FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE - Southern District of Florida LAW STUDENT INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY PLEASE REVIEW BELOW FOR SPRING AND SUMMER 2027 APPLICATION DEADLINES The Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Southern District of Florida represents indigent defendants in federal criminal cases and is managed by the Federal Public Defender, who is appointed by the Eleventh [...]
In United States v. Brice, No. 22-14126 (11th Cir. Feb. 27, 2026) (Newsome, Brasher, Tjoflat), the Court affirmed the defendants’ Hobbs Act robbery convictions. Addressing an issue of first impression in this circuit, the Court rejected one defendant’s contention that the Indian County Crimes Act and the Major Crimes Act preclude federal prosecution of any [...]
United States v. Charlie Holley, No. 24-11843 (11th Cir. Feb 3, 2026) On the morning of June 21, 2021, Charlie Holley barricaded himself inside his Florida City townhouse in the grip of what would later be documented as a severe psychotic episode. Four days earlier, he had begun experiencing what he believed were electrical currents [...]
In United States v. Malachi Mullings, No. 24-11822 (11th Cir. Feb. 10, 2026) (Branch, Luck, Schlesinger (MDFL)), the Court affirmed Mullings’s money laundering conspiracy convictions, following his guilty plea to an 8-count indictment, and his 120-month sentence of imprisonment. In affirming Mullings’s conviction, the Court, applying the factors in United States v. Buckles, 843 F.2d [...]
In United States v. Rufino Robelo-Galo (11th Cir. Feb. 17, 2026) (Brasher, Newson, Tjoflat), the Court held, on an issue of first impression, that a defendant seeking a reduction in sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. s. 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) & U.S.S.G. 1B1.13(b)(3)(C), as the “only available caregiver,” the defendant “must demonstrate that no other person is qualified [...]
In United States v. Myelicia T. Rodgers, No. 24-10638 (11th Cir. Jan. 30, 2026) (CJ Pryor, Abudu, Conway (MDFL)), affirmed Rodgers’s conviction, after a bench trial, for tampering with, and stealing, mail. After the government’s presentation of evidence, the district court denied Rodgers’s Rule 29 motion, and—upon defense counsel’s request—the district court conducted a colloquy [...]
In United States v. Joseph Lamont Ott, No. 24-13812 (11th Cir. Jan. 29, 2026) (Grant, Lagoa, Wilson), the Court held that, pursuant to November 1, 2023 amendments to the sentencing guidelines, any attempt to commit a qualifying “crime of violence,” will itself qualify as a “crime of violence,” pursuant to the “unambiguous” language of U.S.S.G. [...]
In United States v. Stefan Eberhard Zappey, 164 F.4th 1348 (11th Cir. 2026) (Abudu, Rosenbaum, Wilson), the Court affirmed Zappey’s convictions for multiple counts of aggravated sexual abuse, and abusive sexual contact with children under 12. For 20 years, Zappey taught German language classes to children at an American school on a military base in [...]
In In re Bowe, No. 24-11704 (Feb. 6, 2026) (Ed Carnes, Grant, Wilson), the Eleventh Circuit granted Bowe’s request for authorization to file a second or successive 2255 motion challenging his 924(c) conviction based on the Supreme Court’s decision in Davis. This case was on remand from the Supreme Court, which held that the [...]
In United States v. Starr, 159 F.4th 901 (11th Cir. 2025) (Newsom, Jordan*, Honeywell (MDFL)), the Court affirmed the defendants’ interstate murder for hire convictions, in violation of 18 U.S.C. s. 1958, arising from the murder of Jason Starr’s ex-wife, Sara Starr. In affirming the murder for hire convictions, the Court also held: The [...]