James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

1,523 decisions
Apr 24 2026
9th Cir. 1:21-cr-00004-TMB-MMS-1 Unpublished

United States v. Jones

The Ninth Circuit affirmed Dustin Jones's convictions for drug trafficking and felon-in-possession, ruling that his anchored boat qualified as a vehicle under the Fourth Amendment. The court further held that officers had reasonable belief the suspect was inside to justify the arrest warrant execution and that the felon-in-possession statute remains constitutional as applied to non-violent felons.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure
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Apr 24 2026
11th Cir. 2:19-cv-08032-LSC Per Curiam

Patrick Dewayne Hall v. United States of America

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Patrick Hall's § 2255 motion, ruling that the district court did not violate the *Clisby* mandate by resolving his ineffective assistance claim in a single sentence. The appellate court found that the district court's reliance on credibility findings and the lack of prejudice established a sufficient record for meaningful review.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255)
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Apr 24 2026
9th Cir. 3:24-cv-00429-CAB-DEB Unpublished

Fitzhugh v. United States

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Jeffery Lee Fitzhugh's Federal Tort Claims Act lawsuit, ruling that his administrative claim was filed more than two years after the incident and lacked the necessary facts for equitable tolling. The court also upheld the district court's denial of leave to file a second amended complaint because Fitzhugh failed to cure identified deficiencies despite prior opportunities.

Civil Tort / Personal Injury
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Apr 24 2026
10th Cir. 4:24-CR-00050-JFH-1) Panel Decision

United States v. Holt

The Tenth Circuit affirmed Lee Holt's conviction for drug and firearm offenses, ruling that officers reasonably relied on a tribal search warrant despite a prior state court denial of a similar application. The court further held that probable cause supported the warrant and that the district court correctly refused to compel the disclosure of a confidential informant's identity.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Apr 24 2026
8th Cir. 25-1434 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Oscar Hudspeth, Sr

The Eighth Circuit affirmed Oscar Hudspeth's conviction for sex abuse in Indian country, ruling that excluding polygraph evidence did not violate his constitutional right to present a complete defense. The court held that while the defendant sought to explain his incriminating statements as reactions to a failed polygraph, the exclusion of the test results was proper and did not prevent him from presenting his overall defense strategy.

Criminal Mandatory Minimum Sex Offenses
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Apr 24 2026
10th Cir. 1:23-CV-00843-GPG-NRN Panel Decision

Puller, et al. v. Greco, et al.

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a § 1983 false arrest and malicious prosecution claim against Denver police officers, ruling that the officers were protected by qualified immunity. The court held that an ambiguous surveillance video did not clearly establish that the officers lacked arguable probable cause to arrest the plaintiffs.

Civil Rights - Section 1983 Criminal Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Qualified Immunity
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Apr 24 2026
1st Cir. 25-1146 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES v. RAHIM SHAFA

The First Circuit affirmed Rahim Shafa's convictions for money laundering and drug offenses but vacated his sentence for misdemeanor misbranding due to the District Court's failure to clarify why the fraud guideline applied. The court remanded the case for resentencing on that specific count to resolve ambiguities regarding the acquitted-conduct amendment.

Criminal Money Laundering Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 23 2026
9th Cir. 2:24-cv-00964-MRA-SSC Unpublished

SILVER V. COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se lawsuit challenging Los Angeles County property tax collection, holding that federal comity principles bar § 1983 challenges where state remedies exist. The court also upheld the dismissal of civil RICO and state law claims for failing to meet the plausibility standard required by federal pleading rules.

Criminal Robbery & Extortion
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