Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Eleventh Circuit established a new standard for compassionate release, requiring inmates to prove that no other person is both qualified and free to care for an incapacitated family member. Applying this rule, the court affirmed the denial of Rufino Robelo-Galo's petition because his son was found to be an available alternative caregiver.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a below-Guidelines sentence imposed on a defendant convicted of a drug offense. The court granted counsel leave to withdraw after finding no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has issued an opinion in this criminal appeal. Judgment has been entered in accordance with the court's decision.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's supervised release conditions, rejecting claims that a prohibition on loitering in prostitution areas was unconstitutionally vague. The court also upheld a condition requiring sex offender treatment, finding the delegation of authority to a treatment provider to determine necessity was constitutionally permissible.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a former employer's civil rights and state-law claims while modifying the dismissal of his interpleader claim to be without prejudice. The court held that the plaintiff's claims were barred by the statute of limitations, the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, or a lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed Eunice Salley's conviction, ruling that her waiver of the right to counsel was knowing and voluntary despite her insistence on self-representation. The court rejected her appeal, finding no error in the district court's allowance of her pro se status while appointing stand-by counsel.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the revocation of Erik Harbin's supervised release and his 15-month prison sentence, rejecting his claim that the district court improperly relied on his original offense's seriousness. The court held that the district judge's references to the original crime were permissible context for a breach-of-trust rationale rather than prohibited retribution.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tomario Hicks's 180-month sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm, ruling that his prior marijuana convictions qualified as predicate offenses under the Armed Career Criminal Act. The court also rejected Hicks's Second Amendment challenge, holding that binding precedent prohibits felons from possessing firearms regardless of recent Supreme Court rulings.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Malachi Mullings's motion to withdraw his guilty plea, rejecting his claim that his attorney coerced him into pleading. The court also upheld his 120-month sentence, finding no procedural or substantive unreasonableness in the district court's application of sentencing enhancements.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a defendant's sentence for drug trafficking where the district court applied a sentencing enhancement for maintaining a premises for distribution. The court held that drug trafficking can constitute a primary use of a residence even when the property also serves as the defendant's home.