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Constitutional

Every decision we've filed under Constitutional.

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May 1 2026
4th Cir. 25-6600 Per Curiam

TIMOTHY O'NEIL BULLOCK v. JOSEPH WALTERS, Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections; COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Fourth Circuit denied a certificate of appealability and dismissed Timothy Bullock's appeal of his dismissed habeas petition because he failed to make a substantial showing that reasonable jurists could debate the district court's procedural ruling. The court held that Bullock's informal brief was insufficient to preserve any issues for review, resulting in the immediate termination of the appellate proceeding.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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May 1 2026
4th Cir. 25-6168 Per Curiam

NATHAN DAVIS v. JOSEPH WALTERS, Dir. of Virginia Department of Correction

The Fourth Circuit remanded a habeas case to determine if a late notice of appeal should be excused because the petitioner claimed he never received notice of the district court's judgment. The court treated the petitioner's letter as a motion to reopen the appeal period under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a)(6).

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - State Prisoner (28 USC 2254)
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Apr 30 2026
4th Cir. 25-6594 Per Curiam

LAWRENCE E. THOMPSON, JR v. NELSON SMITH, Commissioner

The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the petitioner failed to file specific objections to a magistrate judge's recommendation, waiving his right to appellate review of the underlying merits. The court applied the waiver standard from Thomas v. Arn, denying a certificate of appealability without addressing the exhaustion of state remedies.

Constitutional Habeas Corpus - General (28 USC 2241)
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Apr 30 2026
11th Cir. 1:25-cr-00010-LAG-ALS-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Stuckett

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction of a defendant charged with possessing a machinegun. The court held that the Second Amendment does not protect the possession of machineguns under existing binding precedent.

Constitutional Second Amendment
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Apr 30 2026
11th Cir. 4:22-cr-00017-WMR-WEJ-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Wilfort Foster, III

The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a defendant challenging his sentence for drug conspiracy and money laundering. The court held that the defendant had knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal under his plea agreement, and none of the waiver's exceptions applied to his claims.

Constitutional Guidelines Departure Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255) Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 30 2026
5th Cir. 24-10633 10 to 7

United States of America v. Jamaion Wilson

The Fifth Circuit denied the petition for rehearing en banc in Jamaion Wilson's machinegun possession case, leaving the panel's conviction intact. While nine judges acknowledged that existing circuit precedent may conflict with the Second Amendment, they ruled that the specific arguments raised in this appeal were procedurally insufficient to warrant a full court review.

Constitutional First Amendment - Speech
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Apr 29 2026
11th Cir. 9:05-cr-80107-DPG-1 Per Curiam

United States v. Dixon

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Derek Dixon's motion for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), ruling that the trial court properly exercised its discretion to reject the request despite a lowered guideline range. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion given the extreme violence of Dixon's crimes and his prior agreement that the maximum term was reasonable under § 3553(a).

Compassionate Release Constitutional Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255) Sentencing Guidelines
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