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RAYSHAWN JOHNSON,
Petitioner-Appellee/Cross-Appellant,
v.
MARGARET BAGLEY, Warden,
Respondent-Appellant/Cross-Appellee.


Nos. 06-3846/3847

Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Ohio at Cincinnati.
No. 02-00220—James L. Graham, District Judge.
Argued: June 3, 2008
Decided and Filed: October 10, 2008
Before: SILER, CLAY, and SUTTON, Circuit Judges.

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OPINION
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SUTTON, Circuit Judge. A jury convicted Rayshawn Johnson of the murder of Shanon Marks and sentenced him to death. The Ohio courts upheld his conviction and sentence on direct review. In reviewing Johnson’s habeas petition, the district court rejected all of Johnson’s claims but one: It granted the writ on the ground that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at the penalty phase of his trial. We agree and affirm.


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GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
LENOX TOWNSHIP,
Defendant-Appellee.


No. 07-2509

Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Michigan at Detroit.
No. 06-13526—Paul D. Borman, District Judge.
Argued: September 15, 2008
Decided and Filed: October 10, 2008
Before: GUY, RYAN, and McKEAGUE, Circuit Judges.

_________________________
OPINION
_________________________

McKEAGUE, Circuit Judge. Grace Community Church applied for and was granted a special land use permit by the Lenox Township Planning Commission to operate a residential facility for religious instruction and spiritual counseling. The special use permit included certain restrictions. A month later, the Planning Commission, faced with evidence that the restrictions had been violated, revoked the permit. Instead of attempting to rebut or explain the evidence or appealing the revocation to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Grace Community Church filed suit. The complaint challenges the revocation as a violation of the Church’s rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc et seq., and as a denial of equal protection. The district court awarded summary judgment to the Township, concluding the action was not ripe, as the Church had failed to exhaust administrative remedies and obtain a final decision before filing suit.

On appeal, Grace Church contends exhaustion is not prerequisite to enforcement of rights under the RLUIPA, relying primarily on DiLaura v. Ann Arbor Twp., 30 F. App’x 501 (6th Cir. 2002). For the reasons that follow, we find no error and therefore affirm the district court’s judgment.


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DONALD S. ANDREWS; JILL BEELER ANDREWS,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION,
Defendant-Appellee.


No. 07-3632

Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Ohio at Columbus.
No. 05-00501—Mark R. Abel, Magistrate Judge.
Submitted: September 16, 2008
Decided and Filed: October 10, 2008
Before: GUY, BATCHELDER, and McKEAGUE, Circuit Judges.

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OPINION
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McKEAGUE, Circuit Judge. This diversity case involves what some consider to be a “[l]ocal David” standing up to an “out-of-state corporate Goliath.”1 Plaintiffs Donald S. Andrews and Jill Beeler Andrews appeal the district court’s determination that defendant Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation (“Columbia Gas”) is entitled to clear a fifty-foot right of way around each of its natural gas pipelines running through plaintiffs’ property. For the reasons stated below, we AFFIRM.


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S.E., as Next Friend of A.E.; T.E., as Next Friend of A.E.; A.E., a minor by and through her Next Friends, S.E. and T.E.,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
GRANT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION; DONALD MARTIN, in his Capacity as Superintendent and Individually; RONALD LIVINGOOD, in his Capacity as Principal of Grant County Middle School and Individually; JAMES LACEY, in his Capacity as Assistant Principal of Grant County Middle School and Individually; CELISA EDMONDSON, in her Capacity as Health Nurse of Grant County Middle School and Individually,
Defendants-Appellees.


No. 07-6330

Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Kentucky at Covington.
No. 06-00124—William O. Bertelsman, District Judge.
Argued: September 15, 2008
Decided and Filed: October 10, 2008
Before: GUY, RYAN, and McKEAGUE, Circuit Judges.

_________________________
OPINION
_________________________

RALPH B. GUY, JR., Circuit Judge. Plaintiffs A.E. and her next friends assert state and federal claims against the Grant County Board of Education, Superintendent Donald Martin, Principal Ronald Livingood, Assistant Principal James Lacey, and Nurse Celisa Edmondson, stemming from the actions of school officials in response to seventh-grader A.E.’s sharing of prescription medicine with fellow student S.W. Plaintiffs appeal from the district court’s grant of qualified immunity to the individual defendants and its entry of summary judgment for the School District. We affirm.