February 20, 2026
The full Ninth Circuit ruled on Friday that Congress' 2023 bill clarifying civil liability for companies that "attempt to benefit" from human trafficking retroactively applies to a group of Cambodian workers' lawsuit against a California importer, overturning a district court's refusal to vacate the importer's 2017 summary judgment win.
September 24, 2024
Democratic lawmakers urged the en banc Ninth Circuit to rethink a split decision tossing Cambodian workers' human trafficking suit against a California importer, arguing Congress specifically amended the federal law following another erroneous Ninth Circuit ruling in the case, and the majority's refusal to apply those amendments retroactively undermines congressional authority.
July 31, 2024
A split Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday refused to revive a human trafficking suit former Cambodian seafood factory workers launched against a Californian importer, saying a new law that expanded liability after the distributor's summary judgment win didn't apply retroactively.