Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order denying a defendant's request to run his federal sentence concurrently with a state sentence. The appellate court held that the district court lacked the legal authority to modify the already-imposed federal sentence under the circumstances presented.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the drug trafficking and firearms convictions of Jerlen Horton and Jacoby Summers. The court found the evidence sufficient to prove firearm possession in furtherance of drug trafficking and determined that any trial errors were harmless.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a defendant's motions for sentence reduction and compassionate release. The appellate court concluded that the district court did not abuse its discretion in rejecting the requests under the First Step Act.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a sentence reduction motion filed by a defendant bound by a plea agreement. The court held that the sentence was not based on the Sentencing Guidelines range because the agreement allowed the defendant to avoid a mandatory life sentence.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a federal prisoner seeking relief under Section twenty-two hundred fifty-five of Title twenty-eight. The court held that the appellant failed to make the requisite showing to obtain a certificate of appealability.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a ninety-six-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of possessing ricin. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing a within-Guidelines sentence despite the defendant's arguments regarding his criminal history and personal circumstances.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose a twenty-four-month prison sentence. The appellate court held that the district court acted within its broad discretion in sentencing the defendant for repeated violations of his release conditions.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Nicholas Dewayne Rogers for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that Rogers waived his right to challenge the suppression of evidence because he entered an unconditional guilty plea.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Timothy Fussell regarding a partial default judgment. The court held that the district court orders sought to be appealed were neither final nor appealable interlocutory orders.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's upward variance in sentencing for a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that the lower court properly weighed the defendant's extensive criminal history despite his arguments regarding mitigating factors.
