Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's denial of bail and other procedural rulings in a habeas corpus case. The court found the petitioner failed to make a substantial showing that his constitutional claims were debatable and that the remaining issues were not immediately appealable.
The First Circuit vacated a defendant's sentence for firearm possession by a prohibited person due to reliance on an invalid rationale. The court affirmed the defendant's supervised release revocation sentence because he waived his challenges to that ruling.
The Fourth Circuit vacated a defendant's sentence due to a material discrepancy between the court's oral pronouncement and the written judgment regarding a supervised release condition. The court held that the written judgment impermissibly broadened the scope of a warrantless search condition not announced at sentencing.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a defendant challenging his sentence for drug conspiracy and money laundering. The court held that the defendant had knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal under his plea agreement, and none of the waiver's exceptions applied to his claims.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a conviction where a juror concealed a past federal investigation into his role in a local corruption scheme. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding the juror impartial despite his dishonesty during voir dire.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's acceptance of a guilty plea and its denial of motions to withdraw it. The court held that the defendant knowingly and voluntarily pleaded guilty despite later claiming he was misled about sentencing consequences.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence found in a backpack, holding that the defendant abandoned the property during flight from law enforcement. The court ruled that the district court did not clearly err in finding abandonment based on the defendant's failed attempt to store the bag in a residence and subsequent flight, rendering the warrantless search valid.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Kaci Anne-Rene Lima following her bank fraud conviction. The court enforced an appeal waiver contained in Lima's plea agreement, finding that her sentence did not exceed the statutory maximum and that the waiver was entered knowingly and voluntarily.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a 96-month sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting claims that the district court committed procedural errors by departing from sentencing guidelines. The court held that judges are not required to incrementally move through criminal history categories and that such factors are properly considered within the ultimate reasonableness analysis.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 240-month statutory maximum sentence for child pornography possession, rejecting claims that the district court unreasonably weighed the defendant's prior sexual assault conviction. The court held that the district court properly considered the defendant's lack of remorse and the need to protect the public under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
