James Taylor

Correspondent

James Taylor

Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.

Criminal Justice

Decisions covered by James Taylor

1,506 decisions
Mar 26 2026
11th Cir. 1:24-cr-20449-KMM-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Joseph Anthony Cano Bonilla

The Eleventh Circuit granted a joint motion for summary reversal, holding that the government breached its plea agreement by arguing for a higher sentencing guideline range based on the purity of the methamphetamine. The court vacated the within-guideline sentence and remanded the case for resentencing consistent with the terms of the plea agreement.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 26 2026
11th Cir. 2:23-cr-00041-TPB-KCD-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Colon-Ocasio

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a statutory maximum sentence of 840 months for child pornography offenses, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion. The court held that the district court properly weighed the need to protect the public over the defendant's mitigating arguments regarding his mental health.

Child Sexual Abuse Material Criminal
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Mar 25 2026
5th Cir. 25-30294 Per Curiam

United States v. Calderon

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, ruling that the defendant forfeited his challenge to the traffic stop's duration by failing to address an independent basis for the district court's ruling. The court also found no clear error in the lower court's determination that the defendant's consent to search his vehicle was voluntary under the totality of the circumstances.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 25 2026
U.S. Sup. Ct. 24-1056 8-1

Rico v. United States

The Supreme Court held that the Sentencing Reform Act does not authorize automatically extending a defendant's supervised release term due to abscondment. Consequently, a district court lacks authority to treat a new offense committed after a supervised release term has expired as a violation of that term.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Supervised Release
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Mar 25 2026
5th Cir. 24-40825 Per Curiam

United States v. Lacandreal Shokitra Jackson

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the sentence and restitution order for a defendant convicted of PPP wire fraud conspiracy, rejecting her challenges to the loss calculation and mass-marketing enhancement. The court held that the district court acted within its discretion by relying on conservative estimates from the Presentence Report that the defendant failed to rebut with evidence.

Criminal Fraud Plain Error Review Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 25 2026
9th Cir. 3:22-cr-00426- Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DAVID WAYNE DEPAPE

The Ninth Circuit held that a district court may correct its failure to afford a defendant the right to allocute under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32 as an 'other clear error' under Rule 35(a). The panel affirmed the defendant's sentence after the district court properly vacated and re-sentenced him within the rule's ten-day window.

Compassionate Release Criminal
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Mar 25 2026
4th Cir. 22-1724 Panel Decision

OSCAR RENE PERDOMO ULLOA v. PAMELA JO BONDI, Attorney General

The Fourth Circuit held that a criminal offense carrying a maximum sentence of twelve months qualifies as a crime for which a sentence of one year or longer may be imposed under federal immigration law. Consequently, the petitioner's Virginia Class 1 misdemeanor conviction renders him ineligible for cancellation of removal.

Criminal Firearms
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Mar 25 2026
9th Cir. 3:23-cr-00144- Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JESSIE CHAVEZ-ECHEVERRIA

The Ninth Circuit affirmed a defendant's enhanced sentence, holding that an Oregon conviction for attempted first-degree assault qualifies as a crime of violence under the Sentencing Guidelines. The court clarified that the force clause requires only a substantial step toward the use of physical force, distinct from the stricter probable desistance test used in other contexts.

Criminal Firearms Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 25 2026
9th Cir. 3:22-cr-00426-JSC-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DAVID WAYNE DEPAPE

The Ninth Circuit affirmed David Wayne DePape's convictions for attempting to kidnap a federal officer and assaulting a family member of a federal official. The court held that sufficient evidence supported the finding that the crimes were committed on account of the victims' performance of official duties.

Criminal Other Criminal
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