A Tennessee appeals court has upheld the conviction of James Robert Howell, who was found guilty by a Knox County jury on multiple counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and one count of assault. Howell was sentenced to an effective term of four years and six months in…
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Court Upholds Prison Segregation Ruling, Citing Limited Due Process Rights
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court’s decision in the case of Norberto Torres, a prisoner who claimed his due process rights were violated during a disciplinary hearing. The court’s ruling centers on the level of due process required for inmates facing disciplinary segregation, particularly when…
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Chimpanzees Not “Persons” Under Michigan Law, Court Rules
The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled against a nonprofit organization seeking to grant habeas corpus rights to seven chimpanzees. The court affirmed a lower court’s decision, stating that chimpanzees are not “persons” and therefore are not eligible for the legal remedy that protects against unlawful imprisonment. This decision settles…
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Juan Carlos Pastor-Hernandez Loses Appeal on Deportation Order
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) decision to deny Juan Carlos Pastor-Hernandez’s motion to reopen his removal proceedings. The court found that the BIA correctly applied the law and that Pastor-Hernandez failed to provide sufficient evidence to support his claim for voluntary…
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Father’s Custody Appeal Results in Court Remand
A recent ruling by the Intermediate Court of Appeals of Hawaiʻi has sent a custody case back to the Family Court for further review. The case involves a father, S.A., appealing decisions made by the Family Court regarding the custody of his child. The court’s decision highlights several procedural and…
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Court Upholds Hate Crime Conviction, Rejecting Appeals from Defendant
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Marian Hudak on federal hate crime charges, rejecting his arguments against the admissibility of certain evidence. The case centered on Hudak’s racially motivated assaults against two men, and the court’s decision affirms the jury’s verdict. Background of the Case…
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Drug Dealer’s Prison Sentence Upheld by Appeals Court
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the 240-month prison sentence of Ulysses Bush, who was convicted of distributing methamphetamine. Bush challenged the sentence, arguing that the lower court wrongly applied certain enhancements and that the sentence itself was excessive. The appeals court disagreed, upholding the original sentence. The…
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Court Upholds Conviction in Domestic Violence Case, Citing Consent to Enter Home
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Jaison L. Coleman for unlawful possession of a firearm. The ruling centers on whether police officers lawfully entered Coleman’s home in response to a domestic violence call. The court found that the officers obtained valid consent to enter the…
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Court Upholds Sentence for Michigan Man Who Continued Criminal Behavior After Arrest
A recent ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the sentence of Corwin Monte Jett, Jr., who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court addressed two key issues: whether the district court properly denied Jett a reduction in his sentence for accepting responsibility,…
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King’s Conviction Stands: Court Upholds Ruling on Fleeing Charges
A recent ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of Terel King on multiple charges, including fleeing and attempting to elude an officer. King had appealed the trial court’s decision, arguing that one of the fleeing charges should have been merged with others, but the appellate…