Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a prisoner's third motion for compassionate release. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding the defendant remained a danger to the community and that sentencing factors weighed against release.
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 district court's denial of a motion for sentence reduction filed by a defendant convicted of armed bank robbery. The court held that the district court properly weighed sentencing factors and did not abuse its discretion in maintaining an upward variance based on the use of a weapon.
The Eleventh Circuit summarily affirmed a twenty-seven-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court held that prior Georgia methamphetamine convictions qualify as controlled substance offenses under the Sentencing Guidelines regardless of federal definitions.
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 United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of Philip Beck, Florence Beck, and Joshua Martinez in a drug conspiracy and possession case involving a five-pound shipment of methamphetamine.
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 United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of three defendants involved in a methamphetamine conspiracy.