Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Gabriel Hawthorne's conviction and sentence for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, finding the evidence sufficient to support the verdict. The court also rejected Hawthorne's motion for a new trial and found no error in the district court's sentencing explanation.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed Tayseer Yousef's conviction and 109-month sentence for interstate transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy. The court held that Yousef was accountable for the armed robberies committed by his coconspirators because the violence was within the scope of their jointly undertaken criminal activity.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 60-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, rejecting claims that the district court erred in denying a mitigating role reduction. The court further held that the within-guidelines sentence was substantively reasonable and that general arguments regarding deterrence or historical disparities were insufficient to warrant reversal.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of a sentence reduction for a defendant whose criminal history category was lowered by a Sentencing Guidelines amendment. The court held that a statutory mandatory minimum sentence prevented any further reduction of the term already being served.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 360-month sentence for child pornography production, ruling that the defendant failed to prove the government's gender-based comments at sentencing constituted plain or structural error. The court held that the district court's reliance on the nature of the crime and abuse of trust, rather than the defendant's sex, meant the defendant's substantial rights were not affected.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of Alvis Damon Williams's third motion for compassionate release and his request for a sentence reduction under Amendment 821. The court found no abuse of discretion in the district court's determination that Williams failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling reasons for release and that statutory mandatory minimums precluded a sentence reduction.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of Douglas Lee Barlow's motion for compassionate release, finding no abuse of discretion in the district court's weighing of sentencing factors. The court further held that defendants seeking sentence reductions under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) have no constitutional or statutory right to appointed counsel.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction of a convicted felon for firearm possession, rejecting both facial and as-applied Second Amendment challenges. The court held that its prior precedent in United States v. Canada and United States v. Hunt remains binding despite recent Supreme Court rulings.
The Third Circuit affirmed the District Court's denial of Rasheed Hargrove's motion for a sentence reduction under the First Step Act. The appellate court found no abuse of discretion, noting the lower court properly considered Hargrove's arguments regarding historical sentencing inequities.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed England Eugene Adams' convictions and sentence while dismissing claims barred by his valid plea agreement appeal waiver. The court found the waiver knowing and voluntary under the totality of the circumstances and identified no meritorious issues for appeal.