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The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a civil complaint for improper venue because the appellant failed to challenge the legal basis for that ruling in his informal brief. By not addressing the specific grounds for dismissal, the appellant forfeited appellate review of the venue decision.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Christian Archer's motion for compassionate release, finding he failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling reasons for a sentence reduction. The court granted counsel's motion to withdraw and left Archer subject to his original sentence.
The Tenth Circuit reversed Thomas Petro's conviction because the prosecutor's closing argument improperly declared that the defendant's presumption of innocence had been removed before deliberations began. The court held that these remarks, combined with the presentation of a nude photo, unfairly shifted the burden of proof and prejudiced the jury's impartiality.
The Fifth Circuit granted the Federal Public Defender's motion to withdraw from representing Thomas Eugene Coulson after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appeal. The court dismissed the appeal without addressing the merits of the underlying conviction.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by Ronald Satish Emrit for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction because the notice of appeal was filed before any final or appealable order existed in the district court. The court held that without a final judgment or specific statutory exception, it lacks the authority to review the case at this stage.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed consecutive sentences for federal escape and supervised release revocation, finding the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing sentencing factors. The court also granted counsel's motion to withdraw after an independent review found no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a 121-month prison sentence for a large-scale drug trafficker, ruling the district court properly exercised its discretion to impose an above-Guidelines sentence. The court found no procedural or substantive unreasonableness in the sentence, which was based on the defendant's leadership role and the extraordinary volume of drugs involved.
The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed the appeal after determining the case presented no nonfrivolous issues for review. The court applied the Anders standard to conclude that the defendant's appeal lacked merit.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of Richard Phillip of the Family Valdez's federal and state law claims following a review under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's proceedings and determined that oral argument was unnecessary.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed an 18-month prison sentence imposed after revoking Macy Renee Patterson's supervised release. The court held the sentence was substantively reasonable because the district court properly weighed sentencing factors without clear error.
