Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eighth Circuit dismissed an appeal by a defendant who had entered a plea agreement containing an appeal waiver. The court found the waiver valid and enforceable, concluding there were no non-frivolous issues outside its scope.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment revoking supervised release and imposing a twelve-month prison term. The appellate court held that any error in admitting hearsay evidence at the revocation hearing was harmless because the conviction alone sufficiently proved the violation.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that police had reasonable suspicion to stop the vehicle based on the totality of circumstances and the defendant's flight.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a sentence reduction for a defendant convicted of international drug trafficking. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing sentencing factors against a reduction under the Sentencing Guidelines.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment in a civil dispute involving defamation, civil extortion, and stock valuation. The appellate panel found no clear error in the lower court's factual findings regarding the parties' economic relationships and damages calculations.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to reduce a sentence based on a retroactive sentencing guideline amendment. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing the sentencing factors against the defendant's request for relief.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment in a civil dispute involving defamation, civil extortion, and stock valuation. The appellate panel found no clear error in the lower court's factual findings regarding the parties' economic relationships and damages calculations.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a defendant's sentence for possession of ammunition as a felon. The court held that the district court's findings regarding specific intent to kill were sufficient to apply the attempted murder sentencing guideline cross-reference.
The Fourth Circuit remanded the case to determine if the named plaintiffs have standing to seek injunctive relief for opioid use disorder treatment. The court affirmed the lower court's certification of a class seeking damages for the denial of such medical care.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal by a defendant challenging his firearm possession sentence. The court held that the defendant's valid appeal waiver in his plea agreement barred his claims of procedural and substantive unreasonableness.
