US v. Wilson, No. 06-6339
In a case involving the constitutionality of a pat-down search of a car passenger that resulted in the discovery of over one pound of powder cocaine, grant of a motion to suppress evidence in the prosecution for drug-related offenses is affirmed where the district court did not err in finding that the government had not shown that the officers had a reasonable suspicion that the passenger was armed and dangerous before conducting the pat-down search
Showing posts with label unconstitutional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unconstitutional. Show all posts
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Monday, October 01, 2007
police failed to scrupulously respect her demand to remain silent by putting her in an interrogation room
US v. Lafferty, No. 06-1901
In a prosecution for offenses arising from a burglary, denial of defendant's motion to suppress statements she and an alleged confederate made during a custodial interrogation is reversed as: 1) police failed to scrupulously respect her demand to remain silent by putting her in an interrogation room with her alleged confederate after she had invoked her right to remain silent and after he promised to give a confession; 2) no valid and meaningful waiver of her rights occurred; and 3) a ruling that the confederate's statements were admissible against her as adoptive admissions was improper as a court errs in permitting the government to use a criminal defendant's silence in the face of police interrogation
In a prosecution for offenses arising from a burglary, denial of defendant's motion to suppress statements she and an alleged confederate made during a custodial interrogation is reversed as: 1) police failed to scrupulously respect her demand to remain silent by putting her in an interrogation room with her alleged confederate after she had invoked her right to remain silent and after he promised to give a confession; 2) no valid and meaningful waiver of her rights occurred; and 3) a ruling that the confederate's statements were admissible against her as adoptive admissions was improper as a court errs in permitting the government to use a criminal defendant's silence in the face of police interrogation
Friday, July 06, 2007
Ex Post facto sentencing Violation
US v. Kilkenny, No. 05-6847
Sentence based on guilty plea to bank fraud, mail fraud, and structuring a financial transaction to evade currency reporting requirement requires remand where the district court's use of the 2002 version of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines violated the Ex Post Facto Clause of Article I of the Constitution
Sentence based on guilty plea to bank fraud, mail fraud, and structuring a financial transaction to evade currency reporting requirement requires remand where the district court's use of the 2002 version of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines violated the Ex Post Facto Clause of Article I of the Constitution
Monday, June 25, 2007
Defendant-Sheriff Conviction reversed on jury instruction error
US v. Holly, No. 05-7130
Defendant-sheriff's convictions for offenses, including counts of felony deprivation of rights under color of law involving aggravated sexual abuse, are reversed in part as to four felony deprivation of rights counts where the district court erroneously instructed the jury on the definition of aggravated sexual abuse as: 1) the district court used language suggesting the victim need only be placed in fear of "some bodily harm", impermissibly reducing the degree of fear necessary to sustain a conviction; and 2) the error was not harmless as to four counts.
Defendant-sheriff's convictions for offenses, including counts of felony deprivation of rights under color of law involving aggravated sexual abuse, are reversed in part as to four felony deprivation of rights counts where the district court erroneously instructed the jury on the definition of aggravated sexual abuse as: 1) the district court used language suggesting the victim need only be placed in fear of "some bodily harm", impermissibly reducing the degree of fear necessary to sustain a conviction; and 2) the error was not harmless as to four counts.
Procedural Bar?
Kuenzel v. Allen, No. 06-11986
Denial of habeas petition is vacated and remanded where the district court has not addressed the issue of whether petitioner has satisfied the exceptions to the procedural bar announced in Siebert v. Allen, 455 F.3d 1269 (11th Cir. 2006), and where the district court erred in holding that the intervening authority of Pace v. DiGuigliemo, 125 S. Ct. 1807 (2005), effectively overruled the decision in Siebert
Denial of habeas petition is vacated and remanded where the district court has not addressed the issue of whether petitioner has satisfied the exceptions to the procedural bar announced in Siebert v. Allen, 455 F.3d 1269 (11th Cir. 2006), and where the district court erred in holding that the intervening authority of Pace v. DiGuigliemo, 125 S. Ct. 1807 (2005), effectively overruled the decision in Siebert
District Court failed to explain sentence
US v. Walters, No. 05-51634
A discharged Air Force airman's 982 month sentence for the use of a destructive device in a crime of violence and related offenses is vacated and remanded where the district court did not give adequate explanation justifying a non-Guideline 60 year sentence
A discharged Air Force airman's 982 month sentence for the use of a destructive device in a crime of violence and related offenses is vacated and remanded where the district court did not give adequate explanation justifying a non-Guideline 60 year sentence
Thursday, June 21, 2007
preliminary injunction, prohibiting the government from seizing "the contents of any personal e-mail account maintained by an Internet Service Provide
Warshak v. US, No. 06-4092
A preliminary injunction, prohibiting the government from seizing "the contents of any personal e-mail account maintained by an Internet Service Provider in the name of any resident of the Southern District of Ohio without providing the relevant account holder or subscriber prior notice and an opportunity to be heard on any complaint, motion, or other pleading seeking issuance of such an order" is affirmed, with slight modification, where the district court correctly determined that e-mail users maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy in the content of their e-mails, and the injunctive relief it crafted was largely appropriate.
