Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
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.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to dismiss an indictment for a prohibited person possessing a firearm. The court held that existing precedent forecloses Second Amendment challenges to the federal statute prohibiting felons from possessing firearms.
The Seventh Circuit reversed a district court's ruling that invalidated 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) on its face under the Second Amendment. The appellate court held that Supreme Court precedent does not categorically prohibit disarming all felons, particularly those with histories of dangerous conduct.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed Edlando Watson's conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon, holding that disarming individuals convicted of dangerous drug-dealing felonies aligns with the nation's historical tradition. The court applied the Supreme Court's two-step *Bruen* test to find the statute constitutional as applied to Watson, while explicitly declining to rule on whether non-dangerous felons may be similarly restricted.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing Mario Pena-Llanas. The court dismissed the consolidated appeals after finding no nonfrivolous issues for review.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Progressive and Secura, holding that Illinois law permits anti-stacking provisions to cap total recovery at the highest single-policy limit. The court ruled that the plaintiff's existing $900,000 recovery from other sources satisfied the cap, leaving the insurers liable only for the remaining $100,000.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Scott Vangoethen following his guilty plea. The court granted the government's motion to enforce an appeal waiver contained within Vangoethen's plea agreement.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a concealed-carry permit to a former soldier with a military drug conviction, holding that the Full Faith and Credit Clause does not restrict states from imposing firearm disabilities based on federal military judgments. The court further ruled that Wisconsin's prohibition on firearm possession for individuals convicted of distributing drugs is constitutional both on its face and as applied to the appellant.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Carlos Robles's sentence, ruling that the district court properly applied sentencing guidelines cross-references and enhancements based on relevant conduct involving grooming and sexual acts with a minor. The court further upheld supervised release conditions requiring SORNA compliance and polygraph testing as reasonably related to public safety and the nature of the offense.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a supervised release revocation. The court found the case moot because the defendant's sentence had expired and no collateral consequences were identified.
