Topic
Every decision we've filed under Criminal.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the revocation of Terrell Williams's supervised release and his 30-month prison sentence after he committed fraud, faked drug tests, and drove with a suspended license. The court held that the district court properly considered Williams's breach of trust and the need for public protection when imposing the enhanced penalty.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of Dayton Peterson and John Lohden for kidnapping, robbery, and impersonating a federal officer. The court rejected challenges regarding the admission of text messages, the scope of the search, and the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the defendants' violent scheme.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed Austin David Stafford's convictions for producing child pornography, rejecting his arguments regarding the district court's jurisdiction and the factual basis for his guilty pleas. The court held that the government sufficiently established the interstate commerce nexus and that the district court properly verified the factual basis for the pleas under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a 264-month prison sentence for Kevin Willie Carter, rejecting his challenges to two U.S. Sentencing Guidelines enhancements. The court held that the factual record sufficiently supported findings that Carter acted as an organizer of a multi-participant drug conspiracy and maintained a premises for drug trafficking.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the convictions and sentences of Dayton Peterson and John Lohden, Jr., for kidnapping, robbery, and impersonating an officer. The court rejected the defendants' challenges to the admission of text messages, the sufficiency of evidence, and the propriety of their joint trial.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Jesse Moore's conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery and firearm offenses, rejecting his challenge to the denial of his motion to suppress. The court held that the initial police encounter was a consensual exchange and that the subsequent search of the property fell under the open fields doctrine.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 60-month prison sentence imposed on Damon Eugene Houston for violating conditions of supervised release in two prior federal cases. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion by ordering consecutive sentences and by properly weighing the mitigating evidence presented by the defendant.
The Eleventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw from representing Joshua Thompson in his direct criminal appeal. The court affirmed the defendant's conviction and sentence after an independent review found no arguable issues for appeal.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed the appeal filed by Norvell Crump against various federal officials and facilities. The dismissal was issued pursuant to Tenth Circuit Rule 42.1 due to a lack of prosecution by the appellant.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed an appeal of an above-guidelines sentence for illegal reentry as moot because the defendant was released from prison during the pendency of the case. The court held that the appellant's release eliminated the live controversy required to maintain the appeal.