James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

2,485 decisions
Apr 6 2026
10th Cir. 1:23-CV-01108-DDD-JPO Panel Decision

Morphew v. Chaffee County, Colorado

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Barry Morphew's civil rights lawsuit, ruling that he failed to plausibly allege a lack of probable cause for his arrest and prosecution. The court held that the arrest affidavit contained sufficient evidence of motive, means, and opportunity to support the murder charges, regardless of the alleged misconduct by investigators.

Civil Rights - Section 1983 Criminal Drug Trafficking Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure
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Apr 4 2026
6th Cir. 25-5360 Panel Decision

United States v. Maurice Lawrence

The Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant charged with gun and drug offenses. The court held that probable cause for a search warrant remained valid despite a three-day delay between the last observed drug transaction and the warrant application.

Criminal Firearms
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Apr 3 2026
3rd Cir. 25-2468 Panel Decision

Jacquelyn B. N'Jai v. The Pittsburgh Board Public Education, PPS; Public School Employees Retirement System, PSERS; New York City Department of Education, NYCDOE; Teachers Retir...

The Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an appellant's amended complaint, ruling that the filing failed to meet federal pleading standards. The court held that the complaint was unintelligible, improperly joined unrelated claims, and sued a judge protected by immunity.

Criminal Embezzlement & Forgery
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Apr 3 2026
10th Cir. 26-6025 Panel Decision

In re Adrian Conde Aviles

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to compel a district court ruling on a compassionate release motion. The court found the petition moot because the district court had already denied the motion three days after the petition was filed.

Compassionate Release Criminal
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Apr 3 2026
5th Cir. 25-10638 Per Curiam

United States v. Orton

The Fifth Circuit affirmed George Kenneth Orton Jr.'s conviction for producing child pornography, ruling that the evidence supported a finding that the devices used moved in interstate commerce. The court also rejected challenges to the jury instructions and the constitutionality of the underlying statute.

Child Sexual Abuse Material Criminal
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Apr 3 2026
11th Cir. 1:24-cr-20173-JB-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. TOMAS ALKSNYS

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a thirty-six-month sentence for bank fraud and money laundering, rejecting the defendant's challenges to the sentencing guidelines calculations. The court found no plain error in the district court's application of the mass-marketing enhancement and its denial of a minor-role reduction.

Criminal Fraud Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 3 2026
5th Cir. 25-50412 Per Curiam

United States v. Hernandez

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Jose Francisco Hernandez. The court granted the appointed attorney's motion to withdraw after finding no nonfrivolous issues for review.

Anders Brief Criminal
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