James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

1,506 decisions
Mar 17 2026
1st Cir. 24-1311 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MARK ANTHONY FIGUEROA

The First Circuit affirmed Mark Anthony Figueroa's money laundering conspiracy conviction, ruling that the district court's admission of a cooperating witness's kidnapping testimony and law enforcement overview testimony did not constitute reversible error. The court held that any evidentiary mistakes were harmless given the overwhelming independent evidence linking the defendant to drug trafficking proceeds.

Criminal Money Laundering
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Mar 17 2026
4th Cir. 24-6736 Per Curiam

KEITH A. ARRICK, SR v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a Federal Tort Claims Act lawsuit against the United States, finding no reversible error in the lower court's ruling. The appellate court explicitly declined to review claims regarding failure to treat or challenges to state medical liability statutes because the appellant failed to preserve these issues for appeal.

Civil Other Civil
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Mar 17 2026
5th Cir. 24-30154 Per Curiam

United States v. Hawthorne

The Fifth Circuit affirmed Gabriel Hawthorne's conviction and sentence for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, finding the evidence sufficient to support the verdict. The court also rejected Hawthorne's motion for a new trial and found no error in the district court's sentencing explanation.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 17 2026
4th Cir. 25-4349 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DUANE DIXON, JR

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Duane Dixon's convictions for conspiracy and wire fraud, ruling that his challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence was waived because he failed to renew his motion for a judgment of acquittal after presenting evidence at trial. The court also upheld the district court's application of a sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice, finding the lower court's reasoning sufficient to support the increase.

Criminal Fraud
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Mar 17 2026
5th Cir. 25-30440 Per Curiam

United States v. Henderson

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 60-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, rejecting claims that the district court erred in denying a mitigating role reduction. The court further held that the within-guidelines sentence was substantively reasonable and that general arguments regarding deterrence or historical disparities were insufficient to warrant reversal.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 17 2026
6th Cir. 25-3442 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. GULAM MUKHDOMI and ABIDA MUKHDOMI

The Sixth Circuit affirmed $125,000 fines imposed on two physicians, ruling that their appellate waivers barred challenges to the reasonableness of the sentences. The court further held that even if the Eighth Amendment challenge were considered, the fines were not grossly disproportional given the defendants' admitted conduct involving thousands of fraudulent claims.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Eighth Amendment - Cruel & Unusual Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 17 2026
4th Cir. 25-6317 Per Curiam

CALVIN TERRELL WILLIAMS v. WARDEN OF PERRY CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal from a district court's denial of a state prisoner's habeas corpus petition because the petitioner failed to obtain a certificate of appealability. The court held that Williams did not make a substantial showing that his constitutional rights were denied, a statutory requirement for appellate review.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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