Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
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.
The Eleventh Circuit denied the defendant's motion to substitute counsel as moot after he clarified he did not seek new representation. The court conducted an independent review of the record under Anders v. California and affirmed the convictions, finding no arguable issues of merit.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the Tax Court's decision sustaining 40% gross-valuation-misstatement penalties against LLCs claiming excessive conservation-easement deductions. The court found no error in the lower court's reliance on IRS expert testimony to determine significantly lower fair market values for the easements.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Liam Torres's lawsuit as frivolous, rejecting his claims that he operates a sovereign micro-state. The court clarified that a pro se litigant lacks standing to represent an organization on appeal, limiting review to his personal, meritless claims.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a § 1983 claim against a federal judge, ruling that the judge's decision to separate co-defendants' trials is protected by absolute judicial immunity. The court held that this immunity applies even for erroneous or malicious decisions unless the judge acted in clear absence of jurisdiction.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal from a district court order denying a temporary restraining order because the ruling was not a final decision. The court held that the denial of the TRO did not qualify for immediate appellate review under the collateral order doctrine or the statutory exception for injunctive relief.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated a district court's grant of judgment as a matter of law on claims of wantonness and punitive damages, finding sufficient evidence for a jury to find U.S. Steel acted with reckless disregard for the Winthers' property rights. The court affirmed the denial of U.S. Steel's cross-appeal regarding causation, ruling that expert testimony was not required to prove the developer's activities caused erosion and debris damage.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a complaint against a mortgage servicer, ruling that denying short sale requests does not constitute debt collection under the FDCPA. The court further held that challenges to a servicer's loss mitigation determinations do not qualify as covered errors requiring a response under RESPA.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated and remanded a district court's denial of a compassionate release motion because the lower court incorrectly ruled that the defendant failed to exhaust administrative remedies. Although the government conceded on appeal that exhaustion was satisfied, the appellate court declined to affirm on the merits since the district court never addressed the substantive arguments regarding the defendant's cancer diagnosis.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed a defendant's appeal because a valid plea agreement waiver barred the challenge. The court found the defendant's sentence did not exceed the statutory maximum or the guideline range determined by the district court.