11th Circuit Case Commentaries

Post‑Counterman Bomb‑Threat Prosecutions: Eleventh Circuit Confirms that “Willfully” in 18 U.S.C. § 844(e) and the Pattern “Serious Threat” Instruction Satisfy the First Amendment

Date: Oct 9, 2025

Post‑Counterman Bomb‑Threat Prosecutions: Eleventh Circuit Confirms that “Willfully” in 18 U.S.C. § 844(e) and the Pattern “Serious Threat” Instruction Satisfy the First Amendment Case: United States...

Persistent Assertions of Innocence Defeat Plea-Stage Prejudice: Eleventh Circuit Clarifies When § 2255 Petitioners Get an Evidentiary Hearing

Date: Oct 9, 2025

Persistent Assertions of Innocence Defeat Plea-Stage Prejudice: Eleventh Circuit Clarifies When § 2255 Petitioners Get an Evidentiary Hearing Introduction In Catrell Ivory v. United States (11th Cir....

Eleventh Circuit Reaffirms: “Wasted Time” and Attorney Consultation Alone Are Self‑Imposed Harms Insufficient for Article III Standing in FDCPA/FCCPA Suits

Date: Oct 9, 2025

Eleventh Circuit Reaffirms: “Wasted Time” and Attorney Consultation Alone Are Self‑Imposed Harms Insufficient for Article III Standing in FDCPA/FCCPA Suits Case: Alex El Bachiri v. Medicredit, Inc....

Eleventh Circuit Reaffirms State-Schedule Approach and Georgia Aggravated Assault as “Crime of Violence” for §2K2.1 Enhancements: United States v. Morris

Date: Oct 9, 2025

Eleventh Circuit Reaffirms State-Schedule Approach and Georgia Aggravated Assault as “Crime of Violence” for §2K2.1 Enhancements Introduction In United States v. Devontae Jammell Morris (No....

No Obligation to Reweigh § 3553(a) in Light of Intervening Law: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Denial of Compassionate Release in United States v. Cruz

Date: Oct 9, 2025

No Obligation to Reweigh § 3553(a) in Light of Intervening Law: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Denial of Compassionate Release in United States v. Cruz Introduction In an unpublished, per curiam decision,...

Keene Harmless-Error Shield Applies Even When the Alternative Sentence Is Prompted by the Government: United States v. Parks (11th Cir. 2025)

Date: Oct 9, 2025

Keene Harmless-Error Shield Applies Even When the Alternative Sentence Is Prompted by the Government: United States v. Parks (11th Cir. 2025) Introduction In United States v. Santino Demarco Parks,...

A New Interpretation on Appeal Is a Forfeited Issue: The Eleventh Circuit Clarifies the Issue–Argument Divide in Gould v. Interface

Date: Oct 9, 2025

A New Interpretation on Appeal Is a Forfeited Issue: The Eleventh Circuit Clarifies the Issue–Argument Divide in Gould v. Interface Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Date: October...

Affirmance on Alternative Grounds: No State Action Under § 1983, Time-Barred Claims, and Kentucky Venue Control Despite Rooker-Feldman Misstep

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Affirmance on Alternative Grounds: No State Action Under § 1983, Time-Barred Claims, and Kentucky Venue Control Despite Rooker-Feldman Misstep Introduction In Alan Boyd Curtis v. Robyn Pauline...

Post–Loper Bright in the Eleventh Circuit: Perez‑Zenteno Factors Govern “Particular Social Group”; No Unsettled‑Caselaw Exception to Exhaustion for NTA Defects

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Post–Loper Bright in the Eleventh Circuit: Perez‑Zenteno Factors Govern “Particular Social Group”; No Unsettled‑Caselaw Exception to Exhaustion for NTA Defects Introduction In Esperanza Francisca...

Reaffirming the Discretionary Nature of §5K1.1 and the High Bar for Withdrawing Guilty Pleas After a Proper Rule 11 Colloquy

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Reaffirming the Discretionary Nature of §5K1.1 and the High Bar for Withdrawing Guilty Pleas After a Proper Rule 11 Colloquy Introduction In United States v. Latrel Jackson (No. 24-12863), the...

