Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eighth Circuit upheld the district court's sentencing decision for Marquasia Davis. The court found no abuse of discretion in the sentence imposed.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions and life sentences of Justin Case Lebarron for drug trafficking offenses resulting in death. The court held that the penalty enhancement under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C) applies without requiring proof of proximate cause.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the 15-month sentence of Brian O. Knight for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court found no reversible plain error in the district court's consideration of rehabilitation needs.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's sentencing of Del Martinez Evans, Jr. The court found any error in the career-offender enhancement to be harmless.
The First Circuit vacated the sentence of Héctor Maldonado-Maldonado for assaulting a corrections officer, finding that the district court erred by relying on extra-record information without notice. The case has been remanded for resentencing before a different judge.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed the appeal of William Edward Sterling. The court found no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
The Eighth Circuit dismissed Angela Williams' appeal regarding her sentence for identity theft. The court found the appeal waiver in her plea agreement enforceable.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of Alexander Sierra La Torres for conspiracy to import cocaine. The court found no plain error in the plea colloquy process.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Dr. Shiva Akula for health care fraud. The court found no error in the district court's decisions regarding expert testimony and the sufficiency of evidence.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Glenn Cohen's medical malpractice claim against the Department of Veteran Affairs. The court found that Cohen failed to challenge one of the district court's grounds for dismissal, leading to the affirmation.
