Topic
Every decision we've filed under Robbery & Extortion.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed qualified immunity for the officer who tackled a suspect during a drug raid but reversed the immunity grant for a second officer whose rifle struck the suspect's head. The court held that disputed facts regarding whether the blow was intentional or accidental preclude summary judgment on the excessive force claim.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the defendants' Hobbs Act robbery convictions, ruling that robbing customers at a convenience store disrupted interstate commerce by forcing the business to close. The court also rejected a claim of jury confusion regarding the specific victim, finding the argument was waived because it was not raised at the trial level.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed convictions for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm, ruling that the robbery of customers at a convenience store satisfied the interstate commerce nexus. The court also rejected a claim of jury confusion, finding that the defendants failed to present a separate legal theory to the jury regarding the robbery of a customer outside the store.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the defendants' convictions for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm, rejecting the argument that the robbery failed to affect interstate commerce. The court further held that the defendants forfeited any claim that the jury might have relied solely on a robbery of a victim outside the store.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Javier Hernandez's convictions for migrant smuggling, transporting stolen vessels, and money laundering. The court held that the government's extraction of cell phone data after a warrant's expiration date was lawful under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41 and that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict.
The First Circuit vacated the dismissal of trademark claims against individual Puerto Rico officials while affirming the dismissal of claims against the Commonwealth itself. The court held that license plates and registration tags constitute goods or services under the Lanham Act, rejecting the lower court's conclusion that government issuance precludes commercial use.
The First Circuit affirmed the convictions of Sixto Jorge Díaz-Colón for attempted extortion, transmitting threatening communications, and destroying records. The court rejected all challenges regarding the sufficiency of evidence, alleged prosecutorial misconduct, and trial rulings.
The Eleventh Circuit reversed the district court, holding that the Corporate Transparency Act is a constitutional exercise of Congress's Commerce Clause power. The court further ruled that the Act's reporting requirements do not facially violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition on unreasonable searches.
The Eleventh Circuit denied an emergency stay of execution for a death row inmate challenging his execution under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The court held that the inmate's exclusion from a COVID-19 agreement pausing executions for certain prisoners did not violate the Equal Protection or Due Process Clauses.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to grant a voluntary dismissal of seven defendants in a civil rights excessive force case while imposing final judgment against them. The court also upheld the admission of evidence regarding the plaintiffs' criminal history and the chaotic nature of a prison riot, finding no abuse of discretion in the evidentiary rulings.