Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Sharmaine Jackson's sentence, ruling that the district court did not clearly err in applying a sentencing enhancement for vulnerable victims. The court held that targeting older customers with large balances who rarely checked their accounts rendered them unusually vulnerable under federal sentencing guidelines.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Christian Archer's motion for compassionate release, finding he failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling reasons for a sentence reduction. The court granted counsel's motion to withdraw and left Archer subject to his original sentence.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a federal prisoner's motion for compassionate release, ruling that the lower court properly weighed statutory sentencing factors. The appellate court held that the defendant's criminal history and non-compliance with medical instructions justified maintaining his sentence despite his chronic kidney disease.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed consecutive sentences for federal escape and supervised release revocation, finding the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing sentencing factors. The court also granted counsel's motion to withdraw after an independent review found no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Julius Augillard's 70-month sentence for felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting his challenges to the sentencing guidelines' application of the realistic probability test and the firearm enhancement. However, the court vacated the judgment in part because the district court failed to orally pronounce a discretionary supervised release condition that was later added to the written judgment.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed an 18-month prison sentence imposed after revoking Macy Renee Patterson's supervised release. The court held the sentence was substantively reasonable because the district court properly weighed sentencing factors without clear error.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Vernell Woodard's conviction and sentence for firearm brandishing and aiding and abetting a crime of violence. The court held that any failure by the district court to warn Woodard about restitution authority was harmless error because he could not show he would have rejected his plea had he received the warning.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a 48-month above-guidelines sentence for a defendant who facilitated a straw purchase of a firearm that was subsequently used to kill a police officer. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in rejecting the standard sentencing guidelines for straw purchasers due to the severe consequences of the defendant's conduct.
The Fifth Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw, finding no nonfrivolous issues for direct appeal. However, the court dismissed the appeal without prejudice because the record was insufficient to fairly evaluate the defendant's ineffective assistance claims.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a 48-month above-guidelines sentence for a defendant who facilitated a straw purchase that led to the death of a police officer. The court held that the district court acted within its discretion to reject the standard sentencing guidelines for straw purchasers based on the specific, violent consequences of the defendant's conduct.