Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tony Nico Clark's conviction while dismissing his sentencing appeal based on a valid appellate waiver. The court found no plain error in the district court's acceptance of Clark's guilty plea, upholding the sentence as a lawful downward variance.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a voting rights complaint, ruling that the plaintiff failed to demonstrate the concrete and particularized injury required for Article III standing. The court held that the alleged harms were conjectural rather than actual or imminent, rendering the claims non-justiciable.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing a complaint alleging violations of federal constitutional and Maryland election laws. The court found no reversible error in the lower court's ruling.
The Fourth Circuit vacated Richard Davis's health care fraud convictions because the government failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that specific Medicaid claims submitted on two dates were actually false. The court held that without evidence showing the counselors did not provide the requisite five hours of reimbursable services on those days, the jury could not legally find guilt.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a sentence for illegal reentry, ruling that a district court's brief explanation for imposing supervised release was procedurally reasonable. The court held that the judge's engagement with counsel and consideration of the defendant's recidivism provided sufficient context for an individualized assessment.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Khriy Sherrod Simon's conviction for impersonating a federal agent, ruling that a rational jury could find he claimed to be a DEA agent to detain and search victims. The court also held that any error in excluding hearsay testimony regarding Simon's bail enforcement work was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of his federal impersonation.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a petition for a writ of mandamus filed by Lisa Richardson Henderson. The court held that the relief sought was not available through this extraordinary remedy.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing a pro se civil action as frivolous. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's decision after reviewing the record.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Pakuja Crystal Vang's pro se civil action as frivolous but modified the order to allow amendment of claims against non-government defendants. The court held that Vang forfeited appellate review of the dismissal reasons by failing to challenge them in her informal brief.