James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

2,517 decisions
Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-6963 Per Curiam

Tony Bryan Smith v. Commonwealth of Virginia

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a certificate of appealability to a state prisoner seeking to challenge a successive habeas petition. The court dismissed the appeal because the petitioner failed to demonstrate that the district court's procedural ruling was debatable or that he made a substantial showing of a constitutional right denial.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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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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Apr 28 2026
8th Cir. 24-3627 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Corey Deandra Thomas

The Eighth Circuit affirmed Corey Deandra Thomas's substantive sentence, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion by imposing an upward variance. The appellate court found the judge properly weighed all statutory sentencing factors through an individualized assessment of the offense and the defendant's history.

Criminal Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-6999 Per Curiam

Weldon Eugene Holtzclaw, Jr. v. Warden of the Greenville County Detention Center

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a state prisoner seeking to amend his habeas corpus petition. The court found the prisoner failed to demonstrate a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right required to obtain a certificate of appealability.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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Apr 28 2026
6th Cir. 25-3361 Published

United States v. Gaither

The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence found during a vehicle search. The court held that an officer had probable cause to search the vehicle after smelling burnt marijuana and that ordering the driver out of the car was lawful under established precedent.

Criminal Firearms
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Apr 28 2026
11th Cir. 1:06-cr-00081-DHB-BKE-2 Per Curiam

United States v. Reynolds

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion for sentence reduction, holding that Amendment 821 did not apply to a defendant whose original sentence included an upward departure based on specific conduct. The court found the district court properly weighed sentencing factors, concluding that the severity of the armed robbery and victim impact outweighed claims of rehabilitation.

Compassionate Release Criminal Guidelines Departure Robbery & Extortion
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Apr 28 2026
5th Cir. 25-11133 Per Curiam

United States v. Diaz, Jr.

The Fifth Circuit granted an appointed attorney's motion to withdraw and dismissed the defendant's appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for review. The court concurred with the attorney's assessment that the case lacked arguable grounds for reversal under the *Anders* standard.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 28 2026
3rd Cir. 24-2260 Panel Decision

COREY R. KENDIG v. NICHOLAS STOLAR

The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Trooper Nicholas Stolar, holding that while omitting self-defense evidence from a probable cause affidavit can violate the Fourth Amendment, the right was not clearly established at the time of the arrest. Consequently, Trooper Stolar retains qualified immunity despite the court's new rule requiring officers to disclose known facts that conclusively negate the mental state of a charged crime.

Civil Rights - Section 1983 Criminal Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Qualified Immunity
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