Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed Jacob Robinson's sentence as an armed career criminal, ruling that his prior Arkansas conviction met the statutory elements of the Armed Career Criminal Act. The court rejected arguments regarding the age of the prior offense and procedural errors in sentencing calculations while granting counsel's motion to withdraw.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a sentence reduction motion under the compassionate release statute. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion in the lower court's weighing of the offense severity and public safety concerns.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose a 24-month prison sentence. The court held that the defendant failed to prove plain error regarding delays caused by pending state charges or that the sentence was unreasonable.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the revocation of Maurice Coleman's supervised release and his 18-month prison sentence. The court held that Coleman's constitutional challenge to 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g) is foreclosed by its prior decision in United States v. Garner.
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 review.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Koby Don Williams's conviction for attempted online enticement of a minor but vacated his sentence due to a procedural error in applying a sentencing enhancement. The court held that the district court failed to make the specific factual findings required to support an obstruction of justice enhancement based on the defendant's trial testimony.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Bank of America, holding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act shields financial institutions from liability for good-faith compliance programs based on OFAC guidelines. The court ruled that the liability shield applies to actions permitted by regulatory guidance, not just those strictly compelled by the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations.
The Seventh Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's denial of qualified immunity because the lower court's ruling was not a final adjudication. The appellate court held that the district court's decision to deny immunity without prejudice and invite further arguments at summary judgment did not satisfy the collateral order doctrine.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed Lennie Perry's conviction, ruling that the district court properly denied his midtrial request for a sixth appointed attorney after he had twice validly waived his right to counsel. The court held that once a defendant knowingly and voluntarily waives the Sixth Amendment right to self-representation, the judge may hold him to that decision without reassessing his motives or the potential for delay.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of David Antoine Luster's motion for compassionate release, ruling that his claim of an unusually long sentence did not constitute an extraordinary and compelling reason for relief. The court held that the district court properly weighed the severity of Luster's bank robbery convictions and firearm offenses against the non-retroactive changes in law under the First Step Act.