Topic

Criminal

Every decision we've filed under Criminal.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ALVIS DAMON WILLIAMS

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of Alvis Damon Williams's third motion for compassionate release and his request for a sentence reduction under Amendment 821. The court found no abuse of discretion in the district court's determination that Williams failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling reasons for release and that statutory mandatory minimums precluded a sentence reduction.

Compassionate Release Criminal Drug Trafficking Mandatory Minimum

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Mar 17 2026

5th Cir. 25-20148 Per Curiam

United States v. Barlow

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of Douglas Lee Barlow's motion for compassionate release, finding no abuse of discretion in the district court's weighing of sentencing factors. The court further held that defendants seeking sentence reductions under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) have no constitutional or statutory right to appointed counsel.

Compassionate Release Criminal

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Mar 17 2026

4th Cir. 25-4376 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DARIUS DEONTAE LITTLE

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a convicted felon for firearm possession, rejecting both facial and as-applied Second Amendment challenges. The court held that its prior precedent in United States v. Canada and United States v. Hunt remains binding despite recent Supreme Court rulings.

Criminal Firearms

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Mar 17 2026

3rd Cir. 25-1508 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. RASHEED HARGROVE

The Third Circuit affirmed the District Court's denial of Rasheed Hargrove's motion for a sentence reduction under the First Step Act. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion, noting the lower court properly considered Hargrove's arguments regarding historical sentencing inequities.

Criminal Drug Trafficking

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Mar 17 2026

4th Cir. 25-4354 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ENGLAND EUGENE ADAMS

The Fourth Circuit affirmed England Eugene Adams' convictions and sentence while dismissing claims barred by his valid plea agreement appeal waiver. The court found the waiver knowing and voluntary under the totality of the circumstances and identified no meritorious issues for appeal.

Criminal Firearms

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Mar 17 2026

4th Cir. 24-4178 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ETHAN D. DELAUDER

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Ethan D. Delauder's conviction for possessing a firearm after a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction, rejecting his Second Amendment challenge. The court held that his facial challenge was foreclosed by precedent and his as-applied challenge was waived for failure to develop the argument.

Criminal Firearms

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Mar 17 2026

4th Cir. 25-6396 Per Curiam

United States v. Salazar

The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a sentence reduction motion under Section thirty-five eighty-two, subsection C, paragraph two. The court held that Amendment eight hundred twenty-one to the Sentencing Guidelines does not authorize reducing a sentence imposed for a supervised release revocation.

Compassionate Release Criminal Sentencing Guidelines

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Mar 17 2026

7th Cir. 24-2892 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. FLOYD L. SUGGS

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence obtained from a search warrant that mistakenly described a multi-unit dwelling as a single-family home. The court held that the warrant was valid because the investigating officer reasonably believed the address was a single unit, and even if the warrant were defective, the search was justified by exigent circumstances and the plain-view doctrine.

Criminal Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Supervised Release

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Mar 17 2026

4th Cir. 25-4349 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DUANE DIXON, JR

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Duane Dixon's convictions for conspiracy and wire fraud, ruling that his challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence was waived because he failed to renew his motion for a judgment of acquittal after presenting evidence at trial. The court also upheld the district court's application of a sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice, finding the lower court's reasoning sufficient to support the increase.

Criminal Fraud

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Mar 17 2026

United States Court… 24-5223 Panel Decision

SAMARA L. A. SIMMONS v. MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

The D.C. Circuit held that a timely motion for reconsideration by the Foreign Service Grievance Board renders the underlying order nonfinal, resetting the 180-day statute of limitations for judicial review. The court reversed the district court's dismissal of four counts challenging Board orders as time-barred while affirming the dismissal of a fifth count regarding the right to file further motions.

Criminal Robbery & Extortion Statute of Limitations

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