Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction of Wilber Vigil-Benitez for murder in aid of racketeering. The court rejected arguments regarding jury instructions on motive and mere presence.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon. The court found no meritorious grounds for appeal and upheld the district court's determination that the sentence was substantively reasonable.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of Antoine Gaither's motion to suppress a handgun found in his vehicle, ruling that the deputy had probable cause to search based on the odor of burnt marijuana. The court further held that ordering the driver out of the car was lawful under established precedent, regardless of the duration of the stop.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed an 18-month supervised release revocation sentence, applying a deferential abuse-of-discretion standard to the district court's decision. The court held that the sentence was procedurally and substantively reasonable given the defendant's repeated violations and the district court's adequate explanation of its reasoning.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a prisoner's third motion for compassionate release. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding the defendant remained a danger to the community and that sentencing factors weighed against release.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a fifty-four-year prison sentence for a defendant convicted of producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing the need to protect the public over the defendant's history of abuse.
The Fourth Circuit reversed a district court order suppressing evidence found in a defendant's bags during an arrest. The appellate court held that the evidence would have been inevitably discovered through standard inventory search policies at the detention center.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's habeas corpus petition challenging a disciplinary finding. The court held that the prison's revocation of good conduct time was supported by sufficient evidence under the due process clause.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the award of Black Lung Benefits Act benefits to a miner's surviving spouse, ruling that the employer failed to rebut the statutory presumption of pneumoconiosis. The court held that negative chest x-rays do not preclude a finding of legal pneumoconiosis, leaving the employer's burden of proof unmet.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed Robert Allen McClinton's appeal from his denied § 2255 motion because his notice of appeal was filed well past the 60-day deadline. The court rejected McClinton's claim that the prison mailbox rule applied, finding he failed to deliver the notice to prison officials within the statutory period.
