Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals News

Solid hiring helped lower unemployment rates in 40 U.S. states last month, the most since November.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in a wrongful termination lawsuit involving former employees of Hampton Sheriff B.J. Roberts - a case that centers in part on whether clicking "Like" on Facebook is protected free speech.

Judges on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday appeared skeptical that Liberty University can challenge the Obama administration's rule that most employers provide contraceptives in their employee health plans.

A Maltese-flagged coal ship anchored at Portsmouth Marine Terminal for nearly a month has lost a court battle to sail out of Virginia waters.

Liberty University's challenge to the Obama administration's health care law is back in the hands of a federal appeals court in Virginia.

Karimi v. Holder The 4th Circuit grants an Afghan citizen's petition for review of a final order of removal, and says the government failed to prove that his act of "grabbing" the hand of a police officer who was processing his Maryland DUI charge was not a "crime of violence" and thus an "aggravated felony" that would trigger his removal under ... (more)

U.S. v. Grant A district court abused its discretion in adding as a special condition to defendant's sentencing order an obligation to turn over any tax refund as part of her restitution for illegal receipt of social security payments, and the 4th Circuit vacates the order setting the special condition.

A federal appeals court is refusing to block a federal permit for a West Virginia coal mine that was challenged by environmentalists.

A federal appeals court has rebuffed the NLRB's attempt to require employers to post in a "conspicuous" place in a workplace a poster that informs employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

A federal appeals court is set to review the case of a Virginia death row inmate convicted of killing a Richmond couple and their two young daughters.

A company using a pseudonym in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is fighting to keep documents under seal in a dispute rooted in whether the public should be allowed to see a consumer product safety report.

A lawyer for families of the 17 sailors killed in the 2000 bombing of the Cole urged a federal appeals court to reinstate a $282.5 million lawsuit against Sudan on Tuesday.

In the violent world of piracy, Mohammad Saaili Shibin was a multilingual negotiator based in lawless Somalia, working his cellphone to negotiate multimillion-dollar ransoms for merchant ships and sailors that dared to venture into pirate-infested international waters off Africa.

Sigmon v. State Although the solicitor's closing argument mentioned his reasons for seeking the death penalty, his comments did not diminish the role of the jury in sentencing petitioner to death.

The conviction of a Somali man believed to be the highest-ranking pirate captured by the U.S. is headed for a federal appeals panel in Virginia.

Carry Permit Denials: As we indicated in previous updates, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the District Court finding that the State's requirement for a lawful citizen to demonstrate a "good and substantial" cause to carry functional arms in public was unconstitutional.

Horry County sheriff's officials say they expect the mayor of Atlantic Beach to turn herself in on an assault warrant.

On April 4, 2013, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a much anticipated decision in PCS Nitrogen, Inc.

The next chapter in the court battle between the Justice Department and the owners of a Maltese-flagged coal ship detained for nearly a month in Hampton Roads is expected to unfold today.

The school says 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge William B. Traxler Jr.