffney v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-01-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof causation criminal-law criminal-statute drug-distribution drug-trafficking federal-law foreseeability judicial-review jury-instructions proximate-cause sentencing Kyle Rodriguez died after voluntarily using heroin. The government proved to a jury he bought it from Petitioner Maxwell Gaffney. The Government also …
21-5595 Jovan Marquis Harris v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-09-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP burrage-standard burrage-v-united-states causation criminal-law criminal-statute drug-crimes drug-distribution due-process overdose proximate-cause sentencing sentencing-enhancement 1.) WHETHER, FOR PURPOSES OF TITLE 21 U.S.C. §841(A)(1) AND (B)(1) (C)'S ENHANCED PENALTY "IF DEATH RESULTS " FROM THE USE OF A SUBSTANCE, REQUIRES P…
21-5266 Alla V. Stepanets v. United States First Circuit 2021-07-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP causation-chain chain-of-causation criminal-misdemeanor drug-dispensing drug-distribution federal-drug-laws medical-facility proximate-cause statutory-interpretation strict-liability 1) Whether a defendant "dispenses" drugs pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 353(b)(l)(B) when they are shipped to a medical facility where a physician will write…
20-8026 Jesus Manuel Moran v. Thomas E. Higgins Ninth Circuit 2021-05-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP aedpa civil-procedure federal-claims habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance injury procedural-default proximate-cause state-court-review state-courts 1. This is a question of first impression since AEDPA. When a lawyer fails to give the State Courts, the opportunity to review federal claims, this fa…
20-6153 Jurmaine A. Jeffries v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-10-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law drug-statute drug-trafficking proximate-causation proximate-cause rule-of-lenity sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Whether the "death enhancement" of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C) requires proximate causation when the statute's language is ambiguous - triggering the rul…
20-5854 Trumaine Muller v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-09-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense drug-offenses intervening-act jury-instruction jury-instructions mens-rea plain-error proximate-cause I. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR IN FAILING TO INSTRUCT THE JURY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO PROVE MENS REA AS TO EACH DRUG OFFENSE AND THE RES…
20-5768 RaySean D. Barber v. Todd Wasmer, Warden Eighth Circuit 2020-09-28 Denied IFP criminal-procedure due-process effective-assistance-of-counsel factual-basis information motor-vehicle-operation plea-colloquy proximate-cause Was Appellant denied Due Process of Law and Effective Assistance of Counsel where the charging document (information) did not include within the state…
20-343 Estate of David Maurice, et al. v. Life Insurance Company of North America Ninth Circuit 2020-09-15 Denied Response Waived circuit-split erisa-preemption health-plans insurance-policy-interpretation ninth-circuit proximate-cause saving-clause Whether the court below erred by refusing to apply Kentucky Ass'n of Health Plans, Inc. v. Miller, 538 U.S. 329 (2003) to determine whether the Califo…
20-217 Richard Balter v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-08-25 Denied expert-witness federal-tort-claims-act medical-malpractice proximate-cause standard-of-care virginia-medical-malpractice-act Does the Virginia Medical Malpractice Act's requirement that a plaintiff possess a written opinion signed by an expert witness that, based upon a reas…
19-8807 Cassandra Cean v. United States Second Circuit 2020-06-24 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (3)IFP circuit-split criminal-liability eighth-amendment intervening-cause mandatory-victims-restitution-act proximate-cause sixth-amendment Even after Robers v. United States, 134 S.Ct. 1854 (2014), the circuits remain dangerously divided over what method to apply when determining proximat…
19-7952 Michael Deon Thompson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 criminal-law criminal-statute drug-distribution drug-trafficking proximate-cause sentencing serious-bodily-injury statutory-interpretation strict-liability 1. Whether the language "death or serious bodily injury results from" in 21 U.S.C. § 841 creates a strict liability crime, without a foreseeability or…
19-1069 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, et al. v. Painters and Allied Trades District Council 82 Health Care Fund, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-02-28 Denied Amici (3) article-iii-standing causation-theory class-action false-statements intervening-factors omissions prescription-drug prescription-drugs product-liability proximate-cause rico-act rico-claim standing This petition involves a putative nationwide class action under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO"), in which respondents …
19-1008 Jim C. Hodge, et al. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-02-12 Denied but-for-causation causation causation-standard false-claims-act foreseeability fraud legal-elements proximate-cause substantial-factor Whether the causation element standard under the False Claims Act is proximate cause, requiring both that the harm was foreseeable and that the false …
19-7589 Michael M. Monzel v. United States District of Columbia 2020-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography circuit-split criminal-restitution paroline-factors proximate-cause restitution-methodology sentencing statutory-interpretation victim-compensation 1. Whether — in the context of a criminal restitution request on behalf of a victim of child pornography — § 2259/ Paroline requires disaggregation of…
