Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eighth Circuit granted counsel leave to withdraw and dismissed the appeal in a drug sentencing case. The court found the defendant's appeal waiver valid and enforceable, concluding there were no non-frivolous issues outside its scope.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to dismiss an illegal reentry charge. The court held that the defendant failed to mount a valid collateral attack against his administrative removal order.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Arbi Setaghaian Sangbarani for drug distribution and money laundering. The court rejected multiple challenges regarding jury instructions, evidentiary rulings, and the Confrontation Clause.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Warren Laren Savage following an independent review of the record. The court granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw under the standards set forth in Anders v. California.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to dismiss an illegal reentry charge. The court held that the defendant failed to mount a valid collateral attack against his administrative removal order.
The Fourth Circuit held that manual searches of cell phones at the border are routine and do not require individualized suspicion. The court affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence found during such a search.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a preliminary injunction blocking a federal order that lowered currency reporting thresholds for money services businesses along the southwest border. The court held the order was an unlawful rule that required notice and comment and was adopted arbitrarily without considering compliance costs.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. The court held that the defendant's Second Amendment and Commerce Clause challenges were foreclosed by existing precedent.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motions to amend his habeas petition and for reconsideration. The court held that the district court correctly applied the law-of-the-case doctrine and lacked authority to amend a petition after final judgment.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a defendant's sentence, rejecting a challenge to the career-offender enhancement. The court held that the Sentencing Commission acted within its statutory authority by including state drug offenses in the definition of controlled substance offenses.
