The entire Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Sept. 13 in New Orleans on a case surrounding the Joe Biden administration’s authority to require most federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.
That’s according to a notice posted recently on the appeals court’s website announcing the date of the “en banc” or full-court hearing. In late June, the 5th Circuit ruled that the entire 17-judge court will hear a challenge to the Biden COVID-19 vaccination policy by Feds for Medical Freedom.
Whatever ruling the full court makes will replace the April decision by a three-judge, 5th Circuit panel in favor of the COVID vaccination mandate for most federal employees. Afterwards the losing side filed a petition for an en banc decision and most of the circuit judges voted for rehearing the case.
In the scheduled September hearing, each side will be given 20 minutes to make its arguments. In January a federal district judge in southern Texas had ruled in favor of the anti-vaccine mandate federal workers, issuing a restraining order.
The 5th Circuit hears appeals from federal district courts in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.