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
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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Mar 17 2026
5th Cir. 25-20441 Per Curiam

Summary Calendar Michael Wayne Singletary Plaintiff— v. SWBC Mortgage Corporation; Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's lawsuit alleging wrongful mortgage transfer, rejecting the argument that failure to record a loan transfer voids the debt. The court held that the plaintiff's reliance on non-existent case law and abandoned legal theories provided no basis to overturn the district court's ruling.

Civil Contract
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Mar 16 2026
9th Cir. 2:12-cr-00906-DGC-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ROCKY DELGADO MARQUEZ

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a defendant's motion for compassionate release, ruling that the district court's reliance on sentencing factors was sufficient to deny relief. The court held that any potential error regarding the defendant's extraordinary and compelling circumstances was harmless because the sentence reduction would not reflect the seriousness of the offense.

Compassionate Release Criminal
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Mar 16 2026
10th Cir. 4:24-CR-00278-GKF-1) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JACKEY WAYNE NUNAMAKER

The Tenth Circuit affirmed Jackey Wayne Nunamaker's conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting his Second Amendment challenge to the statute. The panel held that its prior decision in Vincent v. Bondi controls and precludes such challenges, even for non-violent felony offenders.

Criminal Firearms
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Mar 16 2026
9th Cir. 2:21-cr-00547-FLA-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH ANTOUN

The Ninth Circuit affirmed a 12-month prison sentence imposed on Christopher Joseph Antoun following the second revocation of his supervised release. The court held that the district court provided sufficient reasons for varying above the Sentencing Guidelines and that the sentence was substantively reasonable under federal law.

Criminal Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
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Mar 16 2026
10th Cir. 25-4034 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MARLON ALONZO SMITH

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of Marlon Alonzo Smith's motions for the appointment of counsel, ruling that his underlying Rule 60(b) motions were effectively unauthorized successive habeas petitions. Because the district court lacked jurisdiction to hear those motions, the request for counsel to assist with them was rendered moot.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255)
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