Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal where a pro se plaintiff failed to appeal a specific denial of relief from judgment. The court held that the plaintiff abandoned her arguments by not briefing any challenge to the dismissal order itself.
The Eighth Circuit granted counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed the appeal in a child pornography case. The court found the defendant's appeal waiver enforceable and identified no non-frivolous issues outside its scope.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a federal sentence enhancement for a serial bank robber, ruling that both federal bank robbery and Florida aggravated assault qualify as crimes of violence under the Sentencing Guidelines. The court held that the mens rea for these offenses meets the requirements for career offender status despite arguments regarding reckless conduct.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the district court lacked jurisdiction to resentence the defendant after the statutory deadline had passed. The court held that the amended judgment entered more than fourteen days after the original sentencing was void.
The Eighth Circuit granted counsel leave to withdraw and affirmed the sentence in a criminal appeal involving a firearm offense. The court found no substantive unreasonableness in the sentence and no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a criminal conviction and sentence for drug distribution offenses. The court found the district court's denial of safety valve relief and mitigating role adjustment supported by the record.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentences imposed on Alexander Evans for receipt of child pornography and the revocation of his supervised release. The court found no abuse of discretion in the district court's sentencing decisions and granted counsel's motion to withdraw under Anders v. California.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal regarding claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. The court found the record insufficient to fairly evaluate the defendant's arguments.
The Eighth Circuit enforced an appeal waiver contained in a plea agreement and dismissed the defendant's challenge to his sentence. The court rejected the argument that the district court's failure to explain its sentencing rationale constituted a miscarriage of justice.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by the Federal Public Defender to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
