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Criminal

Every decision we've filed under Criminal.

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Civil 3415 Summary Judgment 812 Sentencing Guidelines 724 Civil Rights - Section 1983 654 Immigration (Civil) 649 Constitutional 538 Supervised Release 475 Drug Trafficking 445 Civil Rights - Employment 371 Firearms 324 Qualified Immunity 253 Anders Brief 243
Mar 10 2026
United States Court… 24-3098 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CALVIN SMITH, ALSO KNOWN AS A-SAY

The D.C. Circuit vacated Calvin Smith's life sentences for drug conspiracy and racketeering, finding the drug sentence exceeded statutory limits and the racketeering sentence lacked required factual findings. The court also vacated a felony murder conviction on double jeopardy grounds and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 10 2026
4th Cir. 24-4546 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. NICO AARON LOWERS

The Fourth Circuit held that individuals maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy in files stored in private cloud-based accounts, requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before searching them. Although the court found the warrantless search of the defendant's Google Drive files unconstitutional, it affirmed the conviction because the evidence was sufficiently attenuated from the illegal search.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure Supervised Release
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Mar 10 2026
7th Cir. 24-1024 Panel Decision

United States v. Bull

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a drug trafficking sentence where the district court relied on the defendant's own post-arrest statements to calculate drug quantities. The court held that self-incriminating statements made by a defendant are sufficiently reliable for sentencing even if the defendant claims they were made while under the influence.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 10 2026
7th Cir. 23-1249 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DERRICK DAVIS

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a 84-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting claims that the district court committed procedural error or imposed a substantively unreasonable sentence on remand. The court held that the judge properly relied on the defendant's boastful jail call and extensive criminal history to justify an above-Guidelines sentence, even after agreeing that evidence was insufficient to prove he fired a weapon.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 10 2026
6th Cir. 25-5488 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MOHAMMED AL-ABADI

The Sixth Circuit affirmed Mohammed Al-Abadi's twenty-four-month prison sentence for trafficking in counterfeit airbags and recklessly transporting hazardous materials. The court rejected Al-Abadi's challenge to the sentence's reasonableness, finding the district court properly calculated the Guidelines range and applied special supervised release conditions.

Criminal Embezzlement & Forgery Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
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Mar 9 2026
11th Cir. 5:04-cr-00028-TKW-MJF-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. LANCE H. REID

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 36-month prison sentence for a supervised release violation, rejecting the defendant's claim that the sentence was substantively unreasonable. The court held that the district court properly weighed the severity of the defendant's drug violations and his lack of candor regarding his treatment plan.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 9 2026
11th Cir. 3:24-cr-00068-MCR-1 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JEREMY EHLERS

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 600-month sentence for child pornography production and distribution, rejecting the defendant's claim that the district court failed to weigh his voluntary cessation of conduct. The court held that the permanence of the images and the need for deterrence justified the sentence within the Guidelines range.

Child Sexual Abuse Material Criminal Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
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Mar 9 2026
10th Cir. 1:23-CR-00285-CNS-1) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MACKENZIE BECKER

The Tenth Circuit affirmed Mackenzie Becker's convictions for firearms and drug offenses, rejecting his argument that the search warrant affidavit failed to establish probable cause linking a road-rage incident to his residence. The court also dismissed Becker's Second Amendment challenge as foreclosed by existing Tenth Circuit precedent.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 9 2026
3rd Cir. 2:24-cr-00022-001) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. BRANDYN ALLEN SEABREEZE

The Third Circuit affirmed Brandyn Allen Seabreeze's conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, ruling that the traffic stop and subsequent search did not violate the Fourth Amendment. The court further held that Seabreeze had knowingly waived his right to appeal the sentencing calculation in his plea agreement.

Criminal Firearms
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