Topic
Every decision we've filed under Constitutional.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of Stuart Seugasala's motion for relief from judgment, rejecting claims of procedural error and judicial bias. The court held that any procedural missteps were harmless and found no reasonable basis to question the district judge's impartiality.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of Stuart Seugasala's motion for relief from judgment, ruling that any procedural error by the district court was harmless. The court further held that the district judge did not abuse his discretion by declining to recuse himself despite minimal undisclosed contacts with a witness.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's order civilly committing a defendant found not guilty by reason of insanity, holding that substantial evidence supported the finding that his mental illness posed a substantial risk of bodily injury to others if released. The court concluded that the statutory criteria for continued custody were met despite the defendant's stable condition in a structured facility.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed Douglas Wilmurth's federal conviction and sentence, rejecting his claim that the district court plainly erred in ordering his term consecutive to undischarged state imprisonment. The court further held that the written judgment's search condition for supervised release was substantially identical to the oral pronouncement, leaving no discrepancy to correct.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Navy captain's habeas petition challenging his court-martial convictions for attempted sexual offenses against a minor. The court held that the military courts had subject-matter jurisdiction and fully and fairly considered the petitioner's claims regarding conditional intent and treaty-based jurisdiction.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of counsel and summary judgment on a retaliation claim regarding a threatened job loss. The court reversed summary judgment on a second retaliation claim involving a disciplinary charge, finding that timing and prior practice could support liability despite a finding of guilt.
The Sixth Circuit vacated the district court's denial of a defendant's motion to withdraw a guilty plea, ruling that the sudden resignation of counsel due to pending disciplinary action created a presumption of ineffective assistance requiring an evidentiary hearing. The court held that the district court abused its discretion by relying solely on the plea colloquy without resolving factual disputes regarding the voluntariness of the plea.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a federal prisoner's motion to reopen as an unauthorized successive habeas petition. The court held that the filing sought relief on the merits and thus required pre-filing authorization under AEDPA.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Henry Konah Koffie's drug trafficking convictions, ruling that constitutional errors at trial were harmless due to overwhelming independent evidence of guilt. The court addressed issues involving the Confrontation Clause, Fourth Amendment suppression, and the denial of a Franks hearing.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's order remanding a foreclosure ejectment case to state court, ruling that the defendant's removal attempt violated a prior filing injunction. The court held that the injunction expressly barred future filings regarding the property and warned of summary dismissal for non-compliance.