James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

1,523 decisions
Apr 16 2026
10th Cir. 1:22-CV-00262-SWS Panel Decision

DERRICK R. PARKHURST v. DAN SHANNON, Director Wyoming Department of Corrections; AMERICA STINSON

The Tenth Circuit affirmed summary judgment on a prisoner's retaliation claim regarding a threat to fire him from a kitchen job due to a lack of specific evidence about the job's value. However, the court reversed summary judgment on a separate retaliation claim involving a disciplinary charge, ruling that a finding of guilt does not preclude liability when the prisoner relies on suspicious timing and departures from prior practice.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241) Summary Judgment
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Apr 16 2026
10th Cir. 6:23-CR-00178-RAW-1) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MICHAEL SHAUN DAVIS

The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence found in a home, ruling that the exclusionary rule does not apply even if a search warrant contained a clerical error in the street name. The court held that deputies objectively relied in good faith on a warrant issued by a neutral magistrate, meaning suppression would not deter police misconduct.

Criminal Firearms Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-50201 Per Curiam

United States v. Lemons

The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw from the appeal, finding no nonfrivolous issues for review. The court declined to address ineffective assistance claims due to an insufficiently developed record, directing the defendant to pursue those arguments through collateral review.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-40491 Per Curiam

United States v. Manguera

The Fifth Circuit granted the Federal Public Defender's motion to withdraw from representing the defendant after a review of the Anders brief and case record. The court dismissed the appeal, finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review, which allows the underlying criminal conviction to stand.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-20443 Per Curiam

United States v. Torres-Tamayo

The Fifth Circuit granted the Federal Public Defender's motion to withdraw from representing Luis Adrian Torres-Tamayo after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appeal. The court dismissed the appeal, leaving the defendant's conviction in place without further judicial review of his claims.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-20344 Per Curiam

United States v. Ramirez

The Fifth Circuit granted the Federal Public Defender's motion to withdraw from representing Jose Daniel Ramirez after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appeal. The court dismissed the appeal, leaving the underlying criminal conviction in place.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-11036 Per Curiam

United States v. Chavez-Fernandez

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 27-month prison sentence for illegal reentry, ruling that the district court did not commit plain error by failing to address a downward variance argument. The court also dismissed a challenge to the statutory maximum, holding that the issue is foreclosed by the Supreme Court's decision in Almendarez-Torres.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-11012 Per Curiam

United States v. Letkeman-Hernandez

The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues existed for review. The court concurred with the attorney's assessment that the case presented no grounds for a successful appeal.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 16 2026
11th Cir. 8:24-cr-00103-WFJ-SPF-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. WINSTON PINNOCK

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Winston Pinnock's convictions and 120-month sentence for drug trafficking under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. The court rejected constitutional challenges as foreclosed by binding precedent and found the district court's sentence substantively reasonable.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Apr 16 2026
5th Cir. 25-60396 Per Curiam

United States v. D'Laun Ball

The Fifth Circuit granted the government's unopposed motion to remand a criminal sentence after identifying a missed sentencing guideline error during an Anders review. The court vacated the 46-month imprisonment term and ordered resentencing to align with the applicable policy statement range.

Criminal Sentencing Guidelines
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