James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

2,517 decisions
Apr 29 2026
4th Cir. 24-4331 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JOSEPH BOURABAH

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of Joseph Bourabah's motions to substitute counsel and withdraw his guilty plea, finding no abuse of discretion in the district court's handling of the requests. The court upheld a 100-month sentence for a severe cyberstalking campaign, ruling that the district court properly applied upward departures for the extreme psychological injury inflicted on the victims.

Criminal Guidelines Departure Sentencing Guidelines Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 29 2026
9th Cir. 3:24-cv-02398-LB Unpublished

REZANEZHAD GATABI V. TARGET CORPORATION, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a personal injury lawsuit against Target, ruling that California's two-year statute of limitations applies to the case rather than North Dakota's six-year period. The court held that under California's governmental interest approach to choice of law, the state has a stronger interest in applying its laws to a California resident suing in a California court for products purchased there.

Civil Statute of Limitations Tort / Personal Injury
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Apr 29 2026
8th Cir. 25-1143 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Jersom Andu Mena

The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to dismiss an indictment against a defendant charged with unlawful firearm possession as a controlled substance user. The court held that the defendant's Second Amendment challenge is foreclosed by binding circuit precedent.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Apr 29 2026
11th Cir. 9:05-cr-80107-DPG-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Dixon

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Derek Dixon's motion for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), ruling that the trial court properly exercised its discretion to reject the request despite a lowered guideline range. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion given the extreme violence of Dixon's crimes and his prior agreement that the maximum term was reasonable under § 3553(a).

Compassionate Release Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255) Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 29 2026
1st Cir. 25-1354 Panel Decision

SANDRA NATASHA ST. JOHN v. ANDREA JOY CAMPBELL

The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a habeas corpus petition filed by a deported individual, holding that federal jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 requires the petitioner to be in custody of state authorities at the time of filing. Because the petitioner had been deported to Trinidad and Tobago before filing her claim, she failed to satisfy the statutory custody requirement.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241) Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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Apr 29 2026
11th Cir. 1:09-cr-00029-JB-B-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Laphonse Young

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the revocation of Laphonse Young's supervised release, holding that the district court retained jurisdiction under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(i) because a warrant was issued before the term expired. The court rejected Young's arguments regarding hearsay evidence and the opportunity to object, finding no reversible error in the district court's proceedings.

Criminal Supervised Release
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Apr 28 2026
11th Cir. 3:23-cr-00064-TKW-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Beck

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the drug conspiracy and possession convictions of Philip Beck, Florence Beck, and Joshua Martinez, rejecting challenges to the admission of evidence and sentencing determinations. The court held that inconsistencies in Florence Beck's post-arrest statements were credibility issues for the jury, not grounds for reversal, and that the district court properly applied Rule 404(b) and safety-valve standards.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Mandatory Minimum Sixth Amendment - Confrontation Clause
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Apr 28 2026
5th Cir. 25-30192 Per Curiam

United States of America v. Julius Augillard

The Fifth Circuit affirmed Julius Augillard's 70-month sentence, ruling that his prior state conviction qualified as a controlled substance offense under the realistic probability test. However, the court vacated part of the judgment because the district court failed to orally pronounce a discretionary supervised release condition that appeared in the written order.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
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