Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the conviction for possession of child pornography, holding that officers did not violate the Fourth Amendment when seizing a suspect's phone during a roadside stop. The court ruled that the stop was lawful under Terry v. Ohio, independent of the search warrant's execution.
The Fifth Circuit granted the government's unopposed motion to remand a criminal sentence after identifying a missed sentencing guideline error during an Anders review. The court vacated the 46-month imprisonment term and ordered resentencing to align with the applicable policy statement range.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentence of Hector Caballero for drug trafficking aboard a vessel. The court rejected constitutional challenges to the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and upheld the district court's application of a captain role enhancement under the sentencing guidelines.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed an upward variance sentence for illegal reentry, ruling that a defendant's ambiguous statements during allocution do not constitute a proper objection to presentence report facts under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32. Because the defendant failed to explicitly contest the alleged belligerent conduct, the district court was permitted to rely on those unchallenged facts to justify the sentence.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing a civil complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The appellate court also denied the appellant's motion to amend or correct the complaint.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an insurance coverage complaint, ruling that the plaintiff failed to plead sufficient facts to support a breach of contract claim under Florida law. The court further held that the district court properly denied leave to amend the complaint because the proposed amendments would have been futile given the policy's specific exclusions.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a hearing on ineffective assistance of counsel because the rejected plea offer lacked a firm expiration date. The court dismissed the ineffective assistance claim without prejudice, directing the defendant to pursue such constitutional challenges through a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion rather than on direct appeal.
The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision denying asylum and withholding of removal. The court upheld the agency's adverse credibility finding based on material inconsistencies in the petitioners' testimony regarding a political attack and omitted details about contacting a party leader.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 42-month prison sentence for a federal inmate who stabbed a fellow prisoner with a shank, rejecting claims that the sentence was unreasonably high. The court held that the district judge properly weighed the statutory factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and the Guidelines' recommendation of ten to sixteen months against the defendant's violent conduct.
The Tenth Circuit denied a certificate of appealability and dismissed the appeal because the petitioner failed to demonstrate that jurists of reason would find the district court's ruling debatable. The court held that the petitioner lacked the required state custody to maintain a habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254.
