James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

1,506 decisions
Feb 20 2026
1st Cir. 24-1520 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CHANG GOO YOON

The First Circuit affirmed Chang Goo Yoon's conviction for health care fraud, rejecting his challenges to evidentiary rulings regarding prior insurance investigations and sentencing enhancements. The court held that evidence of Yoon's knowledge of past investigations was probative of his specific intent and that the district court properly calculated intended loss and applied sentencing enhancements.

Criminal Fraud Sentencing Guidelines
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Feb 20 2026
4th Cir. 21-4562 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MALIK ELI DAVIS, a/k/a Charles Prince Davis, a/k/a Black

The Fourth Circuit vacated the sentence of a defendant convicted of drug trafficking and firearm possession due to a 'Rogers error' involving ambiguous supervised release conditions. The court held that the district court failed to clearly incorporate the correct standing order, creating a material discrepancy between the oral pronouncement and the written judgment.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Feb 20 2026
11th Cir. 1:21-cr-20374-RKA-1 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JOAN MANUEL ESTADELLA

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of Joan Manuel Estadella for felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court rejected challenges to the denial of a motion to suppress, the admission of evidence, and the sentencing calculation based on drug purity.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241) Sentencing Guidelines
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Feb 19 2026
1st Cir. 24-1770 Panel Decision

SEC v. Gasarch

The First Circuit affirmed a district court's judgment against five defendants who participated in a decade-long pump-and-dump scheme involving cheap stocks and misleading hype. The court upheld the SEC's civil enforcement action, finding the defendants liable for disgorging millions in ill-gotten gains while concealing their ownership and involvement.

Criminal Money Laundering
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Feb 19 2026
1st Cir. 24-1772 Panel Decision

SEC v. Gasarch

The First Circuit affirmed a district court's judgment against five defendants who participated in a decade-long pump-and-dump scheme involving penny stocks and concealed ownership. The court upheld the defendants' liability for securities fraud and the disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, while vacating one specific injunction against appellant Sexton for failing to provide adequate notice of the prohibited conduct.

Criminal Money Laundering
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Feb 19 2026
1st Cir. 24-1774 Panel Decision

SEC v. Gasarch

The First Circuit affirmed a district court's judgment against five defendants who participated in a decade-long pump-and-dump scheme involving penny stocks and concealed ownership. The court upheld the SEC's civil enforcement action, finding the defendants liable for ill-gotten gains and imposing disgorgement and civil penalties, while vacating one specific injunction for lack of clarity.

Criminal Money Laundering
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Feb 19 2026
1st Cir. 24-1771 Panel Decision

SEC v. Gasarch

The First Circuit affirmed a district court's judgment against five defendants who participated in a decade-long pump-and-dump scheme involving penny stocks and misleading promoters. The court upheld the SEC's civil enforcement action and the imposition of disgorgement liabilities for ill-gotten gains, while vacating one specific injunction against appellant Sexton for failing to describe the prohibited conduct with sufficient clarity.

Criminal Money Laundering Statute of Limitations
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Feb 19 2026
8th Cir. 25-3248 Panel Decision

Herrera Avila v. Bondi

The Eighth Circuit reversed a district court order granting habeas relief to a Mexican citizen detained without bond during removal proceedings. The appellate court held that the statutory phrase 'seeking admission' in 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) is synonymous with 'applicant for admission,' thereby authorizing mandatory detention for unadmitted aliens present in the interior of the United States.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241)
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Feb 19 2026
11th Cir. 1:22-cr-20557-BB-1 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JAVIER HERNANDEZ

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Javier Hernandez's convictions for migrant smuggling, transporting stolen vessels, and money laundering. The court held that the government's extraction of cell phone data after a warrant's expiration date was lawful under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41 and that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict.

Criminal Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Money Laundering Robbery & Extortion
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Feb 19 2026
7th Cir. 25-1954 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. $38,916.00 IN U.S. CURRENCY APPEAL OF: MICHAEL A. TOVAR

The Seventh Circuit dismissed Michael Tovar's appeal in a civil forfeiture case because his brief failed to challenge the district court's reasoning on issue preclusion. The court held that Tovar could not relitigate the source of the seized cash, which had already been determined during his criminal sentencing and prior appeal.

Criminal Other Criminal Summary Judgment
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