A federal appeals court ruled New Jersey's bans on assault firearms and high-capacity magazines unconstitutional, a first for a federal appeals court, setting a precedent as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to review similar bans.
A federal appeals court ruled that a 28-year prison sentence for Libyan militant Ahmed Abu Khatallah, convicted in the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others, is too lenient and ordered the case back for resentencing.
A Manhattan federal appeals court denied Donald Trump's request to delay paying over $5.8 million to E. Jean Carroll, including interest, following her sexual abuse and defamation trial. The court found Trump was stalling and ordered the payment to proceed.
A US federal appeals court unanimously rejected the EPA's bid to abandon a 2024 rule setting stricter standards for soot pollution, citing the agency's arguments as lacking merit. The ruling keeps in place an annual limit of 9 micrograms of fine particle pollution per cubic meter, aimed at reducing health risks from coal-fired power plants, vehicles, and industrial sites.
The Trump administration's new mandatory detention policy for immigrants is facing significant legal challenges, with a divided appellate court system and numerous lawsuits straining the judiciary. The policy reinterprets immigration law to subject individuals apprehended anywhere in the country to detention without bond, a departure from previous administrations' interpretations.
The Trump administration is urging the Supreme Court to approve its expansion of mandatory ICE detention, a policy adopted on July 8, 2025, that federal district courts have largely rejected. The policy targets long-term U.S. residents for detention without bond hearings during deportation proceedings, a move challenged as a constitutional due process violation.
A federal appeals court ruled that Michigan can withhold registered voters' personal information from the Trump administration, marking another defeat for the administration's efforts to obtain such data from multiple states for election law compliance.
A US appeals court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed with expanded expedited deportations nationwide, overriding a lower court's block. Critics argue this undermines due process for undocumented migrants.
A US appeals court upheld former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's 25-year prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy related to FTX's collapse. Bankman-Fried is also seeking a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, though Trump has previously stated no plans to grant one.
A federal appeals court rejected a last-minute bid to block a lower-court judge's order mandating the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center facade by Friday night. The DOJ had sought to delay the removal pending an appeal, but the court denied the request.
A federal appeals court unanimously upheld Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence. Judges rejected his argument that FTX could have repaid customers, stating his misrepresentations alone constituted fraud. His only remaining path out of prison appears to be a presidential pardon.
A US federal appeals court has ordered further review of Alabama's use of nitrogen gas for executions, citing concerns over its constitutionality under the ban on cruel and unusual punishment, potentially impacting a scheduled execution.
A divided federal appeals court ruled that the Pentagon's policy banning transgender troops from military service illegally discriminates based on gender identity. The ruling, however, was put on hold to allow the administration to seek further review.
A US federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration cannot remove transgender individuals who sued over the ban from active military service. The wider ban remains in place pending a potential Supreme Court appeal.
A divided federal appeals court ruled that the Pentagon's policy banning transgender troops from military service was illegal. The court's 2-1 decision largely upholds a previous ruling by a US District Judge. The ban remains in effect for now.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit released a 3-minute animated video explaining its operations in a Schoolhouse Rock-style format, garnering mixed reactions for its cringeworthy approach. The court, established in 1982, handles specialty cases including patents, trade, and veterans' appeals.
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. will hear arguments on Tuesday in Anthropic's lawsuit challenging its blacklisting by the Department of Defense as a supply chain risk. The DOD claims Anthropic's AI models pose a national security threat, while the company argues the designation is unlawful and unsupported.
A federal appeals court has restricted access to one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. by blocking the mailing of mifepristone.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to grant an en banc hearing on an $83 million defamation verdict against former President Donald Trump in the E. Jean Carroll case. The 5-3 vote keeps in place a panel's September ruling that upheld the award. Trump had argued for presidential immunity and a new trial, calling the damages grossly excessive. Three judges dissented, agreeing that the award was excessive and that Trump should have been able to argue presidential immunity. The Supreme Court is separately considering whether to hear another appeal related to a $5 million verdict in the same case.
A federal appeals court overturned the Trump administration's policy of mandatory detention for most immigrants arrested in immigration crackdowns, ruling the administration wrongly interpreted a decades-old immigration law. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the policy would have created the broadest mass-detention-without-bond mandate in U.S. history. The ruling conflicts with two other appeals courts, making Supreme Court review likely.
Former FCC commissioners and staffers across parties are urging the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to force a vote on repealing the FCC's News Distortion Policy. The bipartisan group filed their petition in November 2025 after Chair Brendan Carr invoked the 1949 rule to pressure ABC over Jimmy Kimmel. Carr, who can alone bring the item to a vote, has refused while using the policy to threaten broadcasters perceived as biased against Trump. The petitioners argue the policy is unconstitutional and has been weaponized, seeking to compel FCC action before midterm elections.
A bipartisan group of former FCC commissioners and staffers is urging the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to force a vote on repealing the FCC's News Distortion Policy, arguing it has been weaponized by Republican Chair Brendan Carr. The petition, filed in November 2025 after Carr invoked the rule to pressure ABC over Jimmy Kimmel, has been blocked from a commission vote by Carr, who opposes repeal. The group seeks a writ of mandamus to compel action, citing concerns about the policy's use to threaten broadcasters perceived as biased against Trump, with midterm elections approaching.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Akayed Ullah's life sentence for a failed 2017 suicide bombing beneath Times Square but reversed his conviction for providing material support to ISIS, ruling he acted independently without the terror group's direction or control.
