Tag Archives: Judge Mary Beck Briscoe

10th Circuit denies habeas relief in high-profile 1984 Utah murder case

Today, in Lafferty v. Benson, the Tenth Circuit (in an order signed by Judge Briscoe) denied a certificate of appealability in the high-profile murder case of Ron Lafferty, who was convicted of murdering his sister-in-law, Brenda Lafferty, and her fifteen-month-old … Continue reading

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10th Circuit adopts “tender rule” to determine when prisoner claims are subject to the PLRA’s exhaustion requirement

Billy May was in federal prison during an outbreak of scabies. The prison required all inmates to take Invermectin to address the problem, but May refused because he was allergic to it. The prison quarantined May in a special housing … Continue reading

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10th Circuit: Securities laws apply to fraud defendant’s sales to foreign customers

The SEC brought a civil enforcement action against Charles Scoville, a resident of Utah, and his company, Traffic Monsoon, alleging that they ran a Ponzi scheme which raked in tens of millions of dollars. About 90% of his customers were … Continue reading

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10th Circuit: BLM not entitled to key to inspect well sites on private land

In Maralex Resources, Inc. v. Barnhardt, the Tenth Circuit reversed a district court’s order that had granted the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) authority to require a private landowner to provide it with a key to access and inspect oil and gas wells. Although … Continue reading

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10th Circuit: Arbitration agreement did not allow plaintiff effective vindication of rights

In Nesbitt v. FCNH, Inc., the Tenth Circuit has affirmed a trial court’s decision refusing to enforce an arbitration agreement because it did not allow the plaintiff to effectively vindicate her rights. Rhonda Nesbitt sued defendants, claiming that they violated … Continue reading

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Former Sheriff Thomas Rodella loses appeal in Tenth Circuit

Today the Tenth Circuit issued its decision in United States v. Thomas Rodella, affirming the convictions of the former Rio Arriba County (N.M.) sheriff arising from a road rage incident in which he threatened a young motorist with a firearm. Sheriff … Continue reading

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