Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed in part a federal prisoner's appeal of a denied Section twenty-two hundred fifty-five motion. The court held that the appellant failed to prove his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance regarding plea negotiations on mandatory minimum sentences.
The Fourth Circuit vacated a district court's summary judgment because the lower court failed to rule on a pending motion for spoliation sanctions. The appellate court held that the missing video footage was central to the plaintiff's due process and First Amendment retaliation claims.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a bankruptcy appeal filed by Maurice Briscoe. The court also denied Briscoe's motion for a stay pending appeal as moot.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order granting summary judgment in a civil rights action. The appellate court held that the appellant waived review of several claims by failing to present properly developed arguments.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a federal prisoner's habeas corpus petition. The court found no reversible error in the lower court's handling of the challenge to the execution of the sentence.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order denying a defendant's motion for compassionate release. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion in the lower court's determination that the defendant failed to establish extraordinary and compelling reasons for sentence reduction.
The Fourth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction that barred a chemical plant from exceeding its Clean Water Act permit limits. The court held that while the plaintiff had standing, the district court erred in finding irreparable harm based on legal and factual mistakes.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The appellate court held that the appellant forfeited the right to challenge the jurisdictional ruling by failing to address it in his informal brief.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a criminal sentence despite a challenge to the denial of a sentencing reduction. The court held that any error in declining the reduction was harmless because the district court would have imposed the same sentence regardless.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment to a social services employee. The court held that the employee was entitled to qualified immunity because the law was not clearly established that children of foster parents have a constitutional right to be free from harm caused by the placement of a foster child with a history of sexual misconduct.