Tag: guilty plea

Take the Fifth: Dec. 9 opinions

December 10, 2020

Unpublished U.S. v. Castaneda, 19-10687, appeal from N.D. Tex. per curiam (Clement, Higginson, Engelhardt), criminal, sentencing Affirming within-Guidelines sentence of 180 months for conviction of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. U.S. v. Love, 19-11331, appeal from N.D. Tex. per curiam (Jones, Barksdale, Stewart), criminal, sentencing Affirming conviction and sentence … More Take the Fifth: Dec. 9 opinions

Take the Fifth: Nov. 24, 2020 opinions

November 25, 2020

Designated for publication Smith v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 19-20818, appeal from S.D. Tex. Smith, J. (Higginbotham, Smith, Dennis), defamation Affirming summary judgment in favor of Wal-Mart on plaintiff’s defamation claim for being misidentified as a shoplifter by a Wal-Mart employee. Court held that, under standard necessary to overcome the qualified privilege under Texas law that … More Take the Fifth: Nov. 24, 2020 opinions

Take the Fifth: Nov. 9 and 10, 2020 opinions

November 11, 2020

Designated for publication U.S. v. Cooper, 19-50119, appeal from W.D. Tex. Elrod, J. (Elrod, Duncan, Wilson), criminal, guilty plea Affirming conviction on use or possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, where defendant had pled guilty, finding sufficient factual bases to support plea; but remanding to correct that plea was to … More Take the Fifth: Nov. 9 and 10, 2020 opinions

Take the Fifth: Oct. 27, 2020 opinions

October 28, 2020

Designated for publication U.S. v. Ramirez, 19-20098, appeal from S.D. Tex. Oldham, J. (Smith, Clement, Oldham), criminal, sentencing Affirming the district court’s sentencing of defendant to 300 months’ imprisonment for health care fraud. Court held that there was no error in district court’s reliance on presentencing report to impose a 26-point adjustment to defendant’s sentencing … More Take the Fifth: Oct. 27, 2020 opinions

Take the Fifth: Oct. 26, 2020 opinions

October 27, 2020

Designated for publication Londono-Gonzalez v. Barr, 16-60766, petition for review of BIA order, on remand from U.S. Supreme Ct. Elrod, J. (Higginbotham, Elrod, Duncan), immigration, equitable tolling Denying petition for review of BIA order. Court held that “uncertain legal terrain does not create an obstacle that stands in the way of an individual meeting the … More Take the Fifth: Oct. 26, 2020 opinions

Take the Fifth: Oct. 15, 2020 opinions

October 16, 2020

Designated for Publication Taylor v. McDonald, 18-11572, appeal from N.D. Tex. Smith, J. (Smith, Clement, Oldham), prisoner suit, § 1983, qualified immunity Affirming qualified-immunity-based dismissal of prisoner’s § 1983 suit for deprivation of due process by keeping him confined to a psychiatric unit without an involuntary commitment proceeding. Prisoner had initially consented to transfer to … More Take the Fifth: Oct. 15, 2020 opinions

Take the Fifth: Oct. 9, 2020 opinions

October 12, 2020

U.S. v. Strother, 19-40361, appeal from E.D. Tex., designated for publication Higginson, J. (Higgonbotham, Jones, Higginson), criminal, sentencing, guilty plea Affirming conviction and sentence. Defendant had pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. Thereafter, his counsel successfully moved to withdraw as counsel, and defendant filed a pro se motion to withdraw his … More Take the Fifth: Oct. 9, 2020 opinions

Take the Fifth: Oct. 7, 2020 opinions

October 8, 2020

U.S. v. Omigie, 19-40526, appeal from E.D. Tex., designated for publication Higginbotham, J. (Higginbotham, Jones, Higginson), criminal, sentencing, guilty plea, forfeiture, supervised release Affirming conviction, remanding for determination of whether supervised release condition is consistent with oral pronouncement of court. Court held there was no plain error in the district court’s informing the defendant of … More Take the Fifth: Oct. 7, 2020 opinions

Take the Fifth: Sept. 30, 2020 opinions

September 30, 2020

Texas Alliance for Retired Americans v. Hughs, 20-40643, Designated for Publication per curiam (Clement, Elrod, Haynes), elections law Staying district court’s preliminary injunction of enforcement of Texas House Bill 25, which would eliminate straight-ticket voting. HB25’s straight-ticket voting ban became effective September 1, 2020; District Court enjoined HB25 on September 25; early voting in Texas … More Take the Fifth: Sept. 30, 2020 opinions