Schilling v. Schmidt Baking Company, Inc.
In this civil case, plaintiffs appealed the district court’s dismissal of their claims for overtime wages under the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Maryland Wage and Hour Law, and the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law. Under the FLSA, professional motor carriers, like Schmidt Baking Company, are generally exempt from the overtime wages requirement. However, Congress recently waived this exemption for employees whose work affects the safety of vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less. In concluding that the plaintiffs were protected by the FLSA waiver, the Fourth Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal of the FLSA claims but affirmed the court’s dismissal of the claims brought under Maryland law.
In this criminal case, Anthony Juniper appealed the district court’s denial of his request for an evidentiary hearing concerning his claim that prosecutors failed to turn over exculpatory and impeaching evidence in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). The Fourth Circuit vacated the district court’s decision as to Juniper’s Brady claim, concluding that the district court abused its discretion by dismissing the claim without an evidentiary hearing. The case was remanded to the district court for further proceedings.
In this civil case, Deputies Michael Price and Keith Beasley appealed the district court’s denial of their motion for summary judgment, which asserted federal qualified immunity and related North Carolina state law defenses. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s judgment, concluding that the deputies were not entitled to qualified immunity because their use of force was objectively unreasonable under the circumstances described through plaintiffs’ evidence. In addition, the Fourth Circuit concluded that the deputies’ related state law defenses failed under the evidence taken in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs.
OpenRisk, LLC v. Microstrategy Services Corp.
In this criminal case, OpenRisk appealed the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Microstrategy, in which the court held that Federal copyright laws preempted OpenRisk’s computer fraud claims. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s judgment, concluding that the plaintiff’s computer fraud claims were preempted by the federal Copyright Act since the plaintiff’s sought liability based upon claims that, at their “core,” are not “qualitatively different” from the federal claims.
Maguire Financial, et al. v. PowerSecure International, Inc., et al.
In this civil case, Maguire Financial appealed the district court’s dismissal of its amended complaint containing claims of securities fraud. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal, concluding that Maguire Financial’s complaint failed to adequately allege scienter since a comprehensive analysis of the facts within the amended complaint did not create a “cogent and compelling” inference of scienter.
In this criminal case, Banker appealed his convictions for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, and enticement of a minor for illegal sexual activity. The Fourth Circuit affirmed Banker’s convictions, concluding that the district court’s jury instructions did not misstate the law and that there was sufficient evidence concerning the elements that the defendant knew or recklessly disregarded that the minor was underage.
