Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a former employer's civil rights and state-law claims while modifying the dismissal of his interpleader claim to be without prejudice. The court held that the plaintiff's claims were barred by the statute of limitations, the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, or a lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed Eunice Salley's conviction, ruling that her waiver of the right to counsel was knowing and voluntary despite her insistence on self-representation. The court rejected her appeal, finding no error in the district court's allowance of her pro se status while appointing stand-by counsel.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the revocation of Erik Harbin's supervised release and his 15-month prison sentence, rejecting his claim that the district court improperly relied on his original offense's seriousness. The court held that the district judge's references to the original crime were permissible context for a breach-of-trust rationale rather than prohibited retribution.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tomario Hicks's 180-month sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm, ruling that his prior marijuana convictions qualified as predicate offenses under the Armed Career Criminal Act. The court also rejected Hicks's Second Amendment challenge, holding that binding precedent prohibits felons from possessing firearms regardless of recent Supreme Court rulings.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Malachi Mullings's motion to withdraw his guilty plea, rejecting his claim that his attorney coerced him into pleading. The court also upheld his 120-month sentence, finding no procedural or substantive unreasonableness in the district court's application of sentencing enhancements.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a drug trafficking conviction, ruling that the government acted in good faith when using a cell-site simulator warrant authorized under the Pen Register Act. The court also held that specific drug quantities are sentencing factors rather than elements of the crime, so juries need not find them to convict.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a 480-month sentence for drug distribution offenses, ruling that any error in classifying protonitazene as fentanyl under the Sentencing Guidelines was harmless. The court held that the district court explicitly stated it would have imposed the same sentence regardless of the drug classification and that the sentence remained substantively reasonable.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's Section 1983 complaint, holding that private contractors monitoring inmate calls did not engage in unconstitutional retaliation. The court found that the reporting of a call discussing a prison murder did not deter a prisoner of ordinary firmness from filing consumer complaints.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Charlie Holley's convictions for assaulting a federal employee and firearm offenses, rejecting challenges to the admission of body-worn camera footage and a 911 call. The court also upheld the 192-month sentence, finding the district court properly considered Holley's mental health history under the sentencing guidelines.
The First Circuit Court of Appeals issued an errata sheet to correct clerical errors in a prior opinion for this criminal appeal. The document clarifies the representation of the U.S. Attorney's Office and corrects verb tenses in a footnote without altering the court's substantive legal reasoning.