10th Circuit Case Commentaries

No Automatic Right to a Fed Master Account: Tenth Circuit Confirms Reserve Bank Discretion and Limits APA Review in Custodia Bank v. FRBKC

Date: Nov 2, 2025

No Automatic Right to a Fed Master Account: Tenth Circuit Confirms Reserve Bank Discretion and Limits APA Review Introduction In a closely watched dispute at the intersection of payments...

COA Requires Developed, Issue-Specific Argument; Prosecutorial “Vouching” Not Clearly Established as a Standalone Due Process Violation under AEDPA — Revilla v. Harpe (10th Cir. 2025)

Date: Nov 2, 2025

COA Requires Developed, Issue-Specific Argument; Prosecutorial “Vouching” Not Clearly Established as a Standalone Due Process Violation under AEDPA — Revilla v. Harpe (10th Cir. 2025) Introduction In...

Direct Control of a Known-Contents Container Equals Actual Possession; Broad Discretion to Give Anti-CSI Instructions: Commentary on United States v. Eddings (10th Cir. 2025)

Date: Nov 2, 2025

Direct Control of a Known-Contents Container Equals Actual Possession; Broad Discretion to Give Anti-CSI Instructions: Commentary on United States v. Eddings (10th Cir. 2025) Introduction United...

Prior Downward Variance as a § 3553(a) “Backdrop”: Tenth Circuit Affirms Broad Discretion to Deny Compassionate Release Despite Plausible Family-Circumstances Showing

Date: Nov 2, 2025

Prior Downward Variance as a § 3553(a) “Backdrop”: Tenth Circuit Affirms Broad Discretion to Deny Compassionate Release Despite Plausible Family-Circumstances Showing Case: United States v. Fraser,...

Licensing‑Board Reports as Adverse Actions and the “Unbroken Chain” in Cat’s Paw Retaliation: The Tenth Circuit’s Decision in Byrnes v. St. Catherine Hospital

Date: Nov 1, 2025

Licensing‑Board Reports as Adverse Actions and the “Unbroken Chain” in Cat’s Paw Retaliation: The Tenth Circuit’s Decision in Byrnes v. St. Catherine Hospital Introduction In Byrnes v. St. Catherine...

Reaffirming the “Collective Inferences” Sufficiency Standard: Tenth Circuit Rejects “Piling Inference upon Inference” Challenge in United States v. Munguia‑Herrera

Date: Nov 1, 2025

Reaffirming the “Collective Inferences” Sufficiency Standard: Tenth Circuit Rejects “Piling Inference upon Inference” Challenge in United States v. Munguia‑Herrera Court: United States Court of...

“Just to Be Safe” Is Not Reasonable Suspicion: The Tenth Circuit Narrows Terry Frisks and Rejects Hypothetical Protective Sweeps in United States v. Huerta

Date: Nov 1, 2025

“Just to Be Safe” Is Not Reasonable Suspicion: The Tenth Circuit Narrows Terry Frisks and Rejects Hypothetical Protective Sweeps in United States v. Huerta Introduction In United States v. Huerta,...

Tenth Circuit: Technical Service Defects Cannot Thwart Merits; APA Review Requires Federal Final Agency Action — Miller v. USDA

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Tenth Circuit: Technical Service Defects Cannot Thwart Merits; APA Review Requires Federal Final Agency Action — Miller v. USDA Introduction In Miller v. USDA, No. 24-6252 (10th Cir. Oct. 28, 2025),...

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: DOL Wage Complaints Do Not Toll Discrimination Filing Deadlines; Retaliation Requires Harm Beyond Consequences of a Physician’s Self‑Reporting Duty

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: DOL Wage Complaints Do Not Toll Discrimination Filing Deadlines; Retaliation Requires Harm Beyond Consequences of a Physician’s Self‑Reporting Duty Introduction In Saini v....

Tenth Circuit: Federal Kidnapping Is Not a “Crime of Violence” for § 3559(f)(2) Mandatory Minimums

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Tenth Circuit: Federal Kidnapping Is Not a “Crime of Violence” for § 3559(f)(2) Mandatory Minimums Introduction In United States v. Ford (10th Cir. Oct. 28, 2025), the Tenth Circuit resolved a...

