Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a 168-month prison sentence for methamphetamine distribution, holding that the district court properly applied a two-level sentencing enhancement for maintaining a premises for drug distribution.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's revocation sentences for supervised release violations. The court held that the district judge did not plainly err by considering retributive purposes when sentencing the defendant.
The First Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Adam Johnson, finding that his arguments regarding the admissibility of his plea and cooperation agreements and sentencing enhancements were either unpreserved or lacked merit.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a defendant's sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court held that the defendant's failure to object to the presentence report's factual findings regarding the firearm's capacity precluded a claim of plain error.
The Sixth Circuit vacated a restitution order because the district court calculated losses based on a time period broader than the charged conduct. The court held that mandatory restitution must be confined to losses caused within the specific period identified in the charging document.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Michelle Lee Marr for second-degree murder and tampering with proceedings. The court found that the defendant was not in custody during police interviews and voluntarily consented to a search of her cell phone.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose consecutive sentences for a defendant who absconded from a halfway house. The court held that the district court did not plainly err by considering the seriousness of the violation conduct as a breach of trust, even though it used language referencing punitive goals.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose sentences in two consolidated cases. The court rejected the defendant's claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and substantive unreasonableness.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit granted the Government's motion to dismiss an appeal. The court enforced an appeal waiver contained in the defendant's plea agreement.
The Fourth Circuit vacated and remanded the defendant's sentence because the district court failed to make sufficient factual findings to support the application of a sentencing guideline enhancement.
