Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a twenty-year prison sentence for a defendant convicted of drug trafficking. The court held that the district court properly applied a stash-house enhancement and did not abuse its discretion in sentencing.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant charged with felon possession of a firearm. The court found no plain error regarding surrogate DNA testimony, sufficiency of evidence, and sentencing enhancements under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed an above-Guidelines sentence for a defendant with extensive tribal court convictions. The court found no abuse of discretion in the district court's reliance on the defendant's criminal history to justify the variance.
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.
