Apr 2 2026
11th Cir. 8:04-cr-00327-VMC-NHA-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. EFRAIN RODRIGUEZ-CANDELARIA

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a compassionate release motion, ruling that a defendant's extensive criminal history and the need for public safety outweighed his rehabilitation efforts. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion when it found the statutory sentencing factors favored maintaining the original sentence.

Apr 2 2026
11th Cir. 7:23-cv-00114-WLS-ALS Per Curiam

PAUL GEORGE BETTENCOURT v. UNIT MANAGER DELISHA BRYANT Individual and Official Capacity

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an inmate's Eighth Amendment claim because he failed to exhaust administrative remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act. The court held that the prison's grievance process remained available to the plaintiff despite his inability to use writing utensils and a limit on pending grievances.

Apr 2 2026
6th Cir. 25-5465 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MARIO DELAINE

The Sixth Circuit affirmed Mario Delaine's fifteen-year mandatory minimum sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act, holding that his prior convictions qualified as violent felonies. The court clarified that state-law offenses satisfy the federal definition when they require intentional force, regardless of whether the defendant intended to cause specific injury.

Apr 2 2026
9th Cir. 8:21-cr-00062-PA-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CHRISTIAN MICHAEL RINER

The Ninth Circuit affirmed Christian Riner's conviction for possessing ammunition as a prohibited person, rejecting his Second Amendment challenges under controlling precedent. The court also upheld the admissibility of evidence seized during a vehicle inventory search, deferring to the district court's finding that the search was not pretextual.

Apr 2 2026
9th Cir. 4:22-cr-02701-JGZ-MAA-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JORGE ARMANDO FUENTES- PACHECO

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the drug trafficking convictions and supervised release violation sentence of Jorge Armando Fuentes-Pacheco, ruling that any potential Miranda error regarding a border statement was harmless. The court further held that cellphone images of missed calls were admissible as non-prejudicial evidence inextricably intertwined with the charged offense.

Apr 1 2026
6th Cir. 25-5391 Published

HON. DONNA GREENWELL DUTTON v. JIMMY SHAFFER

The Sixth Circuit held that the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission violated a sitting judge's First Amendment rights by attempting to enforce ethics rules against her campaign statements. The court reversed the lower court's denial of relief for two rules, finding the enforcement was not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest.