Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a ninety-six-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of possessing ricin. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing a within-Guidelines sentence despite the defendant's arguments regarding his criminal history and personal circumstances.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated a defendant's sentence because the district court failed to provide a specific justification for an upward variance from the Sentencing Guidelines range. The court held that merely reciting statutory factors without explaining their application to the case facts constitutes reversible procedural error.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Nicholas Dewayne Rogers for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that Rogers waived his right to challenge the suppression of evidence because he entered an unconditional guilty plea.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a defendant who had waived his right to challenge his conviction and sentence in a plea agreement. The court found that the issues raised by counsel fell within the scope of the valid waiver and that no meritorious grounds for appeal existed.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's upward variance in sentencing for a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that the lower court properly weighed the defendant's extensive criminal history despite his arguments regarding mitigating factors.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a seventeen-year prison sentence for discharging a firearm during a violent crime. Appointed counsel filed an Anders brief asserting the appeal was wholly frivolous, and the panel agreed after reviewing the record.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Seth Hoover, who was convicted of drug trafficking and firearm offenses following a traffic stop that yielded evidence of fentanyl and a weapon.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of Daniel Conner for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court rejected arguments regarding the withdrawal of his guilty plea, the validity of the indictment, and the application of the Armed Career Criminal Act enhancement.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose a twenty-four-month prison sentence. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion in the sentencing determination.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order denying a defendant's request to run his federal sentence concurrently with a state sentence. The appellate court held that the district court lacked the legal authority to modify the already-imposed federal sentence under the circumstances presented.