Topic

Criminal

Every decision we've filed under Criminal.

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Civil 3564 Summary Judgment 853 Sentencing Guidelines 761 Civil Rights - Section 1983 689 Immigration (Civil) 668 Constitutional 557 Supervised Release 495 Drug Trafficking 463 Civil Rights - Employment 390 Firearms 337 Qualified Immunity 264 Anders Brief 253
Apr 28 2026
11th Cir. 1:06-cr-00081-DHB-BKE-2 Per Curiam

United States v. Reynolds

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion for sentence reduction, holding that Amendment 821 did not apply to a defendant whose original sentence included an upward departure based on specific conduct. The court found the district court properly weighed sentencing factors, concluding that the severity of the armed robbery and victim impact outweighed claims of rehabilitation.

Compassionate Release Criminal Guidelines Departure Robbery & Extortion
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Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-4655 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. TRISTAN MICHAEL MARTIN, JR

The Fourth Circuit affirmed a 78-month prison sentence for a convicted felon found in possession of a firearm, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion. The court held that the defendant failed to rebut the presumption of reasonableness for a within-Guidelines sentence despite arguments regarding his delayed brain development and rehabilitation efforts.

Criminal Firearms
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Apr 28 2026
11th Cir. 6:23-cr-00183-RBD-EJK-2 Per Curiam

United States v. Harvey

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 48-month prison sentence for a tax fraud conspirator, rejecting claims that the district court failed to properly weigh sentencing factors. The appellate court held that the lower court's upward variance was justified by the defendant's disregard for court orders and his central role in a large-scale fraud scheme.

Criminal Tax (Criminal)
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Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-4640 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. GARY DUANE COOL

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Gary Duane Cool's conviction for methamphetamine trafficking, finding no plain error in the district court's acceptance of his guilty plea. The court held that the magistrate judge fully complied with Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11, ensuring the plea was knowing, voluntary, and supported by a sufficient factual basis.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 28 2026
11th Cir. 5:24-cr-00042-MTT-CHW-1 Per Curiam

United States v. York

The Eleventh Circuit summarily affirmed Joshua York's 270-month sentence, ruling that his prior Georgia methamphetamine convictions qualify as controlled substance offenses under the Sentencing Guidelines. The court held that its prior decision in United States v. Kennedy forecloses York's challenge regarding the definition of controlled substances.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 28 2026
4th Cir. 25-4490 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DANIEL RAY GRIMSTEAD

The Fourth Circuit affirmed an 18-month supervised release revocation sentence, applying a deferential abuse-of-discretion standard to the district court's decision. The court held that the sentence was procedurally and substantively reasonable given the defendant's repeated violations and the district court's adequate explanation of its reasoning.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Supervised Release
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Apr 28 2026
11th Cir. 5:24-cr-00042-MTT-CHW-1 Per Curiam

United States v. York

The Eleventh Circuit summarily affirmed a twenty-seven-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court held that prior Georgia methamphetamine convictions qualify as controlled substance offenses under the Sentencing Guidelines regardless of federal definitions.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Apr 28 2026
5th Cir. 25-11133 Per Curiam

United States v. Diaz

The Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing Luis Diaz Jr. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.

Anders Brief Criminal
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Apr 28 2026
11th Cir. 0:22-cr-60078-RAR-6 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. WILBER VIGIL-BENITEZ

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Wilber Vigil-Benitez's conviction for murder in aid of racketeering, ruling that the district court's jury instructions on motive and participation were legally correct. The court held that the defendant waived his challenge to the motive instruction by expressly accepting it and that the refusal to give a separate "mere presence" instruction was proper because the aiding-and-abetting charge already covered the defense theory.

Criminal Violent Crimes
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