19-901 Devon Drive Lionville, LP, et al. v. Parke Bank, et al. Third Circuit 2020-01-21 Denied causation-chain chain-of-causation civil-rico fdic fdic-regulation mail-fraud proximate-cause wire-fraud What standards and criteria are appropriate in a civil RICO case to determine whether proximate cause exists for a plaintiff who is not the direct rec…
19-688 Wells Fargo & Co., et al. v. City of Miami, Florida Eleventh Circuit 2019-11-27 Denied Amici (1) civil-procedure civil-rights fair-housing-act legal-causation private-litigation proximate-cause standing statutory-interpretation statutory-violation tort-liability Whether proximate cause in private litigation about the Fair Housing Act requires more than a "logical bond" between the alleged statutory violation a…
19-675 Bank of America Corporation, et al. v. City of Miami, Florida Eleventh Circuit 2019-11-26 Denied Amici (1) causal-chain civil-rights directness-principles fair-housing-act injury injury-recovery proximate-cause standing statutory-violation In its prior decision in this case, this Court held that the Fair Housing Act (FHA) requires proof of proximate cause in the same way as other federal…
19-6554 Brandon Gregory Leal v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP apportionment criminal-procedure judicial-procedure paroline-analysis paroline-v-united-states plain-error proximate-cause restitution victim-compensation Whether failure to conduct a proximate cause and apportionment analysis as required by this Court's decision in Paroline v. United States, 572 U.S. 43…
19-237 James R. LaFrieda, et ux. v. Nancy A. Gilbert Nevada 2019-08-22 Denied civil-procedure civil-procedure-rule-50-b judicial-discretion judicial-misconduct jury-instructions jury-verdict professional-negligence proximate-cause punitive-damages standard-of-care statutory-interpretation trial-court-fact-finding 1. Did the Nevada Supreme Court have the right in its Order of Affirmance to blatantly disregard past decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court as to statut…
18-9761 John Givens v. Illinois Illinois 2019-06-24 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-rights criminal-liability cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process felony-murder irrebuttable-presumption mental-state proximate-cause third-party-liability Whether Illinois' proximate cause theory of liability for felony murder, which allows a criminal defendant to be convicted of felony murder when the d…
18-1367 Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Mark A. Sumner Virginia 2019-04-30 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) burden-of-proof but-for-causation but-for-cause causation civil-procedure common-law employee-injury federal-employers-liability-act federal-employers-liability-act-fela fela negligence proximate-cause railroad-liability Whether FELA permits liability when the plaintiff cannot meet the common-law standard of proof for but-for causation.
18-1123 Southern Trust Metals, Inc., et al. v. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Eleventh Circuit 2019-02-28 Denied Response Waived bank-of-america-v-city-of-miami commodity-exchange-act commodity-futures-trading-commission dura-pharmaceuticals-v-broudo foreseeability industry-ban judicial-injunction lifetime-industry-ban loss-causation proximate-cause reliance separation-of-powers The Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") limits restitution in enforcement actions to "losses proximately caused" by a violation of the CEA and CFTC regulat…
18-8069 Eric Gonzalez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-02-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-241 18-usc-242 agreement civil-rights conspiracy conspiracy-liability criminal-law due-process enhanced-penalties federal-statute proximate-cause spontaneous-event statutory-interpretation Whether conspiracy liability under 18 U.S.C. § 241 may be premised on unsubstantiated inferences of an agreement or mere participation in a spontaneou…
18-746 County of Los Angeles, California, et al. v. Angel Mendez, et al. Ninth Circuit 2018-12-12 Denied 42-usc-1983 4th-amendment causation circuit-review civil-rights clearly-erroneous fourth-amendment intervening-event proximate-causation proximate-cause reasonable-force remand search-warrant section-1983 standard-of-review use-of-force warrantless-search 1. Whether the Ninth Circuit disregarded this Court's clear directives on remand and whether, in a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action, a plaintiff's injuries res…
18-537 Booth James v. Montgomery Regional Airport Authority, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2018-10-24 Denied administrative-remedies civil-procedure civil-procedure-rules civil-rights constitutional-rights discovery-violations employment-termination evidence-substitution fraud free-speech proximate-cause whistleblower-protection whistleblower-retaliation Could a reasonable jury have found that Mr. Perry retaliatory attitude toward Officer James for whistleblowing, to a government representative, the pr…
18-6036 Donald S. Harden v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-09-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP causation criminal-statute drug-trafficking mandatory-life-imprisonment mandatory-sentencing proximate-cause racial-disparities rule-of-lenity sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation strict-liability This Court granted certiorari in Burrage v. United States, 569 U.S. 957 (2013), to decide two questions concerning the "death results" sentencing enha…
18-5957 Raul Arcila v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-09-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 criminal-procedure drug-statute due-process evidentiary-issues jury-evidence jury-instructions plain-error proximate-cause sentencing-factor unfair-prejudice Whether the District Court committed plain error by allowing the government to convert a sentencing factor, "resulting in death," under 21 USC §841(b)…