Topic
Every decision we've filed under Firearms.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a below-Guidelines-range sentence imposed after the defendant pleaded guilty to drug and firearm offenses. The court granted counsel leave to withdraw following an Anders brief and an independent review of the record.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant who purchased a firearm while prohibited due to felony and domestic violence convictions. The court found no error in the district court's denial of motions for acquittal or a new trial.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court dismissal of a challenge to federal firearm purchase requirements. The court held that requiring non-citizens to provide an alien registration number on Form 4473 does not violate the Second Amendment or related statutes.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a federal sentence for a firearms violation, ruling that a defendant is responsible for firearms sold by co-conspirators during jointly undertaken criminal activity. The court held that the defendant's coordinated actions with his cohorts established the necessary scope for sentencing enhancements under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a seventy-two-month sentence imposed on Jimarus Westley Puckett for a firearm offense. The court rejected an Anders brief arguing the sentence was substantively unreasonable after finding the district court properly weighed statutory factors.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a sentencing enhancement for assaulting a law enforcement officer. The court held that ramming a police vehicle and manipulating a firearm created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a sixty-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting the defendant's claim that the sentence was substantively unreasonable. The court held that the district court properly weighed the statutory factors and did not abuse its discretion in granting an upward variance based on the defendant's history of violent conduct.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a sentence enhancement for a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that an Arkansas second-degree battery conviction qualified as a violent felony under federal law.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the defendant's convictions for simple assault and felon in possession of a firearm but vacated his sentence due to a sentencing error. The court held that the district court plainly erred by applying a sentencing enhancement based on conduct for which the defendant had been acquitted.
The Eighth Circuit enforced an appeal waiver contained in a plea agreement and dismissed the defendant's challenge to his sentence. The court rejected the argument that the district court's failure to explain its sentencing rationale constituted a miscarriage of justice.