Megan Adams

9th Circuit Court of Appeals (8 summaries)

Pino v. Cardone Capital, LLC

“A person may be liable as a “seller” under the predecessor version of § 12(a) if the person either: (1) passes title to the securities to the plaintiff; or (2) “engages in solicitation,” i.e., “solicits the purchase [of the securities], motivated at least in part by a desire to serve his own financial interests or those of the securities owner.” Pinter v. Dahl, 486 U.S. 622, 643, 647–48 (1988).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Business Law

United States v. Barai

“When called on to interpret a statute, this Court generally seeks to discern and apply the ordinary meaning of its terms at the time of their adoption.” BP P.L.C. v. Mayor & City Council of Baltimore, 141 S. Ct. 1532, 1537 (2021).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Law

Gearing v. City of Half Moon Bay

“Pullman abstention is ‘an equitable doctrine that allows federal courts to refrain from deciding sensitive federal constitutional questions when state law issues may moot or narrow the constitutional questions.” San Remo Hotel v. City & County of San Franscisco, 145 F.3d (9th Cir. 1998). “[Abstention] is appropriate where (1) the federal constitutional claim ‘touches a sensitive area of social policy,’ (2) ’constitutional adjudication plainly can be avoided by a state court,’ and (3) a ‘possibly determinative issue of state law is doubtful.” Sinclair Oil Corp v. County of Santa Barbara, 96 F.3d 401 (9th Cir. 1996)(quoting Pearl INv. Co. v. City & County of San Francisco, 774 F.2d 1460 (9th Cir. 1985)).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Constitutional Law

San Carlos Apache Tribe v. Becerra

“[B]ecause the canons of construction applicable in Indian law are rooted in the unique trust relationship between the United States and the Indians, . . . statutes are to be construed liberally in favor of the Indians, with ambiguous provisions interpreted to their benefit.” Montana v. Blackfeet Tribe of Indians, 471 U.S. 759 (1985).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Indian Law

Online Merchants Guild v. Maduros

Under the TIA, "district courts shall not enjoin, suspend or restrain the assessment, levy or collection of any tax under State law where a plain, speedy and efficient remedy may be had in the courts of such State." 28 U.S.C. § 1342.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Tax Law

City of Reno v. Netflix, Inc.

Under Nevada law, courts determine whether a statute creates an implied right of action by considering: "(1) whether the plaintiffs are of the class for whose [special] benefit the statute was enacted; (2) whether the legislative history indicates any intention to create or deny a private remedy; and (3) whether implying such a remedy is consistent with the underlying purposes of the legislative [sch]eme." Baldonado v. Wynn Las Vegas, LLC, 194 P.3d 96 (Nev. 2008).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Civil Procedure

Bliss Sequoia Ins. & Risk Advisors, Inc. v. Allied Prop & Casualty Ins. Co.

A broad interpretation of “because of” is not a reasonable one, and "a but-for cause is not always (in fact not often) a cause relevant to legal liability.” United States v. Hatfield, 591 F.3d 945, 948 (7th Cir. 2010).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Insurance Law

Cox v. Persson

“A trial court generally has the discretionary authority to reopen a case on remand or otherwise to allow for presentation of additional evidence.” ZRZ Realty v. Beneficial Fire and Casualty Ins., 349 Or 657 (2011).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Post-Conviction Relief

Oregon Court of Appeals (28 summaries)

State v. Donato

“An order given under ORS 162.247(1)(b) is ‘lawful’ if it is authorized by, and is not contrary to, substantive law.” State v. Kreis, 365 Or 659 (2019). “[T]he term lawful order in ORS 162.247(1)(b) does not create an opening for unequal or discretionary application” and “leaves nothing to the ad hoc judgment of an individual police officer.” State v. Navickas, 271 Or App 447 (2015).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

Kizer Excavating Co. v. Stout Building Contractors, LLC

“Claims in quantum meruit can proceed on two distinct theories: a theory based on a promise to pay for services “implied in fact,” which “retains a contractual character,” or a theory based on an obligation ‘implied at law’ as necessary to avoid unjust enrichment.” In re Klamp, 363 Or 62, 418 P3d 733 (2018).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Contract Law

Randall v. Valk

“A notice that fails to comply with statutory requirements for its contents is invalid.” See Hickey v. Scott, 370 Or 97 (2022).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Landlord Tenant

