Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a pro se defendant more than fourteen years after the final judgment in his criminal case. The court held that the notice of appeal was untimely and did not qualify for an extension under the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion for compassionate release. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion in the lower court's refusal to reduce the sentence.
The Ninth Circuit dismissed an appeal by a defendant convicted of fentanyl conspiracy who had waived his right to appeal. The court found no non-frivolous issues to review after an independent examination of the record.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated a defendant's sentence because the district court failed to provide a specific justification for an upward variance from the Sentencing Guidelines range. The court held that merely reciting statutory factors without explaining their application to the case facts constitutes reversible procedural error.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Marcus D. Allison because the underlying district court order he challenged was vacated. The court found the appeal moot since the district court had already granted Allison's motion for reconsideration to allow him to file objections.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a thirteen-month sentence for failure to register as a sex offender. The court rejected the defendant's claim that a prior plea agreement breach caused reversible harm.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion to vacate his sentence under Section twenty-two hundred fifty-four. The court held that attempted armed bank robbery remains a crime of violence under Section ninety-two four C despite the Supreme Court's ruling in Davis.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order denying a defendant's motion for sentence reduction. The court held that the defendant was ineligible for relief under Amendment Eight Hundred Twenty-One because his sentence was governed by mandatory minimums rather than his criminal history score.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed consolidated appeals filed by Seth Zachary Owens. The court found no non-frivolous issues to review after Owens's counsel filed a brief under Anders v. California.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a defendant who had waived his right to challenge his conviction and sentence in a plea agreement. The court found that the issues raised by counsel fell within the scope of the valid waiver and that no meritorious grounds for appeal existed.
