Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed an 84-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of dogfighting conspiracy and felon-in-possession of a firearm. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing an upward variance based on the extreme cruelty of the offense and the defendant's history of fatal drug distribution.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a jury verdict holding a police officer liable for excessive force after tasing a fleeing, non-resisting suspect who fell down a steep embankment. The court also upheld the district court's reduction of punitive damages to $1 million while rejecting the plaintiff's claim of municipal liability against the City of Atlanta.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Jesse Moore's conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery and firearm offenses, rejecting his challenge to the denial of his motion to suppress. The court held that the initial police encounter was a consensual exchange and that the subsequent search of the property fell under the open fields doctrine.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 60-month prison sentence imposed on Damon Eugene Houston for violating conditions of supervised release in two prior federal cases. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion by ordering consecutive sentences and by properly weighing the mitigating evidence presented by the defendant.
The Eleventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw from representing Joshua Thompson in his direct criminal appeal. The court affirmed the defendant's conviction and sentence after an independent review found no arguable issues for appeal.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's denial of a stay on a real property sale in a bankruptcy case, ruling the order was not final and appealable. The court found the appeal lacked jurisdiction because the order did not meet the finality requirement or any narrow exceptions.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se prisoner's civil rights complaint for failure to comply with a specific district court filing injunction. The court rejected the appellant's argument that the injunction was an impermissible universal injunction under recent Supreme Court precedent.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's Section 1983 complaint alleging Brady and Giglio violations because the allegations were conclusory and failed to state a plausible claim. The court clarified that prosecutors have no constitutional duty to disclose impeachment evidence prior to a guilty plea, which negated the plaintiff's due process argument.
The Eleventh Circuit granted the Government's motion to dismiss an appeal because the defendant had entered a guilty plea and signed a valid sentence appeal waiver. The court enforced this waiver, ruling that it bars appeals even for difficult legal issues or potential errors, provided the waiver was made knowingly and voluntarily.
The Eleventh Circuit denied Natalia Morozova's petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals' order affirming the denial of her claim for withholding of removal. The court held that the agency's findings were supported by substantial evidence and that the proposed particular social group was not cognizable under immigration law.