Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed Corey Deandra Thomas's substantive sentence, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion by imposing an upward variance. The appellate court found the judge properly weighed all statutory sentencing factors through an individualized assessment of the offense and the defendant's history.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of three defendants involved in a methamphetamine conspiracy.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon. The court found no meritorious grounds for appeal and upheld the district court's determination that the sentence was substantively reasonable.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a prisoner's lawsuit alleging wrongful detention following a sentence reduction. The court held that the plaintiff failed to state a valid claim against federal officials under Bivens and that his tort claim against the government was time-barred.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a conviction for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, ruling that the defendant forfeited his challenge to the exclusion of video recordings. Because the defendant failed to preserve the evidentiary issue under Federal Rule of Evidence 106, the court applied a plain error standard and found no manifest injustice.
The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Trooper Nicholas Stolar, holding that while omitting self-defense evidence from a probable cause affidavit can violate the Fourth Amendment, the right was not clearly established at the time of the arrest. Consequently, Trooper Stolar retains qualified immunity despite the court's new rule requiring officers to disclose known facts that conclusively negate the mental state of a charged crime.
The Fourth Circuit reversed a district court order suppressing evidence found in a defendant's bags during an arrest. The appellate court held that the evidence would have been inevitably discovered through standard inventory search policies at the detention center.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion by appointed counsel to withdraw from representing the defendant. The court dismissed the appeal after finding no nonfrivolous issues for appellate review.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil rights action involving a search of car dealerships. The court held that law enforcement officers were entitled to qualified immunity despite allegations of judicial deception and an overbroad warrant.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Charles Crenshaw's lawsuit against federal and state prison wardens, ruling that his claims were either time-barred or failed to state a valid legal cause of action. The court held that his Federal Tort Claims Act suit was filed too late and that his constitutional claims lacked the specific factual allegations required to proceed.