James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

1,523 decisions
Mar 27 2026
11th Cir. 1:23-cv-04506-VMC Per Curiam

KEVIN L. SHEHEE v. DIANA ANN LYNCH DIANA LYNCH AMENDED AND RESTATED LIVING TRUST LYNCH LAW GROUP, INC a Georgia Business Corporation LYNCH LAND, HOLDINGS, LLC a Georgia Limited...

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a pro se plaintiff's motion to amend his complaint, ruling that the proposed changes were futile. The court held that leniency for self-represented litigants does not require rewriting deficient pleadings to cure fatal legal defects.

Criminal Fraud
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Mar 27 2026
5th Cir. 25-40345 Per Curiam

United States v. Selon

The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed the appeal after determining the case presented no nonfrivolous issues for review. The court applied the Anders procedure to excuse counsel from further responsibilities, leaving the defendant's conviction in place.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Mar 27 2026
5th Cir. 25-50231 Per Curiam

United States of America v. Luciano Diaz-Contreras

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a federal sentence, holding that a prior four-year state firearms conviction counts toward criminal history points even if the defendant did not physically serve the full term. The court also rejected a challenge to a supervised release revocation, finding the district court properly considered the defendant's history and the need for public protection.

Criminal Firearms Plain Error Review Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 27 2026
10th Cir. 4:24-CR-00029-AMA-2) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. KRISTOPHER EDWARD BOGER

The Tenth Circuit affirmed Kristopher Boger's conviction for assaulting a federal officer, ruling that the district court properly excluded evidence regarding a contract dispute and an inspection report. The appellate panel held that the excluded materials were irrelevant to the scope of the officer's duties and risked confusing the jury under Federal Rules of Evidence 401 and 403.

Criminal Violent Crimes
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Mar 27 2026
5th Cir. 25-60522 Per Curiam

United States v. Sierra-Torreblanca

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 180-month prison sentence for child pornography possession and illegal reentry, rejecting the defendant's claim that the term was substantively unreasonable. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion because it properly considered the statutory sentencing factors and cited specific facts justifying the upward variance.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
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Mar 27 2026
10th Cir. 25-5169 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. LANCE DOUGLAS ROARK

The Tenth Circuit denied Lance Roark a certificate of appealability, ruling that he failed to make a substantial showing that reasonable jurists could debate the denial of his constitutional rights. The court affirmed that the federal government possesses Article III standing to prosecute criminal violations of its laws, regardless of the specific injury to a private victim.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255) Standing
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