Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's amended complaint as an impermissible shotgun pleading. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding the complaint failed to provide fair notice of the claims asserted.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Hamilton Douglas Lanza-Rios for illegal reentry. The court held that Lanza-Rios's constitutional challenge to the sentencing enhancement was foreclosed by existing Supreme Court precedent.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a motion for compassionate release. The panel held that the district court properly applied sentencing guidelines and did not abuse its discretion in finding the defendant's family circumstances were not extraordinary and compelling.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a compassionate release motion filed by Jabari Hird. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing the statutory sentencing factors against the request for relief.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a sentencing decision classifying a rooftop standoff at an immigration facility as a major disruption under the Sentencing Guidelines. The court held that a six-hour lockdown and the use of sublethal munitions to end a three-and-a-half-hour standoff satisfied the criteria for a base offense level of sixteen.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's sentencing decision involving a defendant convicted of felony child abuse and assault. The court held that the Sentencing Guidelines commentary correctly defined aggravated assault to include strangulation, even when the victim is a child.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a thirteen-month sentence imposed following the revocation of supervised release. The court held that the district court adequately explained its reasoning and properly weighed the sentencing factors.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a Texas Medical Board investigator and a state trooper on most claims but reversed the ruling on one search claim against the trooper. The court found a genuine dispute of material fact regarding whether the trooper used an administrative search as a pretext for a criminal investigation.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a conviction and sentence for a felon in possession of ammunition despite a constitutional error regarding the Armed Career Criminal Act. The court held that the error was harmless because no reasonable doubt existed that a jury would have found the prior robberies occurred on separate occasions.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Freddie Sanchez for drug trafficking. The court rejected Sanchez's challenges regarding evidence admission, counsel appointment, sufficiency of evidence, and sentencing reasonableness.
