Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
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 Third Circuit denied the petition for rehearing en banc in a bankruptcy appeal involving a settlement approved for talc claimants. The court found no compelling reasons to reconsider the panel's amended opinion, leaving the original judgments approving the reorganization plan in full force.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed David Gerome Kennedy's 180-month sentence for drug conspiracy and possession, rejecting his claim that the district court plainly erred in applying sentencing enhancements for firearm possession and maintaining a premises for drug distribution. The court found sufficient evidence that Kennedy possessed firearms related to his drug trafficking and used the Milton residence as a primary site for distributing controlled substances.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Sharmaine Jackson's sentence, ruling that the district court did not clearly err in applying a sentencing enhancement for vulnerable victims. The court held that targeting older customers with large balances who rarely checked their accounts rendered them unusually vulnerable under federal sentencing guidelines.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Mitchell McNeil's 300-month sentence, ruling that the government did not breach its plea agreement by seeking a dangerous weapon enhancement. The court held that contract law principles limit the government to only those promises explicitly made in the agreement, and the agreement here reserved the right to present evidence on sentencing factors not stipulated by the parties.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed Olee Wonzo Robinson's appeal because the district court's order reopening his habeas case was not a final judgment or an appealable interlocutory order. The appellate court held it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction to review the order granting reconsideration.
The First Circuit vacated the dismissal of Arthur Miles' habeas petition, ruling that the Bureau of Prisons cannot deny First Step Act time credits for work performed in a county jail prior to transfer to a federal facility. The court held that the BOP's regulations contradicting the statutory definition of when a sentence commences are invalid and that a risk assessment is not a prerequisite for earning credits.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed convictions under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act for drug trafficking occurring within Colombia's Exclusive Economic Zone. The court rejected arguments that the statute is unconstitutional or lacks jurisdictional nexus, holding that the vessel was stateless because the master failed to claim nationality.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment against a Deepwater Horizon cleanup worker who failed to submit expert reports within an extended deadline. The court held that the settlement agreement did not mandate indefinite delays and that the district court acted within its authority to manage its docket.
