Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Fourth Circuit vacated a defendant's sentence because the district court erred in applying a crime-of-violence enhancement. The court held that a prior Virginia conviction for using a firearm during a robbery did not categorically satisfy the elements clause of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court order imposing a special condition of supervised release requiring mental health treatment. The appellate panel held that the defendant failed to demonstrate plain error because the record contained sufficient basis for the condition.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentence of a defendant convicted of drug and gun charges. The court rejected arguments that the sentencing guidelines should treat methamphetamine mixtures differently than pure methamphetamine.
The Third Circuit affirmed the convictions of Kareem Harry despite finding that federal marshals and the district court erroneously excluded his mother and the public from the courtroom during trial. The court held that these errors did not seriously affect the fairness or integrity of the judicial proceedings.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentence imposed on Marcius Haywood following his guilty plea to a drug offense. The court granted counsel's motion to withdraw after finding no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed in part and affirmed as modified in part the district court's denial of a federal prisoner's motion for voluntary recusal and his successive habeas motion. The court clarified that while the recusal denial was proper, the lower court should have dismissed the successive motion claims without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Rickey Warren. The court found that the issues raised were moot because the underlying writ of garnishment had been quashed and Warren had already been released from custody.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed nearly a year after the entry of a criminal judgment. The court held that the notice of appeal was untimely under the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Ricardo Davalos Martinez for drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. The court found sufficient evidence that Martinez knowingly participated in a prison-led narcotics organization.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed in part and affirmed in part the appeal of a defendant who pled guilty to drug conspiracy charges. The court enforced the defendant's appellate waiver and found no meritorious grounds for appeal outside its scope.
