Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Brandon Byner's 540-month sentence for producing and possessing child sexual abuse material, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion. The appellate court held that the severity of the crimes and the need to protect vulnerable victims justified the lengthy term despite the defendant's history of abuse.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the drug conspiracy and possession convictions of Philip Beck, Florence Beck, and Joshua Martinez, rejecting challenges to evidence admission and sentencing. The court held that the defendants' confrontation and evidentiary objections were either unpreserved or lacked merit under controlling precedent.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Stacy Terry's motions to vacate a prior judgment, ruling that she failed to prove the underlying decision was void. The court held that Terry's arguments regarding counsel conflicts and misidentified defendants were meritless and had already been rejected on direct appeal.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the drug conspiracy and possession convictions of Philip Beck, Florence Beck, and Joshua Martinez, rejecting challenges to the admission of evidence and sentencing determinations. The court held that inconsistencies in Florence Beck's post-arrest statements were credibility issues for the jury, not grounds for reversal, and that the district court properly applied Rule 404(b) and safety-valve standards.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion for sentence reduction, holding that Amendment 821 did not apply to a defendant whose original sentence included an upward departure based on specific conduct. The court found the district court properly weighed sentencing factors, concluding that the severity of the armed robbery and victim impact outweighed claims of rehabilitation.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of William Scott's lawsuit challenging the IRS's denial of a whistleblower award, holding that such decisions are committed to agency discretion by law. The court also rejected Scott's claim that the district judge should have recused herself, finding no evidence of personal bias.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 48-month prison sentence for a tax fraud conspirator, rejecting claims that the district court failed to properly weigh sentencing factors. The appellate court held that the lower court's upward variance was justified by the defendant's disregard for court orders and his central role in a large-scale fraud scheme.
The Eleventh Circuit summarily affirmed Joshua York's 270-month sentence, ruling that his prior Georgia methamphetamine convictions qualify as controlled substance offenses under the Sentencing Guidelines. The court held that its prior decision in United States v. Kennedy forecloses York's challenge regarding the definition of controlled substances.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Wilber Vigil-Benitez's conviction for murder in aid of racketeering, ruling that the district court's jury instructions on motive and participation were legally correct. The court held that the defendant waived his challenge to the motive instruction by expressly accepting it and that the refusal to give a separate "mere presence" instruction was proper because the aiding-and-abetting charge already covered the defense theory.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed Ana Romero's appeal of her wire fraud conspiracy sentence because she knowingly and voluntarily waived her right to appeal in her plea agreement. The court found the waiver enforceable under Bushert standards and determined that Romero's arguments did not fall within any of the waiver's narrow exceptions.