Marshall v. Meyers

“[W]e now hold that, when a petitioner seeks post-conviction relief, on Sixth Amendment grounds, from a judgment of conviction which was based on a nonunamimous verdict and which became final before the Supreme Court’s Ramos decision issued, the petitioner is entitled to relief - assuming that none of the procedural defenses in the Post-Conviction Hearings Act have been raised and sustained.” Watkins v. Ackley, 370 Or 604 (2022).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Post-Conviction Relief

State v. Dent

The framework required for issuing a warrant upon an affidavit is “(1) whether there is reason to believe that the facts are true, and (2) whether the facts and circumstances disclosed by the affidavit, if true, are sufficient to establish probable cause to justify the search requested.” State v. Goodman, 328 Or 318 (1999). Charges are cross-related if they “arise out of the same act or transaction.” State v. Dulfu, 363 Or 647, 669 (2018). “[T]wo charges arise out of the same act or transaction if they are so closely linked in time, place and circumstance that a complete account of one charge cannot be related without relating details of the other charge.” Id.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Law

State v. Thomas

ORS 813.131(5)(b) provides: “A chemical analysis of a person’s urine is valid if analysis is performed in an accredited or licensed toxicology laboratory.” “So long as the jury is correctly instructed that a finding of guilty cannot be made on less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt, it cannot be error to also instruct them that they may use their powers to reason and common sense, and may draw reasonable inferences from the evidence.” State v. Hines, 84 Or App 681 (1987).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

State v. Boggs

A culpable mental state other than knowledge attaches to the property value element of theft in the first degree. State v. Shedrick, 370 Or 255 (2022). “[T]he mens rea of criminal negligence includes two components: (1) A failure of the person ‘to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the circumstance exists,’ ORS 161.085(10); and (2) a risk of ‘such nature and degree that the failure to be aware of it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.” Id.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

State v. Sells

ORS 161.125(1) provides, "voluntary intoxication 'shall not, as such, constitute a defense to a criminal charge'[.]” Further, evidence of voluntary intoxication "may be offered whenever it is relevant to negat[e] an element of the crime charged.” Id.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

Lawson v. Cain

The Unnecessary Rigor Clause “is addressed specifically to the treatment of persons arrested, or confined in jail,” so “there can be no argument that rights under this guarantee are forfeited by conviction of crime or under lawful police custody.” Sterling, 290 Or at 619.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Habeas Corpus

Ride PDX, LLC v. Tee & B, LLC

The Court agreed with Defendants that the record did not support a particular statement having been made and modified the opinion to delete the last two sentences of the first full paragraph at 322 Or App at 180, accordingly.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Civil Law

State v. Hadd

"If a defendant is in custody or compelling circumstances, then 'police must give Miranda warnings.'” State v. Roble-Baker, 340 Or 631, 638 (2006). "In determining whether the circumstances were compelling, our 'overarching inquiry is whether the officers created the sort of police-dominated atmosphere that Miranda warnings were intended to counteract.'” Id. at 641.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

Birdnest Mobile Estates, LLC v. MCH Prop. Mgmt., LLC

“Where the bargained for but not obtained insurance would have covered the damages at issue in the case, the party who agreed but failed to obtain such insurance waived its claim against the contractual counterparty.” Koch v. Spann, 193 Or App 608 (2004).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Contract Law

State v. Wood

ORS 138.105(1) provides, "[o]n appeal by a defendant, the appellate court has authority to review the judgment or order being appealed." "[O]nce final judgment in a criminal case is entered, its validity and regularity are presumed."  State v. Jacob, 208 Or App 62, 67 (2006).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

Barrett v. Bd. of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision

“In reviewing a rule challenge we may declare the rule invalid only if we conclude that it violates the constitutional provision, exceeds the statutory authority of the agency that adopted the rule, or was adopted without complying with rulemaking procedures.” Assn. of Acupuncture v. Bd. of Chiropractic Examiners, 260 Or App 676 P3d 575 (2014).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Parole and Post-Prison Supervision

Ramos v. Potkowksi

“Boundary-by-agreement is a common law doctrine with three elements; (1) There must have been an initial and mutual uncertainty about the true location of the boundary; (2) There must have been a resolution to the uncertainty by either an express or implied agreement mutually agreed upon by both parties to recognize the boundary line permanently; and (3) Evidence of the agreement by subsequent action by parties such as a written agreement, or occupying the property up to the borderline in the case of an oral agreement.” Powers Ranch Company v. Plum Creek Marketing, 243 Or App 371 (2011).”

