Background
Several objectors appealed from a judgment of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in litigation brought by Rhonda Burnett and other plaintiffs against the National Association of Realtors and real-estate companies. The consolidated appeals were filed by James Mullis; Spring Way Center, LLC; and Benny D. Cheatham, Robert Douglass, Douglas Fender, and Dena Fender.
The Eighth Circuit explained that the merits of the appeals had already been fully resolved in Burnett v. National Association of Realtors, No. 24-3444, 2026 WL 2421806 (8th Cir. Aug. 19, 2026). The court’s unpublished per curiam opinion did not independently recount the underlying facts or analyze the objectors’ arguments.
The Court’s Holding
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s judgment. It did so for the reasons stated in its earlier Burnett decision.
Because the panel treated the prior opinion as fully resolving the merits, it provided no additional substantive analysis in this disposition.
Key Takeaways
- The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s judgment in all three consolidated appeals.
- The panel relied entirely on its August 19, 2026 decision in the related Burnett appeal.
- The decision is unpublished and adds no separate analysis of the objectors’ claims.
Why It Matters
The decision confirms that the Eighth Circuit’s earlier Burnett ruling controlled these related appeals and foreclosed further merits analysis by the panel. Attorneys evaluating the legal reasoning must therefore consult the August 19, 2026 opinion rather than this summary affirmance.