James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

2,517 decisions
Apr 24 2026
11th Cir. 2:19-cv-08032-LSC Per Curiam

Patrick Dewayne Hall v. United States of America

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Patrick Hall's § 2255 motion, ruling that the district court did not violate the *Clisby* mandate by resolving his ineffective assistance claim in a single sentence. The appellate court found that the district court's reliance on credibility findings and the lack of prejudice established a sufficient record for meaningful review.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255)
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Apr 24 2026
10th Cir. 4:24-CR-00050-JFH-1) Panel Decision

United States v. Holt

The Tenth Circuit affirmed Lee Holt's conviction for drug and firearm offenses, ruling that officers reasonably relied on a tribal search warrant despite a prior state court denial of a similar application. The court further held that probable cause supported the warrant and that the district court correctly refused to compel the disclosure of a confidential informant's identity.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Apr 23 2026
5th Cir. 25-11131 Per Curiam

United States v. Dirks

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 23 2026
9th Cir. 2:22-cr-00586-ODW-1 Unpublished

USA v. Polzin

The Ninth Circuit affirmed Jacques Polzin's conviction for violating federal conflict-of-interest statutes, ruling that a rational jury could reject his entrapment by estoppel defense. The court deferred to the jury's resolution of conflicting evidence regarding supervisor approval and Polzin's concealment from ICE agents.

Criminal Fraud Plain Error Review Sixth Amendment - Jury Trial
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Apr 23 2026
9th Cir. 2:24-cv-00964-MRA-SSC Unpublished

SILVER V. COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se lawsuit challenging Los Angeles County property tax collection, holding that federal comity principles bar § 1983 challenges where state remedies exist. The court also upheld the dismissal of civil RICO and state law claims for failing to meet the plausibility standard required by federal pleading rules.

Criminal Robbery & Extortion
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Apr 23 2026
9th Cir. 3:23-cv-05106-KKE Unpublished

Kang v. Nationstar Mortgage, LLC

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's summary judgment in favor of mortgage lenders, ruling that appellants failed to prove the existence of an enforceable contract. The court held that the plaintiffs' claims lacked the written evidence required under Washington's statute of frauds and contract principles.

Civil Insurance Summary Judgment
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Apr 23 2026
9th Cir. 2:23-cv-00493-GMN-BNW Unpublished

Clark v. U.S. Bank National Association, et al.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Alfred Clark's foreclosure-related claims, ruling that he failed to plausibly allege the defendants were debt collectors under the FDCPA or that he was not in default. The court held that amending the complaint would be futile because no viable legal theory existed to support his allegations under federal or Nevada law.

Civil Consumer Protection
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Apr 23 2026
8th Cir. 25-1339 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Matthew David Keirans

The Eighth Circuit affirmed Matthew Keirans's 144-month prison sentence, rejecting his claim that the district court abused its discretion by weighing the unique harm of his identity theft. The court held that the lower court properly imposed special conditions of supervised release based on Keirans's decades-long pattern of deception and history of mental health and substance abuse issues.

Criminal Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
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Apr 23 2026
7th Cir. 23-2304 Panel Decision

Dored Shiba v. Markwayne Mullin

The Seventh Circuit clarified that the Supreme Court's decision in Department of the Navy v. Egan imposes a rule of mandatory judicial deference rather than a limit on subject-matter jurisdiction. The court affirmed the dismissal of a federal employee's retaliation claim because adjudicating it would require second-guessing the Executive Branch's security clearance decisions.

Criminal National Defense & Espionage Summary Judgment
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Apr 23 2026
10th Cir. 1:20-CV-00612-RB-DLM Panel Decision

Vasquez v. Jones, et al.

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's Eighth Amendment supervisory liability claim against the Secretary of Corrections. The court held that generalized allegations of understaffing and poor training were insufficient to prove the official knew or should have known these conditions would specifically cause the plaintiff's injuries.

Civil Rights - Section 1983 Criminal Prison Offenses Qualified Immunity
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