Area(s) of Law:
  • Property Law

State v. Johnson

“An encounter rises to a seizure when (1) a law enforcement officer intentionally and significantly interferes with an individual’s liberty or freedom of movement, or (2) a reasonable person under the totality of circumstances would believe that his or her liberty or freedom of movement has been significantly restricted.” State v. Ashbuagh, 349 Or 297 (2010).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Law

State v. Sullivan

"To determine whether an officer's belief was objectively reasonable, we consider the totality of the circumstances presented to the officer and reasonable inferences that may be drawn from those circumstances. State v. Keller, 280 Or. App. 249, 253 (2016). For traffic infractions, an officer's subjective belief is objectively reasonable, "if...the facts as the officer perceived them actually satisfy the elements of a traffic infraction." State v. Tiffin, 202 Or. App. 199, 204 (2005).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

Deschutes County v. Leak

OAR 436-035-0400 (2018) requires an evaluation of the worker’s permanent condition, specifically including the effects of the permanent changes on activities of daily life and deterioration in work settings, not merely the worker’s current symptoms at the time of claim closure.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Workers Compensation

State v. Straub

Admissions of probation violations, unlike guilty pleas, do not automatically trigger sentencing; therefore, a colloquy to ensure a knowing and intelligent waiver in the context of a probation revocation hearing is not required. United States v. Segal, 549 F2d 1293 (9th Cir. 1977).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

State v. Omar

“If [a] trial court determines that the record could have developed in a materially different way if the error had not occurred, then a defendant is entitled to a new trial.” State v. Hightower, 368 Or 378, 387 (2021).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

State v. McKibben

“A person is “seized” for purposes of Article I, Section 9 in either one of two situations: “(a) if a law enforcement officer intentionally and significantly restricts, interferes with, or otherwise deprives an individual of that individual’s liberty or freedom of movement; or (b) if a reasonable person under the totality of the circumstances would believe that (a) above has occurred.” State v. Ashbaugh, 349 Or 297, 316 (2010) (emphasis in original; footnote omitted).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Law

Rojo-Garfias v. State

“When the law is not succinct and straightforward a criminal defense attorney need do no more than advise a noncitizen client that pending criminal charges may carry a risk of adverse immigration consequences.” See Padilla, at 559 US at 369.

Area(s) of Law:
  • Immigration

State v. Abbott

In the absence of a Meyrick colloquy, a trial court’s acceptance of a defendant’s waiver of counsel is proper if, when considering the totality of the circumstances, the record reflects that the defendant “substantially appreciates the material risks of self-representation in [their] case.” State v. Jackson, 172 Or App 414, 423 (2001).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Criminal Procedure

Donahue v. Nagel

“A promise to convey an interest in real property, no less than the conveyance itself, is subject to the statute of frauds.” Parthenon Construction & Design, Inc. v. Neuman, 166 Or App 172 (2000).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Property Law

State v. De Leon Say

In State v. Skillicorn, the Supreme Court clarified that sexual-predisposition evidence is not propensity evidence. State v. Skillicorn, 367 Or 464 (2021).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Evidence

State v. Renard

When a court properly admits challenged testimony as nonscientific expert opinion, the court need not decide whether the testimony was also admissible as lay opinion. State v. Rambo, 250 Or App 186, (2012).

Area(s) of Law:
  • Evidence

State v. Lipka

“Evidence is unfairly prejudicial when it has an undue tendency to suggest a decision on an improper basis commonly although not always an emotional one, or when the preferences of the trier of fact are affected by reasons essentially unrelated to the persuasive power of the evidence to establish a fact of consequence.” State v. Lyons, 324 Or 256 P2d 802(1996)

Area(s) of Law:
  • Evidence

State v. B.A.F.

(1) “A trial court is required to advise a person alleged to have a mental illness of all the possible results of the proceeding and failure to do so is plain error. State v. B.A.F., 414 P3d 486 (Or App 2022) (citing State v. M.M., 288 Or App 111, 115-16 (2017)) (emphasis in original) (2) “An appeal from a civil commitment order does not become moot after the expiration of the commitment period.” State v. Van Tassel, 5 Or App 376, 385 (1971)

Area(s) of Law:
  • Civil Commitment

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