James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

2,484 decisions
Jun 24 2026
11th Cir. 7:05-cr-00012-HL-RLH-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Wright

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.

Jun 24 2026
9th Cir. 3:23-cr-00301-SI-2 Unpublished

USA v. Centeno Banegas

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.

Jun 24 2026
11th Cir. 2:25-cr-00218-LCB-GMB-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Moore

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.

Jun 24 2026
4th Cir. 26-6194 Per Curiam

Marcus D. Allison v. Warden Alfredo Martell

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.

Jun 24 2026
4th Cir. 26-6275 Per Curiam

United States v. Larry Barnes, Jr.

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.

Jun 24 2026
9th Cir. 1:23-cr-00045-LEK-1 Unpublished

USA v. Owens

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.