Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a petition for a writ of error coram nobis filed by a former federal prisoner. The court held that the petitioner failed to provide sound reasons for delaying his claims for over thirty years.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. The court held that the defendant's constitutional challenges to the federal statute were foreclosed by existing circuit precedent.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a conviction and sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that while the district court erred by not submitting the different-occasions finding to a jury, the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction and sentence for illegal reentry after deportation. The court held that the defendant's constitutional challenge to the sentencing enhancement was foreclosed by existing Supreme Court precedent.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence found during a traffic stop. The court held that the stop was constitutionally permissible based on a red-light violation and that the defendant had voluntarily consented to a frisk.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the convictions and mandatory life sentences of a Mara Salvatrucha gang leader for multiple murders and racketeering. The court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict and that the Eighth Amendment does not bar mandatory life sentences for defendants over the age of eighteen.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for attempted murder but vacated the sentence due to an Ex Post Facto violation. The court held that the district court erred by applying a later Sentencing Guidelines Manual that increased the defendant's advisory range.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of two motions for a new trial. The court found no abuse of discretion in the lower court's ruling on the defendant's claims under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure thirty-three.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for illegal reentry after the defendant argued that police tactics during his arrest violated due process. The court held that the agents' use of military-style equipment did not reach the extremely demanding standard required to dismiss an indictment for outrageous governmental conduct.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Carl Javan Ross challenging his original judgment. The court held that the judgment upon resentencing superseded the original judgment, making the challenge impermissible.
