Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed in part the appeal of a defendant convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. The court held that the defendant's guilty plea was valid and that his appeal waiver barred challenges to the reasonableness of his sentence.
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 United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the revocation of a defendant's supervised release term. The court rejected the argument that the consecutive sentence was substantively unreasonable.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ordered this case to be heard en banc. The court further ordered that this matter be consolidated with a separate case for oral argument purposes only.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling denying a father's petition to return his child to Finland under the Hague Convention. The court held that the eight-year-old child was sufficiently mature and had raised particularized objections to returning, satisfying the age and maturity exception.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy. The court held that the search warrant was supported by probable cause and that the district court properly admitted expert testimony on trafficking dynamics.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant charged with sex trafficking, rejecting challenges to the search warrant and the admission of expert testimony. The court held that the affidavit supported probable cause and that the district court properly admitted expert evidence explaining trafficking dynamics.
