James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

2,517 decisions
Apr 21 2026
10th Cir. 4:24-CR-00081-JDR-1) Panel Decision

United States v. King

The Tenth Circuit affirmed Adam Joseph King's conviction for sexual offenses in Indian Country, ruling that the evidence was sufficient to prove the victim's Indian status and the defendant's non-Indian status. The court further held that the district court did not abuse its discretion by allowing alternate charges under two different federal statutes, provided the jury was instructed to convict on only one theory.

Criminal Fifth Amendment - Double Jeopardy Sex Offenses Supervised Release
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Apr 21 2026
10th Cir. 1:22-CR-01907-WJ-1) Panel Decision

United States v. Lacey

The Tenth Circuit affirmed Maurice Lacey's conviction for firearm possession, ruling that the district court did not clearly err in finding him mentally competent to stand trial. The appellate court determined that a second psychological evaluation, which found the defendant alert and knowledgeable, outweighed conflicting evidence regarding his delusions.

Criminal Firearms Other Criminal
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Apr 21 2026
10th Cir. 4:24-CR-00173-SEH-1) Panel Decision

United States v. Carpena

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a duress jury instruction in a prosecution for unlawful reentry, holding that the defendant failed to prove he lacked a reasonable opportunity to escape his abuser. The court ruled that the defendant's evidence did not satisfy the statutory elements required for the defense under 8 U.S.C. § 1326.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
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Apr 21 2026
5th Cir. 25-50474 Per Curiam

United States v. Mata

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Sonia Mata regarding a sentencing enhancement. The court enforced a waiver of appeal included in Mata's plea agreement.

Criminal Firearms
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Apr 21 2026
5th Cir. 25-40372 Per Curiam

United States v. Popnen

The Fifth Circuit affirmed Sandra Iribhogbe Popnen's 325-month sentence for fraud and money laundering, rejecting her challenges to loss calculations and sentencing guidelines reductions. The court held that the district court properly attributed co-conspirator losses and correctly denied a reduction for acceptance of responsibility.

Criminal Fraud Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 20 2026
5th Cir. 26-60033 Per Curiam

United States v. Burns

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Joshua Ryan Burns for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court granted the Government's motion for summary affirmance, ruling that Burns's constitutional challenges are foreclosed by existing precedent.

Criminal Firearms
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Apr 20 2026
5th Cir. 25-40276 Per Curiam

United States v. Castillo-Molina

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to withdraw counsel and dismissed an appeal filed by Hector Castillo-Molina. The court concurred with the appointed attorney's assessment that the appeal presented no nonfrivolous issues for review.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 20 2026
5th Cir. 25-10467 Per Curiam

United States v. Anderson

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 review.

Anders Brief Criminal
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