A preliminary injunction, prohibiting the government from seizing "the contents of any personal e-mail account maintained by an Internet Service Provider in the name of any resident of the Southern District of Ohio without providing the relevant account holder or subscriber prior notice and an opportunity to be heard on any complaint, motion, or other pleading seeking issuance of such an order" is affirmed, with slight modification, where the district court correctly determined that e-mail users maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy in the content of their e-mails, and the injunctive relief it crafted was largely appropriate.
unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon are reversed
US v. Sumlin, No. 05-51720
A conviction and sentence imposed on defendant for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon are reversed and remanded where the district court erred in admitting the testimony of the arresting officer regarding the unproven extrinsic bad act by defendant of transporting drugs, and the error was not harmless.
A conviction and sentence imposed on defendant for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon are reversed and remanded where the district court erred in admitting the testimony of the arresting officer regarding the unproven extrinsic bad act by defendant of transporting drugs, and the error was not harmless.
Distribution of cocaine is vacated
US v. Garner, No. 05-4215, 05-4337
A sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine is vacated and remanded where the district court erred in sentencing defendant to a term of 96 months of imprisonment as the jury's findings, together with a sentencing enhancement for a prior felony drug conviction filed by the government prior to defendant's trial, required imposition of at least a mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months of imprisonment
A sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine is vacated and remanded where the district court erred in sentencing defendant to a term of 96 months of imprisonment as the jury's findings, together with a sentencing enhancement for a prior felony drug conviction filed by the government prior to defendant's trial, required imposition of at least a mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months of imprisonment
Monday, June 18, 2007
Speedy trial Violation Pro-se Disbarred Attorney
US v. Stephens, No. 04-30185, 05-30668
Defendant's convictions and sentence for various charges arising out of a string of armed bank robberies in Louisiana are reversed and vacated, respectively, where neither a codefendant's guilty plea nor defendant's own severance motion rendered a particular 7 week-period excludable from the speedy trial clock, and thus, the Speedy Trial Act was violated
Defendant's convictions and sentence for various charges arising out of a string of armed bank robberies in Louisiana are reversed and vacated, respectively, where neither a codefendant's guilty plea nor defendant's own severance motion rendered a particular 7 week-period excludable from the speedy trial clock, and thus, the Speedy Trial Act was violated
Pro-se habeas winner
Ogle v. Johnson, No. 06-11074
Dismissal of federal habeas petition is reversed where a pro se petitioner fairly presents his claim to a state habeas court when he makes a bare allegation of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel in his state habeas petition and then describes in briefs and testimony in later proceedings several instances of alleged ineffective assistance
Dismissal of federal habeas petition is reversed where a pro se petitioner fairly presents his claim to a state habeas court when he makes a bare allegation of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel in his state habeas petition and then describes in briefs and testimony in later proceedings several instances of alleged ineffective assistance
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
district court erred in failing to state its specific findings
US v. Bearam, No. 05-2823
Conviction and sentence for conspiring to distribute cocaine base, operating a business that distributed controlled substances, and distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances are affirmed except as to sentence which is remanded for resentencing where the district court erred in failing to state its specific findings regarding the amount of narcotics for which defendant is responsible and defendant's role in the offense
Conviction and sentence for conspiring to distribute cocaine base, operating a business that distributed controlled substances, and distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances are affirmed except as to sentence which is remanded for resentencing where the district court erred in failing to state its specific findings regarding the amount of narcotics for which defendant is responsible and defendant's role in the offense
CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE, EVIDENCE, HABEAS CORPUS
Fry v. Pliler, No. 06-5247
In 28 U.S.C. section 2254 proceedings, a federal court must assess the prejudicial impact of constitutional error in a state-court criminal trial under Brecht's "substantial and injurious effect" standard, whether or not the state appellate court recognized the error and reviewed it for harmlessness under the "harmless beyond a reasonable doubt" standard set forth in Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24
In 28 U.S.C. section 2254 proceedings, a federal court must assess the prejudicial impact of constitutional error in a state-court criminal trial under Brecht's "substantial and injurious effect" standard, whether or not the state appellate court recognized the error and reviewed it for harmlessness under the "harmless beyond a reasonable doubt" standard set forth in Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Special conditions, which a district court imposed on defendant's lifetime term of supervised release after he pled guilty to possessing child pornogr
US v. Voelker, No. 05-2858
Special conditions, which a district court imposed on defendant's lifetime term of supervised release after he pled guilty to possessing child pornography, are vacated and remanded where: 1) an absolute lifetime ban on using computers and computer equipment as well as accessing the internet, with no exception for employment or education, involved a greater deprivation of liberty than was reasonably necessary, and was not reasonably related to the applicable statutory factors; 2) a lifetime ban on possessing "sexually explicit materials" was overly broad and unsupported by the district court's analysis; and 3) although a restriction on defendant's associating with children, including his own, may have been supported, the district court improperly delegated absolute authority to a probation office over such restrictions.
Special conditions, which a district court imposed on defendant's lifetime term of supervised release after he pled guilty to possessing child pornography, are vacated and remanded where: 1) an absolute lifetime ban on using computers and computer equipment as well as accessing the internet, with no exception for employment or education, involved a greater deprivation of liberty than was reasonably necessary, and was not reasonably related to the applicable statutory factors; 2) a lifetime ban on possessing "sexually explicit materials" was overly broad and unsupported by the district court's analysis; and 3) although a restriction on defendant's associating with children, including his own, may have been supported, the district court improperly delegated absolute authority to a probation office over such restrictions.
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