Every decision we've summarized — searchable, filterable, neutral.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Cecil Buckner's § 2255 motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to object to his career-offender classification. The court held that Buckner failed to show prejudice because his actual sentence was below the guideline range he would have received without the classification.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Jerry Boylan's conviction for seaman's manslaughter, clarifying that the statute requires only simple negligence rather than gross negligence. The court further held that any potential error in the jury instructions regarding the term 'misconduct' was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Jerry Boylan's conviction for seaman's manslaughter, clarifying that the statute requires only negligence rather than gross negligence. The court further held that any error in the jury instructions regarding the term 'misconduct' was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt.
The Eleventh Circuit held that a buyer's claim for specific performance was moot because the parties had already closed on the sale of the property following the district court's order. However, the court proceeded to review the damages award, affirming in part and reversing in part the district court's calculation of damages for the breach of the real-estate contract.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Ronald Beasley's conviction for health-care fraud and conspiracy, rejecting his claims regarding newly discovered evidence and evidentiary rulings. The court held that the district court properly admitted evidence of uncharged theft as intrinsic evidence and did not err in denying a new trial or failing to hold an in-camera hearing on a witness's Fifth Amendment invocation.
The Eleventh Circuit held that district courts cannot use general sentencing factors to reduce a sentence below a statutory minimum when granting a motion for substantial assistance. The court vacated the sentences and remanded for resentencing, limiting departures strictly to factors related to the defendant's assistance.
The First Circuit held that a noncitizen's deportability for a state drug conviction is determined by the federal Controlled Substances Act as it existed at the time of the conviction, not at the time of removal proceedings. This ruling affirms the Board of Immigration Appeals and joins five other circuits in rejecting the 'time of removal' rule.
The First Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a clinical laboratory in a False Claims Act case, ruling that labs may generally rely on a physician's order to establish medical necessity. The court held that the relator failed to produce sufficient evidence that the lab knowingly submitted false claims regarding the necessity of PCR urinary tract infection tests.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated the district court's preliminary injunction regarding Georgia's Election Integrity Act gift ban because the lower court failed to apply the Supreme Court's facial-challenge framework from Moody v. NetChoice. The appellate court remanded the case for a new analysis that weighs the law's constitutional applications against its unconstitutional ones across its full scope.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence seized from a vehicle, holding that the officer had probable cause to arrest the defendant for possessing a fake driver's license. The court further determined that the initial police encounter was consensual and did not violate the Fourth Amendment.