Tenth Circuit clarifies Long protective-sweep reasonable suspicion: pre-approach “dramatic” movement, objectively grounded recent gang affiliation, and violent criminal history can, in combination, justify a vehicle sweep

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Tenth Circuit clarifies Long protective-sweep reasonable suspicion: pre-approach “dramatic” movement, objectively grounded recent gang affiliation, and violent criminal history can, in combination,...

No Private or Equitable Right to Preempt State Hemp Laws Under the 2018 Farm Bill: Tenth Circuit Upholds Wyoming’s Delta‑8 Restrictions

Date: Oct 30, 2025

No Private or Equitable Right to Preempt State Hemp Laws Under the 2018 Farm Bill: Tenth Circuit Upholds Wyoming’s Delta‑8 Restrictions Introduction In Green Room LLC v. State of Wyoming (10th Cir....

No § 1983 Preemption Right Under the 2018 Farm Bill; Tenth Circuit Upholds Wyoming’s Delta‑8/Synthetic Hemp Restrictions Against Dormant Commerce, Takings, and Vagueness Challenges

Date: Oct 30, 2025

No § 1983 Preemption Right Under the 2018 Farm Bill; Tenth Circuit Upholds Wyoming’s Delta‑8/Synthetic Hemp Restrictions Against Dormant Commerce, Takings, and Vagueness Challenges Introduction In...

Green Room v. Wyoming: No Private Right Under the 2018 Farm Bill; State Delta‑8/“Psychoactive” Hemp Restrictions Survive Preemption, Dormant Commerce Clause, Takings, and Vagueness Challenges

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Green Room v. Wyoming: No Private Right Under the 2018 Farm Bill; State Delta‑8/“Psychoactive” Hemp Restrictions Survive Preemption, Dormant Commerce Clause, Takings, and Vagueness Challenges...

Neeley v. Long: Tenth Circuit Reaffirms Rare Availability of Equitable Tolling for AEDPA Timeliness and Declines to Ground COA Denial on Firm-Waiver Rule

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Neeley v. Long: Tenth Circuit Reaffirms Rare Availability of Equitable Tolling for AEDPA Timeliness and Declines to Ground COA Denial on Firm-Waiver Rule Introduction In Neeley v. Long, No. 25-1131...

Tenth Circuit Closes the “Impeachment” Workaround: Rule 412 Bars Using a Child Victim’s Sexualized Online Fantasies for General Credibility Attacks; Constitutional Exception Limited to Bias or Motive

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Tenth Circuit Closes the “Impeachment” Workaround: Rule 412 Bars Using a Child Victim’s Sexualized Online Fantasies for General Credibility Attacks; Constitutional Exception Limited to Bias or Motive...

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: Post‑Judgment Discovery That Attacks the Merits Is a Successive § 2254 Petition Requiring § 2244(b) Authorization and a COA

Date: Oct 28, 2025

Tenth Circuit Clarifies: Post‑Judgment Discovery That Attacks the Merits Is a Successive § 2254 Petition Requiring § 2244(b) Authorization and a COA Introduction In Johnson v. Patton, No. 25-6084...

Reciprocal Rule 404(b) Notice and No Remmer Hearing Absent Genuine External Influence: United States v. Acebo (10th Cir. 2025)

Date: Oct 27, 2025

Reciprocal Rule 404(b) Notice and No Remmer Hearing Absent Genuine External Influence: United States v. Acebo (10th Cir. 2025) United States v. Acebo, No. 24-8035 (10th Cir. Oct. 23, 2025) —...

Forfeited Loper Bright Challenge to AEDPA and No Double Jeopardy COA After Hung Jury: Commentary on Bellar v. Stancil (10th Cir. Oct. 23, 2025)

Date: Oct 25, 2025

Forfeited Loper Bright Challenge to AEDPA and No Double Jeopardy COA After Hung Jury: Bellar v. Stancil Introduction In Bellar v. Stancil, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit...

Cabrera v. Bondi: Tenth Circuit Confirms “More Than Incidental” Nexus for Withholding and Reiterates CAT’s Intent Requirement; Timeliness Objection Forfeitable Under Riley

Date: Oct 25, 2025

Cabrera v. Bondi: Tenth Circuit Confirms “More Than Incidental” Nexus for Withholding and Reiterates CAT’s Intent Requirement; Timeliness Objection Forfeitable Under Riley Introduction In Cabrera v....