Voluntary Dismissal Is Not Automatically a Bona Fide Termination: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Early Disposition of Florida Malicious Prosecution Claims and Upholds Rule 11 Sanctions Where Affiliate Joined Post‑Filing

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Voluntary Dismissal Is Not Automatically a Bona Fide Termination: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Early Disposition of Florida Malicious Prosecution Claims and Upholds Rule 11 Sanctions Where Affiliate...

Bona Fide Termination Requires More Than a Voluntary Dismissal; Naming Non‑Initiators in Malicious Prosecution Can Warrant Rule 11 Sanctions

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Bona Fide Termination Requires More Than a Voluntary Dismissal; Naming Non‑Initiators in Malicious Prosecution Can Warrant Rule 11 Sanctions Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh...

Causation-by-Solicitation Confirmed: Eleventh Circuit Applies §2G2.1 Cross-Reference to a Buyer Who Prompted New Production; Harmless-Error Where Statutory Maximum Caps the Guidelines Range

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Causation-by-Solicitation Confirmed: Eleventh Circuit Applies §2G2.1 Cross-Reference to a Buyer Who Prompted New Production; Harmless-Error Where Statutory Maximum Caps the Guidelines Range...

Pending State Charges and Pretrial Misconduct Can Justify Major Upward Variances in Illegal Reentry Sentences; No Continuance Absent Specific, Non‑Speculative Prejudice

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Pending State Charges and Pretrial Misconduct Can Justify Major Upward Variances in Illegal Reentry Sentences; No Continuance Absent Specific, Non‑Speculative Prejudice Case: United States v. Jorge...

No Unwarranted Disparity Shown by Aggregate Statistics: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Statutory-Maximum Upward Variance and Consecutive Revocation Term for Immediate Recidivism in Child-Pornography Case

Date: Oct 1, 2025

No Unwarranted Disparity Shown by Aggregate Statistics: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Statutory-Maximum Upward Variance and Consecutive Revocation Term for Immediate Recidivism in Child-Pornography Case...

Eleventh Circuit: Sentencing Statistics Alone Do Not Prove § 3553(a)(6) Disparity; Statutory-Max Upward Variance and Consecutive Revocation Term Upheld for Child-Pornography Recidivist

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Eleventh Circuit: Sentencing Statistics Alone Do Not Prove § 3553(a)(6) Disparity; Statutory-Max Upward Variance and Consecutive Revocation Term Upheld for Child-Pornography Recidivist Introduction...

No Bruen Abrogation of § 922(g)(1) in the Eleventh Circuit; Harmlessness via Keene Where District Court Announces Identical Alternative Sentence

Date: Oct 1, 2025

No Bruen Abrogation of § 922(g)(1) in the Eleventh Circuit; Harmlessness via Keene Where District Court Announces Identical Alternative Sentence Commentary on United States v. Roderick Farrier, No....

Strong DNA on Trigger and Grip, Coupled with Access and Furtive Movements, Is Sufficient to Prove Knowing Possession Under § 922(g) Even When the Gun Is in a Passenger’s Purse

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Strong DNA on Trigger and Grip, Coupled with Access and Furtive Movements, Is Sufficient to Prove Knowing Possession Under § 922(g) Even When the Gun Is in a Passenger’s Purse Introduction This...

Outrageous-Conduct Claims, Brady Duties on Confidential Informants, and No Confrontation Right to Compel Informant Testimony Absent Testimonial Statements — United States v. Marcus D. Flintroy (11th Cir. 2025)

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Outrageous-Conduct Claims, Brady Duties on Confidential Informants, and No Confrontation Right to Compel Informant Testimony Absent Testimonial Statements — United States v. Marcus D. Flintroy (11th...

Eleventh Circuit Reaffirms: Successive Reconsideration Motions Do Not Toll Tax Court Appeal Deadlines; Actual Receipt of a Deficiency Notice Suffices Without Certified‑Mail Proof

Date: Oct 1, 2025

Eleventh Circuit Reaffirms: Successive Reconsideration Motions Do Not Toll Tax Court Appeal Deadlines; Actual Receipt of a Deficiency Notice Suffices Without Certified‑Mail Proof Case: Joseph Belcik...

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