Topic

Criminal

Every decision we've filed under Criminal.

Related topics

Civil 2129 Summary Judgment 481 Sentencing Guidelines 425 Civil Rights - Section 1983 406 Immigration (Civil) 360 Constitutional 356 Supervised Release 292 Drug Trafficking 280 Firearms 218 Civil Rights - Employment 208 Intellectual Property 165 Qualified Immunity 155
Apr 14 2026
11th Cir. 2:23-cr-00309-ECM-SMD-2 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. VANSHUN TRAYWICK

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 288-month sentence for a defendant with a two-decade history of drug offenses, ruling that the district court acted within its discretion even if the career offender enhancement was applied in error. The court held that the sentence was substantively reasonable given the defendant's extensive criminal record and the serious nature of the conspiracy charges.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
11th Cir. 8:24-cr-00372-SDM-NHA-3 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DANIEL VEGA CABRERA

The Eleventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw from representing Daniel Vega Cabrera after an independent review found no arguable issues of merit in the appeal. Consequently, the court affirmed Cabrera's convictions and sentences without holding oral argument.

Anders Brief Criminal
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
5th Cir. 25-40569 Per Curiam

United States v. Tovar-Martinez

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for illegal reentry, ruling that a district court does not violate Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11 by failing to explicitly define 'official restraint' during a guilty plea colloquy. The court held that no clear or obvious error occurred because binding precedent does not require judges to address surveillance as a form of official restraint.

Criminal Immigration (Criminal)
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
5th Cir. 25-10539 Per Curiam

Keeter v. Sadlar

The Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a prison official in a civil rights case, ruling that the inmate failed to prove deliberate indifference regarding his housing assignment. The court applied plain error review due to the appellant's failure to object to the magistrate judge's report and found no clear error in the district court's dismissal of the claim.

Civil Rights - Section 1983 Criminal Fourteenth Amendment - Equal Protection Sex Offenses
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
10th Cir. 2:25-CR-03851-MIS-1) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JARESSLY ESMERALDA REYES

The Tenth Circuit affirmed a supervised release revocation sentence, clarifying that while courts cannot consider retributive factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2)(A), they may properly consider offense circumstances for deterrence and public safety. The court held that the district judge's references to the defendant's repeated criminal conduct were aimed at assessing future risk rather than punishing past acts.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Supervised Release
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
4th Cir. 25-6013 Per Curiam

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ERIC LEE SMITH

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Eric Lee Smith's motion for a new trial, finding no abuse of discretion in the lower court's ruling. The court held that Smith failed to meet the stringent five-part standard required to prove newly discovered evidence would likely result in acquittal.

Criminal Other Criminal
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
10th Cir. 5:19-CR-00364-G-1) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. ROLANDO CIFUENTES-LOPEZ

The Tenth Circuit reversed a district court's restitution order against a child sex trafficking defendant, holding that the government failed to prove the victims' losses would not have occurred but for his specific conduct. The court vacated the awards and remanded the case solely to remove the restitution mandate, as the evidence did not isolate losses attributable to the defendant from those caused by other abusers.

Child Sexual Abuse Material Criminal
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
4th Cir. 24-4624 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. NAEEM DEONTE JONES

The Fourth Circuit vacated a supervised release revocation sentence because the district court misclassified a drug-testing violation as a Grade B offense instead of the correct Grade C classification. The court remanded the case for resentencing to apply the proper sentencing guidelines and address potential statutory limits on the term of supervised release.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
Read summary →
Apr 14 2026
1st Cir. 24-1834 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. HECLOUIS JOEL NIEVES-DÍAZ

The First Circuit vacated a defendant's sentence because the district court failed to provide a sufficiently reasoned explanation for imposing a twenty-five-month upward variance above the Sentencing Guidelines range. This procedural error prevented the appellate court from reviewing the substantive reasonableness of the sentence, necessitating a remand for resentencing with proper justification.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release
Read summary →