Topic
Every decision we've filed under Habeas Corpus - Federal Prisoner (28 USC 2255).
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a federal prisoner's motion for compassionate release, finding no abuse of discretion in the sentencing judge's weighing of statutory factors. The court also declined to review challenges to the denial of spoliation motions, ruling that the notice of appeal did not encompass those specific orders.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion for release pending the resolution of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion. The court held that Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 9 governs release in a criminal case but does not apply to release pending post-conviction relief.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a federal prisoner's motion to vacate his conviction, ruling that his statute of limitations argument lacked legal merit. Although the district court failed to address a specific timeliness claim, the appellate court determined a remand was unnecessary because the claim would fail regardless.
The Fourth Circuit denied Antonio Edwards's petition for a writ of mandamus because the district court had already ruled on his underlying motions. The court found the issue moot since the alleged delay no longer existed.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Desean Williams's conviction because his claim of a conflict of interest regarding his plea agreement's appellate waiver was raised for the first time on direct appeal. The court held that resolving the factual predicate of this claim would require acting as a fact-finder, a role it cannot perform without a record developed in the district court.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal because the prisoner failed to obtain a required certificate of appealability. The court found that the appellant did not make the necessary showing that his constitutional rights were debatably denied.
The Fourth Circuit denied Meldamion Antoine Huguley's petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to vacate his federal firearms conviction. The court held that mandamus is an extraordinary remedy unavailable when adequate appellate or collateral review channels exist, particularly after the underlying § 2255 motion was dismissed as unauthorized and successive.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Brian David Hill's appeal from the denial of his federal habeas corpus motion because he failed to obtain a certificate of appealability. The court found that Hill did not make a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right as required by statute.
The Tenth Circuit held that defense counsel violated the Sixth Amendment by failing to advise a defendant that his guilty plea to a drug offense would result in practically inevitable deportation. The court reversed the district court's denial of the habeas motion and remanded for a determination of prejudice.
The Fourth Circuit dismissed the portion of Kenneth Roshaun Reid's appeal that challenged the validity of his convictions because it functioned as an unauthorized successive habeas petition. The court affirmed the district court's denial of his motion to reduce his sentence under Sentencing Guidelines Amendment 826, finding no reversible error in the lower court's handling of the statutory sentencing issue.