Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a physician accused of health care fraud. The court found sufficient evidence that the defendant knowingly participated in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare by signing prescriptions without examining patients.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal after finding the record insufficient to evaluate a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. The court granted the appointed attorney's motion to withdraw under Anders v. California procedures.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Alton Frank Nichols due to an insufficiently developed record. The court granted the appointed attorney's motion to withdraw after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
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 Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court judgment finding that a plaintiff failed to prove negligence in a slip-and-fall incident at a CVS store. The appellate court held that the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur did not apply because exclusive control over the beverage cooler shelf was divided between CVS employees and third-party vendors.
The First Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to reduce a life sentence under the First Step Act. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing the defendant's heinous criminal record against his rehabilitative efforts.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant who pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. The court rejected the defendant's arguments regarding sentencing guidelines and constitutional challenges to the statute.
The Eleventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw under Anders v. California after an independent review found no arguable issues of merit. The court affirmed the defendant's conviction and sentence.
The Sixth Circuit reversed a district court denial of a preliminary injunction, ruling that a school board president violated the First Amendment by silencing a speaker. The court found the board engaged in viewpoint discrimination and ratified a heckler's veto by cutting off the speaker's microphone in response to crowd hostility.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a conviction for threatening a federal official, finding sufficient evidence that a voicemail constituted a true threat. The court also held that the district court's jury instructions on the required mental state were not plainly erroneous.
