The Second Circuit reversed Akayed Ullah’s conviction for providing material support to ISIS, holding that acting independently on inspiration from propaganda does not satisfy the statutory requirement of working unde...
A panel of the Ninth Circuit held that trial courts have a non-waivable duty to investigate juror bias that emerges mid-trial — and that defense counsel's agreement to keep a potentially biased juror cannot substitute...
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Trent Russell, a hospital contractor who accessed and posted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s private medical records to the anonymous message board 4Chan. Chief Judge Diaz,...
A published ruling from California's Sixth Appellate District holds that trial courts cannot find satisfactory completion of mental health diversion when a defendant has violated the program's core requirements, even if the defendant later demonstrates exce...
A panel of the Ninth Circuit held that trial courts have a non-waivable duty to investigate juror bias that emerges mid-trial — and that defense counsel's agreement to keep a potentially biased juror cannot substitute for that inquiry.
The Second Circuit reversed Akayed Ullah’s conviction for providing material support to ISIS, holding that acting independently on inspiration from propaganda does not satisfy the statutory requirement of working under the organization’s direction or control.
A man convicted in the 1994 shooting death of a seven-year-old Chicago boy wins the right to pursue a successive postconviction petition after an appellate court held that newly discovered evidence of systematic police misconduct — and an affidavit claiming...
The Hawaii Supreme Court held that a sentencing court must articulate its reasons for imposing a consecutive sentence on the record at the time of sentencing — not in a written order filed after the defendant has already appealed.
The California Supreme Court affirmed the murder convictions of both defendants but split on their death sentences, reversing Hronis's sentence because the trial court applied the pre-Edwards competency-to-stand-trial standard rather than the higher standar...
The Fourth Circuit reversed and vacated the conviction of Nathaniel Martin for felon in possession of a firearm, holding that a U.S. Forest Service officer unlawfully extended a traffic stop to conduct a criminal investigation unrelated to the initial viola...
Willie Junior Lilly’s conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm stands after the Fourth Circuit rejected his constitutional challenge to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and his claim that the district court miscalculated his sentencing range.
The Delaware Supreme Court reversed five of Daryl Baldwin’s felony sex-crime convictions, including two counts of rape, holding that the trial court abused its discretion by excluding DNA evidence showing that spermatozoa found in a 13-year-old victim’s und...
The California Court of Appeal ordered Riverside County Superior Court Judge Samah Shouka removed from presiding over a Racial Justice Act evidentiary hearing in a capital murder case, holding that her prior role as a homicide prosecutor in the same distric...
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that a defendant who completes a mental health court program but fails to pay restitution due to financial hardship is not entitled to have her felony conviction set aside, distinguishing between excusing a probation viola...
A per curiam panel of the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the drug-trafficking convictions and sentences of three men caught aboard a stateless vessel carrying nearly 375 kilograms of cocaine in the Dominican Republic's exclusive economic zone. The court held tha...
The Justice Department unsealed indictments against a Georgia man and a UK-Nigeria resident, charging them with orchestrating a five-year scheme to defraud the IRS of more than $100 million by filing over 300 false tax returns using stolen taxpayer identities.
A unanimous three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit upheld a 212-month prison sentence for Moreno Lee Jackson, ruling that he waived his right to challenge the Armed Career Criminal Act enhancement that added years to his term. Circuit Judge Alice Batchelder...
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the 180-month prison sentence imposed on Rickey Lee Miller, Jr., who pleaded guilty to attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court rejected Miller’s arguments that the district court procedur...
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the civil commitment of Joshua Potenza, a man found not guilty by reason of insanity after threatening to kill his former college roommate and coworker.
Jason Lopez, who pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare and the Small Business Administration, had his forty-eight-month prison sentence vacated by the Eleventh Circuit. The appellate court held that the district court erred in calculating Lopez's sentencing...
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the 198-month prison sentence imposed on Reginald Brown for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The court rejected Brown’s appeal arguments regarding the distri...
Troy Baker’s motion to dismiss a federal indictment charging him with felon-in-possession of a firearm was denied by Judge Charles E. Fleming of the Northern District of Ohio.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Trent Russell, a hospital contractor who accessed and posted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s private medical records to the anonymous message board 4Chan. Chief Judge Diaz, writing for a unanimous panel, rejected...