Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the conviction of Willie Richard Minor for possessing a firearm after a prior misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, rejecting Second Amendment challenges and upholding the exclusion of evidence regarding his subjective belief about firearm possession rights.
The Supreme Court reversed the Fourth Circuit, holding that the state court's denial of habeas relief did not contravene clearly established federal law. The Court found the undisclosed forensic report was not material under Brady v. Maryland given the strength of the other evidence.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the convictions of Haotian Sun for mail fraud and conspiracy, ruling that the evidence was sufficient to prove he knowingly participated in a scheme to exchange counterfeit iPhones for authentic replacements. The court also rejected all sentencing and Fourth Amendment challenges raised by co-defendant Peng Fei Xue, upholding his conviction and sentence.
The First Circuit affirmed the convictions of a Massachusetts pizzeria owner for forced labor, ruling that a pattern of physical abuse and threats of deportation against undocumented workers satisfied the statutory elements of coercion. The court also upheld the defendant's 102-month sentence, rejecting challenges to evidentiary rulings and sentencing enhancements.
The Supreme Court held that restitution ordered under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act constitutes criminal punishment for purposes of the Ex Post Facto Clause. Consequently, applying the MVRA to a defendant who committed their crime before the Act's enactment violates the Constitution.
The First Circuit vacated the dismissal of trademark claims against individual Puerto Rico officials while affirming the dismissal of claims against the Commonwealth itself. The court held that license plates and registration tags constitute goods or services under the Lanham Act, rejecting the lower court's conclusion that government issuance precludes commercial use.
The First Circuit affirmed a ninety-six-month sentence for possessing machine guns and being a felon in possession of firearms, rejecting the defendant's claim that the district court failed to adequately explain an upward variance. The court held that the district court provided a plausible rationale based on the severity of the offenses, the defendant's criminal history, and the specific circumstances of the arrest.
The Supreme Court held that Congress did not clearly authorize cumulative convictions under both 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and § 924(j) for a single act. The Court reversed the Second Circuit, ruling that a single fatal violation yields only one conviction despite the provisions satisfying the Blockburger test for separate offenses.
The First Circuit affirmed a sixty-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm and escape from a re-entry program. The court held that the district judge provided sufficient justification for a nineteen-month upward variance based on the defendant's possession of a modified machine gun, high-capacity magazines, and a large quantity of ammunition.
The First Circuit affirmed a sixty-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm and escape from a re-entry program, rejecting the defendant's claim that the district court failed to justify a nineteen-month upward variance. The appellate court held that the district judge provided sufficient reasoning by highlighting the defendant's possession of a modified machine gun, high-capacity magazines, and a large quantity of ammunition.