Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction and sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The court rejected arguments regarding insufficient factual basis for the plea and ineffective assistance of counsel.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant for assaulting another man on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The court vacated the sentence because the district court imposed a time-served penalty that exceeded the statutory maximum for the offense.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a twenty-four-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of sexual abuse. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing an upward variance based on the nature of the offense and the defendant's history.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a former teacher convicted of child exploitation and cyberstalking. The court rejected arguments regarding competency, the voluntariness of a passcode entry, and the admissibility of victim impact testimony.
The Fifth Circuit vacated a sentence for a defendant convicted of conspiring to transport illegal aliens. The court held that the district court clearly erred in applying a sentencing enhancement for involuntary detention where the evidence did not show the aliens were held against their will.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court order reducing a defendant's sentence based on youth and rehabilitation, holding these factors do not constitute extraordinary and compelling reasons under the compassionate-release statute.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed that the government's position was not substantially justified under the Equal Access to Justice Act. The court reversed the district court's fee reduction and remanded for a higher award based on the plaintiffs' significant success.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's sentence of eight months imprisonment and twelve months supervised release following a supervised release revocation. The court remanded the case solely to correct the written judgment to align with the oral pronouncement regarding restitution interest.
The Tenth Circuit denied a certificate of appealability and dismissed a habeas petition because the underlying state court order was declared void. The court held that no reasonable jurist could debate the propriety of dismissing a petition challenging a non-existent judgment.
