Justia U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Opinion Summaries

Receiving an overly revealing credit card receipt -- unseen by others and unused by identity thieves-- was not a sufficient injury to confer Article III standing. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a putative class action alleging a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In this case, plaintiff filed suit alleging that ABM violated the Act's requirement that businesses redact certain credit card information on printed receipts. 15 U.S.C. 1681c(g). The panel joined the Second and Seventh Circuits in affirming dismissal under identical circumstances and held that plaintiff failed to allege a concrete injury sufficient to give him standing. View "Bassett v. ABM Parking Services, Inc." on Justia Law

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of habeas relief for petitioner, who was criminally convicted in both state and federal court. Petitioner argued that his federal sentence actually commenced on one of the instances when the state prematurely transferred him to the federal authorities, and thus he should receive credit against his federal sentence for the period starting on the date he was erroneously turned over to federal authorities and including all his time in state prison after he was returned to state custody. The panel explained that because the state credited the time the federal authorities erroneously held petitioner against his state sentence, he effectively sought double-credit against both his state and federal sentences for the period between August 2009 and June 2011. The panel held that because these erroneous transfers did not manifest the state's consent to terminate its primary jurisdiction over petitioner, he was not in federal custody for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 3585(a), and therefore the federal sentence did not commence. View "Johnson v. Gill" on Justia Law

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of habeas relief for petitioner, who was criminally convicted in both state and federal court. Petitioner argued that his federal sentence actually commenced on one of the instances when the state prematurely transferred him to the federal authorities, and thus he should receive credit against his federal sentence for the period starting on the date he was erroneously turned over to federal authorities and including all his time in state prison after he was returned to state custody. The panel explained that because the state credited the time the federal authorities erroneously held petitioner against his state sentence, he effectively sought double-credit against both his state and federal sentences for the period between August 2009 and June 2011. The panel held that because these erroneous transfers did not manifest the state's consent to terminate its primary jurisdiction over petitioner, he was not in federal custody for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 3585(a), and therefore the federal sentence did not commence. View "Johnson v. Gill" on Justia Law

The Ninth Circuit amended an opinion affirming the district court's judgment denying a habeas corpus petition where petitioner sought a custody redetermination as he awaited the outcome of administrative proceedings to determine whether he has a reasonable fear of returning to his native country of El Salvador. The panel held that reinstated removal orders were administratively final for detention purposes, and that the detention of aliens subject to reinstated removal orders was governed by 8 U.S.C. 1231(a), rather than section 1226(a). Therefore, petitioner was not entitled to a bond hearing. View "Padilla-Ramirez v. Bible" on Justia Law

The Ninth Circuit amended an opinion granting a petition for review of the BIA's denial of asylum and withholding of removal to petitioner, a citizen of China, who sought relief based on his political opinion. The panel explained that there was no dispute that petitioner experienced past persecution at the hands of the local government. The appeal turned instead on whether the persecution he suffered was on account of an imputed or actual political opinion. The panel held that the evidence compelled a finding that petitioner was persecuted by Chinese authorities on account of an imputed or actual political opinion. View "Xinbing Song v. Sessions" on Justia Law

Anyone who under the relevant statutes is considered a minor child of a legal permanent resident (LPR) on the date of the parent's naturalization (and who is the beneficiary of a valid petition for an immigrant visa based on that status) can obtain a visa as the minor child of a citizen following his parent's naturalization. In this case, the Ninth Circuit granted a petition for review of the BIA's decision rejecting petitioner's application for adjustment of status. The panel held that petitioner, a child of an LPR who was deemed by statute to be a minor child until the very day his father naturalized, still qualified as a minor on that day. The panel remanded to the BIA to find that petitioner had an immediately available visa as the immediate relative of a U.S. citizen and to conduct further proceedings regarding the other requirements for adjustment of status. View "Rodriguez Tovar v. Sessions" on Justia Law

Anyone who under the relevant statutes is considered a minor child of a legal permanent resident (LPR) on the date of the parent's naturalization (and who is the beneficiary of a valid petition for an immigrant visa based on that status) can obtain a visa as the minor child of a citizen following his parent's naturalization. In this case, the Ninth Circuit granted a petition for review of the BIA's decision rejecting petitioner's application for adjustment of status. The panel held that petitioner, a child of an LPR who was deemed by statute to be a minor child until the very day his father naturalized, still qualified as a minor on that day. The panel remanded to the BIA to find that petitioner had an immediately available visa as the immediate relative of a U.S. citizen and to conduct further proceedings regarding the other requirements for adjustment of status. View "Rodriguez Tovar v. Sessions" on Justia Law

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of the BIA's denial of petitioners' claim for relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The panel held that it had jurisdiction to review petitioners' administrative closure claim, because the Avetisyan factors, rooted in the regulatory grant of authority to IJs and the BIA, provided a sufficiently meaningful standard against which to review IJ and BIA decisions regarding administrative closure. The panel noted that, although remand would usually be appropriate where the IJ and BIA did not conduct an independent review of a request for administrative closure, petitioners here have not argued or shown how they were eligible for administrative closure under the Avetisyan factors. Furthermore, petitioners had no pending petitions or other requests for immigration relief that might make remand necessary. Finally, the panel held that substantial evidence supported the IJ and BIA's decision denying CAT relief. View "Gonzalez-Caraveo v. Sessions" on Justia Law

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of the BIA's denial of petitioners' claim for relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The panel held that it had jurisdiction to review petitioners' administrative closure claim, because the Avetisyan factors, rooted in the regulatory grant of authority to IJs and the BIA, provided a sufficiently meaningful standard against which to review IJ and BIA decisions regarding administrative closure. The panel noted that, although remand would usually be appropriate where the IJ and BIA did not conduct an independent review of a request for administrative closure, petitioners here have not argued or shown how they were eligible for administrative closure under the Avetisyan factors. Furthermore, petitioners had no pending petitions or other requests for immigration relief that might make remand necessary. Finally, the panel held that substantial evidence supported the IJ and BIA's decision denying CAT relief. View "Gonzalez-Caraveo v. Sessions" on Justia Law

The Ninth Circuit vacated the district court's grant of summary judgment for defendants in an action challenging plaintiffs' exclusion from an enforcement zone set up around a Border Patrol checkpoint area near their homes in rural Arizona. In this case, the district court entered summary judgment before any discovery had occurred. The panel held that the limited record before the district court did not permit the panel to conclude, as a matter of law, that the enforcement zone was a nonpublic forum or, if it was, that the government satisfied the requirements for excluding plaintiffs from that nonpublic forum. On remand, and after appropriate discovery, the panel noted that the district court will need to determine if there remain genuine issues of material fact regarding whether, and what part of, the enforcement zone was a public forum, and whether the government's exclusion policy was permissible under the principles of forum analysis. View "Jacobson v. USDHS" on Justia Law