Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that denied a defendant's request to present a duress defense in an unlawful reentry prosecution. The court held that the defendant failed to provide sufficient evidence that the threat of harm he faced was immediate.
The Eighth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a defendant challenging his sentence for unlawful reentry. The court held that an enforceable appeal waiver covered the defendant's arguments and found no other non-frivolous issues.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed an eighty-four-month sentence for a defendant who assaulted two crew members on a commercial fishing vessel while under the influence of methamphetamine. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing an upward variance due to the egregious nature of the conduct.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a within-Guidelines sentence imposed on a defendant who pleaded guilty to drug-distribution and firearm offenses. The court found no substantive unreasonableness in the sentence and granted counsel leave to withdraw under Anders v. California.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed an above-Guidelines sentence of one hundred forty-four months imposed on a defendant who pled guilty to a firearm offense. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing the variance after carefully considering the statutory sentencing factors.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of three defendants under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. The court held that the vessel was subject to United States jurisdiction because the claimed nation of registry failed to affirmatively assert the vessel's nationality.
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.
