Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's imposition of a no-contact condition on a defendant's supervised release. The court held that the lower court properly conducted an individualized review of the relationship between the defendant and the victim's family.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal of a food processor's negligence claims against a bank. The court held that under Mississippi law, a bank owes no duty of care to a non-customer whose funds are diverted by third parties.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a thirty-year sentence imposed on a defendant convicted of child pornography offenses. The panel rejected arguments that the sentence was substantively unreasonable due to the consideration of pending state charges and the defendant's age and health.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a convicted felon for possession of ammunition. The court granted the government's motion for summary affirmance because the appellant's constitutional challenges were foreclosed by existing precedent.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court order denying a defendant's motion for compassionate release. The appellate panel found no abuse of discretion in the lower court's conclusion that the defendant lacked extraordinary and compelling reasons for relief.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Mark Owen Garraway for transporting illegal aliens. The court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's finding that Garraway knew the individuals were aliens.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Sydaniel Gordon Sampson for possession of a firearm by a prohibited possessor. The court held that Sampson's Second Amendment challenge to the statute was foreclosed by prior binding precedent.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the imposition of restitution on resentencing but vacated and remanded the specific amount for further proceedings.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the sentence of a drug trafficker who argued for a reduced sentencing range. The court held that the district court properly applied the preponderance of the evidence standard and correctly denied a zero-point-offender reduction.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Billy Darrell Arnold, a leader of the Seven Mile Bloods gang, rejecting his challenge to the suppression of evidence from a cell phone seized during his arrest.
