James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

2,423 decisions
Feb 19 2026
1st Cir. 24-1771 Panel Decision

SEC v. Gasarch

The First Circuit affirmed a district court's judgment against five defendants who participated in a decade-long pump-and-dump scheme involving penny stocks and misleading promoters. The court upheld the SEC's civil enforcement action and the imposition of disgorgement liabilities for ill-gotten gains, while vacating one specific injunction against appellant Sexton for failing to describe the prohibited conduct with sufficient clarity.

Criminal Money Laundering Statute of Limitations
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Feb 19 2026
8th Cir. 25-3248 Panel Decision

Herrera Avila v. Bondi

The Eighth Circuit reversed a district court order granting habeas relief to a Mexican citizen detained without bond during removal proceedings. The appellate court held that the statutory phrase 'seeking admission' in 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A) is synonymous with 'applicant for admission,' thereby authorizing mandatory detention for unadmitted aliens present in the interior of the United States.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241)
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Feb 19 2026
11th Cir. 1:22-cr-20557-BB-1 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JAVIER HERNANDEZ

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Javier Hernandez's convictions for migrant smuggling, transporting stolen vessels, and money laundering. The court held that the government's extraction of cell phone data after a warrant's expiration date was lawful under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41 and that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict.

Criminal Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Money Laundering Robbery & Extortion
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Feb 19 2026
7th Cir. 25-1954 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. $38,916.00 IN U.S. CURRENCY APPEAL OF: MICHAEL A. TOVAR

The Seventh Circuit dismissed Michael Tovar's appeal in a civil forfeiture case because his brief failed to challenge the district court's reasoning on issue preclusion. The court held that Tovar could not relitigate the source of the seized cash, which had already been determined during his criminal sentencing and prior appeal.

Criminal Other Criminal Summary Judgment
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Feb 18 2026
United States Court… 25-3082 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Wei Chin

The D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to file a discovery request in a closed criminal case, ruling that the lower court did not abuse its discretion in managing its docket. The court also denied the appellant's motions for appointment of counsel and a certificate of appealability, clarifying that the latter is unnecessary for this specific type of interlocutory appeal.

Criminal Other Criminal
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Feb 18 2026
7th Cir. 25-1558 Panel Decision

Yang Shao, Debtor-Appellant v. Customers Bank, Creditor-Appellee

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Yang Shao's bankruptcy petition, ruling that her repeated filings across multiple jurisdictions constituted a bad-faith scheme to defraud creditors. The court upheld the lower courts' findings that Shao violated filing restrictions and engaged in fraudulent asset transfers to evade foreclosure.

Bankruptcy Civil
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