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 the appeal of Nikonda Taye Ingram, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The court enforced Ingram's valid appeal waiver and found no meritorious grounds for appeal under Anders v. California.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Deshawn Stephone Hester's conviction for firearm possession by a felon while dismissing his appeal regarding sentence reasonableness due to a valid appellate waiver. The court found the district court's Rule 11 colloquy sufficient to establish that Hester's guilty plea was voluntary and that his waiver of appeal rights was knowingly entered.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment against Faline Arnold's employment discrimination and leave claims. The court found no reversible error in the lower court's adoption of the magistrate judge's recommendation after reviewing the record de novo.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of nine consolidated civil actions filed by Miyuki Maureen Johnson against various creditors and utilities. The court held that the district court correctly determined the claims were frivolous and relied on a sovereign citizen theory to avoid debt repayment.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed in part the appeal of a defendant convicted of Hobbs Act robbery and firearm offenses. The court held that the defendant's appellate waiver was valid and enforceable, barring review of the sentence, while finding no plain error in the acceptance of his guilty plea.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Nikonda Taye Ingram's conviction and sentence after finding his plea agreement waiver of appeal rights was valid and knowing. The court dismissed the appeal on issues covered by the waiver and found no meritorious grounds for appeal outside that scope following an Anders review.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Title VII religious accommodation claim because the plaintiff failed to prove extraordinary circumstances excused her failure to meet the 90-day administrative exhaustion deadline. The court also upheld the dismissal of state law fraud and punitive damages claims due to insufficient pleading particularity and the absence of a freestanding cause of action under North Carolina law.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of relief in a Bivens action brought by a pro se appellant. The court held that the appellant failed to allege sufficient facts for recognized constitutional violations and that the defendants were protected by absolute prosecutorial immunity.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment revoking Cecil Edward Jackson's supervised release and imposing a sentence of time served followed by one year of supervised release. The court found no abuse of discretion in the revocation or the sentence, noting Jackson's voluntary admission of violations and the district court's adequate explanation.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment revoking Cecil Edward Jackson's supervised release and imposing a time-served sentence followed by one year of supervision. The court held that the revocation was supported by Jackson's voluntary admission and the sentence was procedurally and substantively reasonable under applicable law.