Correspondent
Capitol Hill correspondent, covers legislative and political stories.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a conviction for sexual abuse after the defendant conceded he could not prove the jury instruction was clearly erroneous. The court held that the district court's use of a modified Allen charge did not constitute plain error under the applicable standard.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a consecutive sentence imposed on a defendant who threatened a federal officer. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in balancing sentencing factors under the Guidelines.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed convictions under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act for three defendants arrested on a vessel without nationality. The court held that a State Department certification confirming a lack of nationality is conclusive proof of jurisdiction.
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.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed one defendant's sentence while vacating and remanding another's in a consolidated appeal involving unemployment fraud. The court found sufficient evidence for a sophisticated-means enhancement against the leader of the scheme but not against her codefendant.
