Verdict . News

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

1w ago•4 min read

Sixth Circuit Affirms Kidnapping Conviction, Remands on Supervised Release

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed Cortez Blake's conviction for aiding and abetting kidnapping while remanding one issue regarding supervised release conditions. The published opinion, issued February 5, 2026, addressed five challenges to Blake's conviction and sentence from the Eastern District of Michigan.

•Sixth Circuit affirmed Cortez Blake's kidnapping conviction on four of five appeal grounds

•Court remanded case on supervised release conditions issue for further proceedings

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

2w ago•4 min read

6th Circuit Affirms Supervised Release Revocation for Armed Robber

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the revocation of supervised release for Taureen Nickles, who was originally convicted for armed robberies of three Cincinnati businesses in 2014. The February 2, 2026 decision rejected all arguments challenging the district court's revocation.

•Nickles was sentenced to 66 months in prison plus three years supervised release for 2016 Hobbs Act robbery convictions

•His supervised release was revoked twice - first in 2021 for domestic violence and theft, then again in 2023 for stealing TVs and domestic violence

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

2w ago•4 min read

6th Circuit Upholds Denial of Federal Sentence Reduction Motion

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of Shane E. Bowlin's motion to reduce his 195-month federal sentence, despite retroactive amendments to federal sentencing guidelines that would have lowered his applicable sentencing range.

•Sixth Circuit affirmed denial of sentence reduction despite favorable guideline amendments

•Shane Bowlin's 195-month sentence upheld after retroactive Sentencing Guidelines changes

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

2nd Circuit Strikes Down Blanket Supervised Release Policy

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Northern District of New York improperly imposed standard supervised release conditions on Robert McAdam without making individualized assessments. The decision challenges the district's controversial "General Order #23" that automatically required 15 standard conditions in all supervised release cases.

•Second Circuit ruled that automatic imposition of supervised release conditions without individualized assessment violates federal law

•Northern District of New York's "General Order #23" required standard conditions in all supervised release cases

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

8th Circuit Upholds Consecutive Federal Sentence for Release Violation

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a federal district court's decision to impose an 18-month consecutive prison sentence on William Snoddy after he was convicted of manslaughter and weapons possession in Nebraska state court while on federal supervised release. Snoddy argued the consecutive sentencing would prevent his participation in state prison programs, but the appeals court disagreed.

•Eighth Circuit affirmed consecutive 18-month federal sentence for supervised release violation

•Defendant convicted of manslaughter and weapons possession while on federal supervision

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Affirms Supervised Release Revocation for Armed Robbery

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected an appeal by Emmannuel Rodole Francois challenging the revocation of his supervised release. Francois argued that the government failed to produce sufficient evidence of armed robbery and armed false imprisonment.

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed revocation of supervised release for armed robbery allegations

•Francois challenged both evidence sufficiency and confrontation rights violations

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

2nd Circuit Affirms Conviction, Remands Noah Kitchens Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a mixed ruling Thursday in United States v. Noah Kitchens, affirming the defendant's criminal conviction while ordering the trial court to strike a risk-notification condition from his supervised release terms.

•Second Circuit affirmed Kitchens' criminal conviction but vacated problematic supervised release condition

•Court ordered district court to strike risk-notification requirement from supervised release terms

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

Jan 16, 2026•4 min read

8th Circuit Upholds Consecutive Supervised Release Terms for Repeat Offender

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to impose consecutive 12-month supervised release terms on Patrick Newcomer, who violated his existing federal supervised release by committing new state crimes. Newcomer had argued the terms should run concurrently.

•Patrick Newcomer violated federal supervised release by committing new state burglary and firearm possession crimes in 2024

•District court revoked his supervised release and imposed consecutive 12-month terms for each original federal conviction

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

Jan 13, 2026•4 min read

5th Circuit: Courts Cannot Delegate Treatment Decisions to Probation

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal district courts improperly delegate judicial authority when allowing probation officers to determine whether defendants receive inpatient or outpatient substance abuse treatment. The court vacated the supervised release condition in United States v. Dubois and remanded the case.

•Fifth Circuit ruled courts cannot delegate inpatient vs. outpatient treatment decisions to probation officers

•Court vacated supervised release condition and remanded case for proper judicial determination