Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's revocation of supervised release and thirty-month prison sentence. The court held that the categorical approach does not apply when determining the grade of a supervised release violation.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to withdraw counsel and dismissed an appeal. The court found that the appointed attorney's Anders brief correctly identified no nonfrivolous issues for review.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by the Federal Public Defender to withdraw from representing Victor Vargas III. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for review.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a federal inmate convicted of assault causing serious bodily injury that resulted in a victim's death. The court rejected arguments regarding insufficient evidence, Confrontation Clause limitations, prosecutorial misconduct, and sentencing enhancements.
The Ninth Circuit denied an asylum claim but granted relief regarding protection under the Convention Against Torture. The court remanded the case to order deferral of removal for a Nigerian national who faced torture due to his sexual orientation.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose a new ten-year term. The court held that the defendant failed to demonstrate plain error regarding an unconditional ban on contact with minors.
The Eighth Circuit reversed a fraud conviction and remanded for a new trial after the district court improperly excluded evidence of witness bias. The court held that statements made during government witness preparation were admissible to show the accomplice's bias against the defendant.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the convictions and mandatory minimum sentence of Shabnam Dawn Pilisuk. The court also narrowed the scope of a supervised release condition to align with First Amendment protections.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a federal sentence requiring mandatory consecutive terms for firearm offenses under Section nine hundred twenty-four of Title eighteen. The court held that the district court properly clarified an ambiguity in the oral sentencing order to comply with statutory mandates.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed Victor Manuel Chavarria's conviction and sentence while dismissing the remainder of his appeal. The panel concluded that Chavarria's plea was voluntary and that his appeal waiver was enforceable.
