⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

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McClanahan v. Noel — 5th Cir. (argued September 2, 2026)

No. 25-30614 Argued September 2, 2026 Published September 2, 2026

The Fifth Circuit reviews a First Amendment judgment in McClanahan versus Noel, arising from a 2017 Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council meeting. The district court held that removing Michael McClanahan and Eugene Collins during public comment about Alton Sterling’s killing violated their rights, but rejected Gary Chambers’s claim. Celia Cangelosi represents appellant Brandon Noel, the current mayor pro tempore. She will argue that dismissing the City-Parish with prejudice ended the official-capacity case and that former council chair Scott Wilson enforced council rules rather than made city policy.

McClanahan v. Noel (No. 25-30614) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argued September 2, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/OralArgRecordings/25/25-30614_9-2-2026.mp3
Argument record — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/oral-argument-recordings/results?docket=25-30614
Argument calendar — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/court-calendars/sitting?d=2026-09-02
District-court findings and conclusions — GovInfo:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-lamd-3_17-cv-01720/pdf/USCOURTS-lamd-3_17-cv-01720-2.pdf
District-court jurisdiction ruling — GovInfo:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-lamd-3_17-cv-01720/pdf/USCOURTS-lamd-3_17-cv-01720-1.pdf
Earlier jurisdiction opinion — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/21/21-30106.0.pdf
Brandon Noel profile — City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge:https://www.brla.gov/581/District-1---Mayor-Pro-Tempore-Brandon-N
District-court judgment report — WAFB:https://www.wafb.com/2025/09/22/i-team-federal-judge-rules-ebr-metro-council-violated-citizens-rights/
District-court judgment report — WBRZ:https://www.wbrz.com/news/federal-judge-rules-ebr-metro-council-violated-rights-of-alton-sterling-protestors-at-2017-meeting
William Brock Most counsel listing — Supreme Court of the United States:https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/23-513.html
Opinion search — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit:https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/results?docket=25-30614

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