Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a service member's habeas petition challenging his court-martial convictions. The court held that the military courts fully and fairly considered all of the petitioner's non-jurisdictional claims, precluding federal review on the merits.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court's grant of summary judgment to the Forest Service in an environmental law dispute. The panel held that the Alliance for the Wild Rockies did not forfeit its challenge to a forest project's exemption from environmental review by failing to raise the issue during the initial scoping process.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to intervene in a government foreclosure proceeding. The court held that the proposed intervenor's motion was untimely under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure twenty-four.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a twenty-four-month sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court found sufficient evidence that the defendant fired the weapon used in an attempted murder during the commission of his offense.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a below-guidelines sentence for a defendant convicted of Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm. The court held that the district court adequately explained its reasoning and considered the defendant's mitigation arguments.
The Eighth Circuit dismissed an appeal by a defendant who had pleaded guilty and waived her right to challenge sentencing adjustments. The court held that the waiver covered the issues raised because the district court varied downward rather than upward.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a thirty-year sentence for a defendant convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography. The court rejected the defendant's claim that the sentencing court impermissibly double-counted his conduct when applying a two-level enhancement.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a sixty-month sentence imposed on a convicted felon for possessing firearms. The court held that the district court adequately explained its sentencing decision and did not abuse its discretion in weighing the defendant's extensive criminal history.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction of John Francis for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. The court held that a high-speed chase provided independent grounds for a lawful arrest and search, and that sufficient evidence supported the jury's guilty verdict.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a federal prisoner's motion for compassionate release and reconsideration. The court found no abuse of discretion in the lower court's determination that the defendant failed to show extraordinary and compelling reasons for release.
