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Short Circuit: A roundup of recent federal court decisions

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Hard to complain about our judicial branch if you aren’t aware what they are doing. No opinions here, it’s what they did.

Man lends $8.5k to acquaintance, who doesn’t repay it, even when the man gets a court order (that is upheld by the Rhode Island Supreme Court). Eureka! The feds bust the acquaintance for drug dealing, seize $14k. Can the man recover from the forfeiture proceeds? The First Circuit says no.

Swiss art dealer acquires Leonardo da Vinci painting from NYC auction house for Russian fertilizer magnate. Yikes! A New York Times article indicates the dealer perhaps overbilled the magnate $52 million. The magnate sues the dealer in French, Monégasque, and Singaporean courts. Second Circuit: The auction house must produce documents germane to the foreign litigation.

Allegation: West Point officers turned a blind eye to sexual assaults, promoted an atmosphere of misogyny on campus that contributed to plaintiff’s rape by a fellow cadet. Can plaintiff sue two senior officers for money damages? Second Circuit (over a dissent): It’s a military institution, so no. Read more here.