Federal appellate courts issued several rulings this week, including the Fifth Circuit declaring the Federal Switchblade Act unconstitutional under the Second Amendment and affirming federal liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act for a hostage death during an FBI operation. In other decisions, the Seventh Circuit ruled that healthcare providers are not acting under federal officers when complying with HITECH Act patient portal requirements, thereby affirming the remand of class action lawsuits to state court. Additionally, the First Circuit affirmed summary judgment for PHH Mortgage Services and Ocwen Loan Servicing, holding that the issuance of an IRS Form 1099-C does not legally discharge debt. The court determined the plaintiff failed to meet the specific conditions for principal reduction required by his 2016 loan modification agreement. Synthesized from 44 manifests produced by 13 monitored court-opinion sources in the last 7 days, including circuit opinions, district rulings.
Answer updated Oct 22, 2026 12:17 UTC · rebuilt twice daily from the rolling 168-hour window
Seventh Circuit Affirms Remand of Patient Portals Privacy Class Action
The Seventh Circuit held that healthcare providers are not 'acting under' a federal officer when they establish patient portals to meet HITECH Act requirements. The court concluded that such compliance with federal regulations does not constitute the delegation of a basic governmental task required for federal officer
Seventh Circuit Affirms Remand, Health Providers Not "Acting Under" Federal Officers
The Seventh Circuit held that health care providers are not "acting under" a federal officer when they establish patient portals to comply with the HITECH Act's Meaningful Use Program. The court affirmed the remand of several class action lawsuits to state court, concluding that mere compliance with federal regulations
Fifth Circuit affirms U.S. liability under FTCA for hostage death, remands damages award
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment that the United States is liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) for the death of a hostage during an FBI rescue operation. The court held that the discretionary function exception did not shield the government because the agent's actions were negligent
Fifth Circuit Holds Federal Switchblade Act Unconstitutional Under Second Amendment
The Fifth Circuit held that the Federal Switchblade Act (FSA) is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, applying the Bruen framework to determine that switchblade knives qualify as 'Arms.' The court found that while the government has a tradition of regulating concealed weapons, it failed to demonstrate that the
First Circuit affirms summary judgment in mortgage debt forgiveness dispute
The First Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment for PHH Mortgage Services and Ocwen Loan Servicing, ruling that the issuance of an IRS Form 1099-C does not constitute a legal discharge of debt. The court held that the plaintiff failed to satisfy the specific conditions precedent for principal