State v. Stimpson (Lawyers Weekly No. 011-345-17, 34 pp.) (John Tyson, J.) (Rick Elmore, J., dissenting) Appealed from Guilford County Superior Court (Susan Bray, J.) N.C. App. Holding: Although defendant and his companions were all wearing dark clothing, and although ...

Tagged with: Conspiracy

U.S. v. Blankenship (Lawyers Weekly No. 001-016-17, 34 pp.) (Wynn, J.) No. 16-4193, Jan. 19, 2017; USDC at Beckley, W.Va. (Berger, J.) 4th Cir. Holding: The 4th Circuit affirms the conviction, one-year prison term and $250,000 fine for the former ...

Tagged with: Conspiracy

State v. Fleming (Lawyers Weekly No. 011-196-16, 16 pp.) (John Tyson, J.) Appealed from Mecklenburg County Superior Court (Carla Archie, J.) N.C. App. Holding: Defendant didn’t know that his accomplice had shoved a store manager until after the robbery, and ...

Tagged with: Conspiracy

There’s nothing wrong with a company coming into North Carolina to sell parts used to build bridges in the state. That’s just capitalism. But when those bridge parts are defective and they’re sold by way of an elaborate scheme designed ...

Tagged with: Conspiracy

Two former officers in Gaston County have been sentenced to prison for their pleas to conspiracy and extortion charges last year.

Tagged with: Conspiracy Extortion

Beer has driven many a man to acts of intemperance, but a German company in the business of importing beer growlers—large glass jugs marketed to serious drinkers of the stuff—claims that a former employee went so far as to conspire ...

Tagged with: Conspiracy

U.S. v. Deffenbaugh Although defendant claims he could not be convicted of federal conspiracy to make a false distress call to the Coast Guard because his girlfriend was not aware a call to the Coast Guard would be part of the plan to fake his death in order to avoid a state probation violation hearing, evidence showed she understood the plan would involve a false distress call and the 4th Circuit affirms defendant’s conspiracy conviction to violate 14 U.S.C. § 88(c).

Tagged with: Conspiracy

U.S. v. Dinkins Using an ‘anonymous’ jury whose biographical information has been withheld from defense lawyers and defendants accused of drug-trafficking and the murder of government witnesses is not a reason to overturn their convictions; the 4th Circuit follows decisions by its sister circuits and provides guidelines for use of anonymous juries.

Tagged with: Conspiracy Constitutional Criminal Practice first impression jury & jurors Murder Trial

U.S. v. Edmonds A defendant convicted of distribution of crack cocaine for sale of drugs to a confidential informant also can be convicted of conspiracy to traffic crack cocaine, based on his interactions with the confidential informant before he started working as a government agent after his arrest; the 4th Circuit affirms defendant’s convictions and his life sentence.

Tagged with: Conspiracy Criminal Practice

U.S. v. Jefferson The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds multiple fraud convictions of former Louisiana Congressman William J. Jefferson, with the exception of a wire fraud conviction that is vacated for improper venue.

Tagged with: Bribery Conspiracy Criminal Practice