Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to dismiss an indictment for receiving a firearm while under felony indictment. The court held that federal law does not require an individualized assessment of dangerousness to disarm individuals facing felony charges.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a civil complaint involving real property disputes. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's orders denying motions for reconsideration.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant who pled guilty to firearm possession and drug trafficking charges. The court found no error in the district court's plea colloquy or sentencing procedures under a plain error and abuse of discretion standard.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to withdraw a guilty plea by a felon in possession of a firearm. The court also upheld the classification of the defendant's prior bank robbery conviction as a crime of violence for sentencing purposes.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed most of Lori Milliron's convictions but vacated one perjury count due to insufficient evidence regarding the prosecutor's questioning.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court found that while the district court may have erred in applying an enhanced base offense level, the error did not affect the defendant's substantial rights.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a twenty-four-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The court rejected challenges regarding drug quantity calculations, the district court's explanation for denying a sentencing variance, and the substantive reasonableness of the sentence.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal from a habeas corpus petition. The court found that the petitioner failed to make a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.
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 United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated a district court stay that had blocked the expansion of expedited removal authority, holding that the Executive Branch's designation of aliens for rapid deportation does not violate due process.
