Topic
Every decision we've filed under Drug Trafficking.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed Jacob Robinson's sentence as an armed career criminal, ruling that his prior Arkansas conviction met the statutory elements of the Armed Career Criminal Act. The court rejected arguments regarding the age of the prior offense and procedural errors in sentencing calculations while granting counsel's motion to withdraw.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of James Nemeth's motions to suppress evidence and dismiss charges, ruling that his Fourth Amendment argument was procedurally waived and his Second Amendment challenge is foreclosed by binding precedent. The court held that Nemeth failed to preserve the specific claim that a dog sniff at his motel door violated his privacy interest inside the room, and his challenge to the felon-in-possession statute is barred by the circuit's recent decision in Vincent v. Bondi.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 128-month sentence for drug trafficking, rejecting arguments that the drug mixture was not marketable as fentanyl. The court also found the sentence substantively reasonable given the defendant's guideline range and criminal history.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Brent Michael Jones's conviction for felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting his constitutional challenges to the statute and his claims of involuntary confession. The court held that the firearm's interstate origin satisfied Commerce Clause requirements and that the defendant's post-Miranda waiver was voluntary.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed John Miguel Swan's conviction and 120-month sentence for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. The court held that Swan's Second Amendment challenge was barred by the law-of-the-case doctrine and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing an upward variance based on his history of domestic violence.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Timothy Peoples' cocaine trafficking conviction, ruling that any error in excluding evidence of a police officer's misconduct was harmless given the overwhelming evidence of guilt. The court further held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in instructing the jury that the evidence was legally obtained.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a motion for sentence reduction after determining the appeal raised no non-frivolous issues. The court granted counsel's motion to withdraw under Anders v. California, leaving the original 96-month sentence in effect.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a 10-month prison sentence imposed after the revocation of Edward Terrell Glaze's supervised release for multiple drug violations. The court found the district court's sentence procedurally and substantively reasonable, noting the mandatory nature of revocation under federal statute.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed Job Jasso, Jr.'s conviction for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, rejecting his claim that the evidence was insufficient. The court held that the proximity of loaded handguns to fentanyl pills was enough for a reasonable juror to find the required intent.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 162-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting arguments regarding sentencing enhancements. Because the defendant failed to preserve his objections in the district court, the appellate court reviewed the case only for plain error and found no clear mistake.