Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for illegal reentry after deportation. The court found no clear and obvious error in the district court's handling of the defendant's guilty plea.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a sentence imposed after the mandatory revocation of supervised release. The court held that the district court did not plainly err by considering the need to promote respect for the law as a dominant sentencing factor.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for illegal reentry under federal law. The court held that the defendant's constitutional challenge to the recidivism enhancement was foreclosed by existing Supreme Court precedent.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a substantive reasonableness challenge to a defendant's sentence for child pornography offenses. The court held that the district court properly weighed sentencing factors and did not abuse its discretion in imposing a downward variance.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to dismiss an indictment against a defendant charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that the defendant failed to meet his burden of proving he was not dangerous under the Second Amendment as-applied challenge.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a seventy-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm. The court found the district court acted within its discretion in calculating sentencing guidelines and weighing statutory factors.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and reimprison a defendant for twelve months. The court rejected the defendant's claims that the sentence was procedurally infirm and substantively unreasonable.
The Eighth Circuit enforced a plea agreement appeal waiver in a criminal case. The court dismissed the appeal and granted counsel's motion to withdraw under Anders v. California.
The First Circuit vacated a federal district court's denial of a habeas petition because the lower court failed to review essential trial testimony. The appellate court held that the district court could not evaluate the state court's Brady claim without a transcript of a key witness's testimony.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentences imposed on Jose DeJesus Mejia-Fraijo for illegal reentry as a felon and the revocation of his supervised release. The court granted counsel leave to withdraw under Anders v. California after finding no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
