Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Tracy Ranard Grant, Jr. for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The court rejected arguments regarding expert testimony, sufficiency of evidence, and the constitutionality of the underlying statute.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to withdraw appointed counsel and dismissed the appeal. The court found that the appointed attorney properly filed an Anders brief asserting the appeal presented no nonfrivolous issues.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress a firearm seized during a search warrant execution. The court held that the independent source doctrine applied because the warrant was supported by probable cause unrelated to the initial unlawful arrest.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a federal sentence for a defendant convicted of felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a machine gun. The court rejected the defendant's challenges to two sentencing enhancements based on the underlying attempted murder and the severity of the victims' injuries.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed the remainder of an appeal by a defendant challenging his firearm and drug sentence. The court held that an enforceable appeal waiver barred most arguments, while ineffective assistance claims must be raised in a separate motion.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a sentence where the district court granted a substantial assistance motion but imposed a within-guidelines term. The appellate court found that while the district court erred in granting the motion without departing, the error did not affect the defendant's substantial rights.
The Seventh Circuit vacated a dismissal of a biometric privacy lawsuit against a glasses manufacturer. The court held that the district court erred in accepting the defendant's medical claims as undisputed facts at the pleading stage.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a sentencing adjustment for a defendant involved in a liquor theft scheme. The court held that the defendant was ineligible for the adjustment because the robbery was interrupted by a 911 call rather than voluntary abandonment.
