Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed an 84-month sentence for a felon-in-possession conviction, ruling that the district court sufficiently addressed the defendant's mitigating arguments. The court held that a district court need not explicitly spell out responses to defense arguments when the context makes it patently obvious that those arguments were rejected.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a 96-month sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting claims that the district court committed procedural errors by departing from sentencing guidelines. The court held that judges are not required to incrementally move through criminal history categories and that such factors are properly considered within the ultimate reasonableness analysis.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of multiple civil actions filed by pro se appellant Tremel Marquis Rosser against various federal officials. The court held that Rosser forfeited his right to appellate review because his informal brief failed to challenge the specific legal basis for the district court's dispositions.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a nonprecedential order denying a petition for a writ of mandamus. The court ruled that the district court had already acted on the petitioner's motions, leaving no further action for the appellate court to compel.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the Benefits Review Board's award of permanent total disability benefits to a longshoreman, finding substantial evidence supported the lower tribunal's conclusion that the worker reached maximum medical improvement and could not return to the workforce. The court rejected the employer's arguments regarding alternative employment and job retraining, noting the employer failed to meet its burden of proof and forfeited the retraining argument.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a 78-month sentence for a felon-in-possession conviction, rejecting the defendant's challenge to a four-level sentencing enhancement. The court held that the district court did not clearly err in finding the defendant possessed a firearm in connection with a separate felony offense based on social media activity and the circumstances of a search warrant execution.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Brian Broderick's conviction for transmitting a threat under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), finding the evidence sufficient to establish a true threat. The court held that Broderick waived his challenge to excluded psychiatric testimony by withdrawing his notice of intent to present such evidence before the district court ruled.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of Taurean Small's civil action against the FTC and NTIA for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The court found no reversible error in the lower court's adoption of the magistrate judge's recommendation.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an inmate's Eighth Amendment claim regarding prison conditions, ruling that the complaint failed to allege personal involvement by the named officials. The court held that the plaintiff did not provide sufficient facts to demonstrate that the defendants were deliberately indifferent to a substantial risk of serious harm.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Ceara Smith's conviction and sentence, ruling that her valid plea agreement appeal waiver barred her challenge to the sentencing enhancement. The court also denied Anders relief after reviewing the record and finding no non-waived meritorious issues.
