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Criminal Law

Criminal prosecutions, sentencing, and appeals

27 articles

Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

6th Circuit Affirms Denial of Habeas Petition in Ohio Murder Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed a lower court's denial of a habeas corpus petition filed by Ohio prisoner Jamal Dye, who was convicted of murder following a fatal shooting at a party. The federal appeals court's decision, filed January 21, 2026, upholds the district court's rejection of Dye's constitutional claims challenging his state court conviction.

•Sixth Circuit affirmed denial of habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254
•Case involves Ohio prisoner Jamal Dye convicted of murder in shooting death of James Gray
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit Denies En Banc Rehearing in Johnson Prison Rights Case

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied both panel rehearing and en banc rehearing petitions in Johnson v. Guerrero, rejecting a bid for full court review of a case involving Texas Department of Criminal Justice Director Eric Guerrero. The court polled its members, with nine judges voting against rehearing and seven in favor.

•Fifth Circuit denied both panel and en banc rehearing in Johnson v. Guerrero involving Texas prison director
•Court split 9-7 against rehearing after polling full membership, with Judge Oldham not participating
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Third Circuit Court of Appeals

3rd Circuit: No Hotel Privacy Rights Five Hours After Checkout

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a defendant had no reasonable expectation of privacy in a hotel room searched five hours after checkout time. The precedential decision in United States v. Ryan Mendoza affirms a district court's denial of a motion to suppress evidence.

•Third Circuit ruled hotel guests have no reasonable privacy expectation five hours after checkout
•Court affirmed district court's denial of motion to suppress evidence from post-checkout room search
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

8th Circuit Affirms Above-Guidelines Sentence in Child Exploitation Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed an above-Guidelines sentence imposed on Travis Lee Morgan after he pleaded guilty to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. The court rejected Morgan's challenge to factual findings about computer ownership and found the sentence substantively reasonable.

•Eighth Circuit affirmed above-Guidelines sentence for attempted transfer of obscene material to minor
•Court rejected challenges to factual findings about computer ownership using clear error standard
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Affirms 96-Month Bank Fraud Sentence for Alabama Attorney

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a 96-month federal sentence for Anna Michelle La Rue, who pleaded guilty to bank fraud while working as an office manager at an Alabama law firm. La Rue had challenged the upward variance from sentencing guidelines as substantively unreasonable.

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed 96-month sentence for bank fraud committed while working at Alabama law firm
•Defendant challenged upward variance from guidelines as substantively unreasonable under federal law
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Legal News
•4 min read

Dominican National Gets 5 Years for Distributing 20+ Kilograms of Fentanyl

Alexis De Leon, a 30-year-old Dominican national, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in distributing over 20 kilograms of fentanyl throughout Maine. The significant sentencing reflects federal authorities' continued crackdown on large-scale fentanyl trafficking operations.

•De Leon distributed over 20 kilograms of fentanyl, a quantity that could result in thousands of fatal overdoses
•The five-year federal sentence demonstrates prosecutors' focus on major drug trafficking operations
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

9th Circuit Affirms Gun Ban for Undocumented Immigrants Under Bruen Framework

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of Oscar Vazquez-Ramirez for illegally possessing a firearm while undocumented, rejecting his Second Amendment challenge. The court applied the Supreme Court's Bruen framework and overruled its previous intermediate scrutiny standard.

•Ninth Circuit affirmed conviction under federal law prohibiting undocumented immigrants from possessing firearms
•Court overruled its 2019 Torres precedent that applied intermediate scrutiny to immigration-based gun restrictions
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Federal Circuit
•2 min read
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

4th Circuit Affirms Gun Conviction After Mental Health Commitment

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed James Gould's federal firearms conviction, rejecting his Second Amendment challenge to laws prohibiting gun possession by those previously committed to mental institutions. The published decision concluded a case that began when police found Gould with a shotgun in his West Virginia home.

•Fourth Circuit affirmed James Gould's conviction for illegal gun possession after mental health commitment
•Court rejected Second Amendment challenge to federal law prohibiting firearm possession by those involuntarily committed
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State Court
•2 min read
Nevada Supreme Court

Nevada Supreme Court Upholds Evidence Suppression in Gun Case

The Nevada Supreme Court unanimously affirmed a district court's decision to suppress evidence against Ricky Kevin Dubuc, who was charged with felony carrying a concealed weapon. The high court upheld the trial judge's ruling that police lacked reasonable suspicion for the stop and search.

•Nevada Supreme Court unanimously affirmed suppression of evidence in felony concealed weapon case
•Police lacked reasonable suspicion to stop Dubuc despite surveillance of his associate for unrelated crime
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State Court
•4 min read
Nebraska Supreme Court

Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Plain Error Standard in State v. Molina

The Nebraska Supreme Court issued an opinion December 19, 2025, in State v. Cristian E. Gonzalez Molina establishing clear standards for when appellate courts may address unpreserved errors. The ruling emphasizes protecting judicial integrity while limiting plain error review to cases involving substantial rights and potential miscarriages of justice.

•Court established that plain error requires unasserted trial errors that are plainly evident, prejudice substantial rights, and threaten judicial integrity
•Appellate courts retain discretion in plain error review but are not constrained by specific brief arguments or required to review every possible error
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