Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the defendant's valid plea agreement waiver barred him from challenging the constitutionality of his conviction. Consequently, the court declined to address the defendant's Second Amendment challenge to the federal firearms statute.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Jason Paul Till's within-guidelines sentence for attempted production of child pornography, finding no procedural or substantive error in the district court's sentencing decision. The court also rejected Till's claim that the prosecutor made improper comments during the sentencing hearing.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to reduce a drug trafficking sentence based on a retroactive Sentencing Guidelines amendment. The court held that the district court properly weighed the statutory factors and did not abuse its discretion by emphasizing the seriousness of the offense and the defendant's lack of cooperation.
The Eleventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw from representing the defendant in a direct criminal appeal. The court affirmed the defendant's convictions and sentence after an independent review found no arguable issues of merit.
The Eleventh Circuit granted a joint motion for summary reversal, holding that the government breached its plea agreement by arguing for a higher sentencing guideline range based on the purity of the methamphetamine. The court vacated the within-guideline sentence and remanded the case for resentencing consistent with the terms of the plea agreement.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a statutory maximum sentence of 840 months for child pornography offenses, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion. The court held that the district court properly weighed the need to protect the public over the defendant's mitigating arguments regarding his mental health.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal habeas corpus petition filed by a death-row prisoner. The court held that the petitioner failed to demonstrate that false witness testimony or an alleged coerced jury waiver warranted relief under federal law.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 36-month prison sentence for wire fraud, rejecting the defendant's claim that the district court abused its discretion by imposing an upward variance based on his extensive criminal history. The court held that the sentencing judge properly weighed the defendant's history of fraud and uncharged conduct alongside the seriousness of the offense and the need for public protection.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of a death-row prisoner's federal habeas corpus petition. The court rejected claims regarding false witness testimony, jury trial waiver validity, and ineffective assistance of counsel.
The Supreme Court held that the Sentencing Reform Act does not authorize automatically extending a defendant's supervised release term due to abscondment. Consequently, a district court lacks authority to treat a new offense committed after a supervised release term has expired as a violation of that term.