Topic
Every decision we've filed under Robbery & Extortion.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tony Nico Clark's conviction while dismissing his sentencing appeal based on a valid appellate waiver. The court found no plain error in the district court's acceptance of Clark's guilty plea, upholding the sentence as a lawful downward variance.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed in part the appeal of a defendant convicted of Hobbs Act robbery and firearm offenses. The court held that the defendant's appellate waiver was valid and enforceable, barring review of the sentence, while finding no plain error in the acceptance of his guilty plea.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the guilty plea conviction and sentence of Vernell Woodard. The court found an adequate factual basis for the plea and determined no reversible plain error occurred regarding the district court's procedures.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se lawsuit challenging Los Angeles County property tax collection, holding that federal comity principles bar § 1983 challenges where state remedies exist. The court also upheld the dismissal of civil RICO and state law claims for failing to meet the plausibility standard required by federal pleading rules.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded a district court dismissal of a prisoner's civil rights complaint. The court held that while some claims were barred by the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, others alleging a denial of a due process hearing were not.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Daekun Cho's convictions for extortion and carjacking, ruling that any evidentiary errors at trial were harmless given the overwhelming proof of guilt. The court also upheld the sentencing enhancement for victim vulnerability, finding that Cho targeted victims based on their immigration status and language barriers.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an inmate's Eighth Amendment claim because he failed to exhaust administrative remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act. The court held that the prison's grievance process remained available to the plaintiff despite his inability to use writing utensils and a limit on pending grievances.
The Sixth Circuit reversed the denial of qualified immunity for officers who used force to handcuff a large suspect actively resisting arrest for violent felonies. The court held that no clearly established law prohibited the officers' actions because the suspect's physical defiance created a unique factual context not covered by prior precedent.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a federal sentence of 24 months for supervised release violations, ruling that the district court properly ordered it to run consecutively to an existing state sentence. The court held that federal judges retain broad discretion to select consecutive sentences and that the Sentencing Guidelines explicitly favor this approach for release violations.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se civil rights action filed by a homeowner challenging his state court foreclosure and eviction. The court held that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine barred the federal suit because the plaintiff effectively sought to overturn final state court judgments.