The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the 84-month prison sentence of Carmel Linot, who was convicted of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Linot appealed the sentence, arguing it was too harsh. The court disagreed, finding the sentence was reasonable given the circumstances of the case. The Crimes…
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Ohio Court Reverses Ruling, Upholds Law Against Guns and Alcohol
The First Appellate District of Ohio has overturned a lower court’s decision, affirming the constitutionality of a state law prohibiting individuals from carrying or using firearms while intoxicated. The case, *State of Ohio v. Benjamin Riffee*, centered on whether Ohio Revised Code 2923.15, which has been in place since 1974,…
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Louisiana Supreme Court Rules on State’s Right to Appeal Juvenile Homicide Resentencing
The Louisiana Supreme Court has made a significant ruling regarding the state’s ability to appeal trial court decisions on the resentencing of juvenile homicide offenders. In a case involving Dale Dwayne Craig, who was originally sentenced to death in 1994 for the murder of Kipp Gullet, the court decided that…
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Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Assault Conviction in Fireworks Dispute
The Iowa Supreme Court has sided with the lower courts, upholding the conviction of Matthew James Meisheid for assaulting two peace officers. The case stemmed from an incident where Meisheid pulled a handgun on deputies investigating a report of illegal fireworks at his home. The Incident On July 9, 2022,…
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Court Upholds Denial of Public Records Request in Decades-Old Murder Case
The Second Appellate District of Ohio has affirmed a lower court’s decision to deny a public records request made by Diahntae Bell, who is serving a life sentence for a 2007 murder. The court found that Bell failed to demonstrate a “justiciable claim” that would justify the release of the…
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Court Rules Railroad Employee Can Pursue Injury Claim Despite Federal Regulations
The Supreme Court of Louisiana has sided with a former railroad employee, Sean Van Buren, in a case involving workplace injuries. The court reversed a lower court’s decision that had dismissed Van Buren’s claim against his employer, Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS). The core issue revolved around whether federal…
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Court Denies Stay of Removal for Peruvian Family, Citing Abuse of Process
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a request for a stay of removal filed by a Peruvian family, Maricruz Marisol Rojas-Espinoza, her domestic partner Robert Salvador-Gomez, and their two children. The court found that the family, who entered the United States without inspection in early 2023, failed to…
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Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Murder Conviction, Rejects Sentencing Challenges
The Delaware Supreme Court has upheld the Superior Court’s decision to deny Ralph Reed’s motion to correct his sentence for a 1999 murder conviction. Reed, who was 18 at the time of the crime, had argued that his sentence was illegal and unconstitutional. The Supreme Court disagreed, finding his arguments…
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Texas Court Grapples with Overbroad Law and Its Impact on a Conviction
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is wrestling with the fallout from a previous ruling that declared a state law unconstitutional due to overbreadth. The case, *Ex parte Eric Todd Williams*, centers on whether a conviction under that now-defunct law should stand. The court, in a concurring and dissenting opinion…
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Gangster Disciples Members Sentenced to Life in Prison After RICO Conspiracy Conviction
A recent ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the convictions and sentences of two members of the Gangster Disciples gang, Lesley Chappell Green and Philmon Deshawn Chambers. Both men were found guilty of participating in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)…