Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant who pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography. The court held that the defendant's challenge to the factual basis of his plea was foreclosed by binding precedent.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the convictions of Bailey Belt and his mother for assaulting and murdering a victim on an Indian reservation. The court held that the district court properly admitted surveillance footage with gaps and correctly applied a sentencing enhancement for a vulnerable victim.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's revocation of supervised release and imposition of a twenty-four-month prison sentence. The court held that the defendant's constitutional challenge to the supervised release statute was foreclosed by prior binding precedent.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the sentence of a defendant convicted of drug-distribution conspiracy. The court found no reversible error in the district court's drug-quantity findings, role-in-the-offense enhancement, or denial of an acceptance-of-responsibility adjustment.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and supervised release revocation of Samuel Isidro De La Fuente for illegal reentry. The court granted the Government's motion for summary affirmance because the defendant conceded his constitutional challenge was foreclosed by existing precedent.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant challenging a sentencing enhancement under the illegal reentry statute. The court held that the defendant's constitutional argument was foreclosed by binding Supreme Court precedent.
The Tenth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a nonparty because it lacked standing to challenge district court orders in a receivership dispute. The court found the appellant failed to demonstrate injury or a legally protected interest in the assets at issue.
The Fifth Circuit granted a motion to withdraw filed by appointed counsel for Anthony Dechon Smith. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for review.
The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court order dismissing a fraud indictment against a defendant who received disaster relief funds. The appellate court held that the government's late disclosure of evidence did not violate Brady or Rule sixteen, and the dismissal was an abuse of discretion.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and supervised release revocation of Samuel Isidro De La Fuente for illegal reentry. The court granted the government's motion for summary affirmance because the appellant conceded his constitutional challenge was foreclosed by existing precedent.
