Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The Fifth Circuit granted the government's unopposed motion for summary affirmance, rejecting an appellant's first-time constitutional challenges to a federal firearms statute. The court affirmed the conviction and sentence without addressing the merits of the Second Amendment or Commerce Clause arguments.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Shaun Marqus Robinson's conviction for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction, rejecting his Second Amendment challenges as foreclosed by controlling precedent. The court held that both facial and as-applied challenges fail because the statute remains valid under existing case law and Robinson's specific prior conviction.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an adversary complaint seeking an accounting of assets from a bankruptcy claimant trust. The court held that the appellant, holding only a contingent and unvested trust interest, lacked standing to demand disclosure under the trust agreement's clear terms.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed Olamide Olatayo Bello's appeal as moot because he is no longer confined at the Fannin County Detention Center. Consequently, the court lacks jurisdiction to grant the requested relief and denied his motion to proceed in forma pauperis.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of Elijah Porter's motion to suppress evidence, holding that license plate reader data does not constitute a Fourth Amendment search. The court further ruled that the traffic stop was supported by reasonable suspicion and that the firearm was lawfully seized under the plain view doctrine.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant for illegal reentry, rejecting his first-time constitutional challenge to the recidivism enhancement. The court held that the argument is foreclosed by the Supreme Court's decision in Almendarez-Torres v. United States.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Gabriel Hawthorne's conviction and sentence for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, finding the evidence sufficient to support the verdict. The court also rejected Hawthorne's motion for a new trial and found no error in the district court's sentencing explanation.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 60-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, rejecting claims that the district court erred in denying a mitigating role reduction. The court further held that the within-guidelines sentence was substantively reasonable and that general arguments regarding deterrence or historical disparities were insufficient to warrant reversal.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment, holding that the plaintiff's insurance claims were time-barred under Michigan law. The court further ruled that the policy's choice-of-law provision selecting Michigan law was valid and enforceable.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 360-month sentence for child pornography production, ruling that the defendant failed to prove the government's gender-based comments at sentencing constituted plain or structural error. The court held that the district court's reliance on the nature of the crime and abuse of trust, rather than the defendant's sex, meant the defendant's substantial rights were not affected.