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Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-6845 Michael Henderson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2026-02-18 Pending IFP criminal-procedure drug-offense firearm-enhancement presentence-investigation-report safety-valve-relief sentencing-guidelines I. Whether, under Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(i)(1)(D), a district court's order for additional briefing on safety valve eligibility – which notes t…
25-6847 Andre Lamont Rawls v. United States Fifth Circuit 2026-02-18 Pending IFP appellate-review concurrent-sentences consecutive-sentences sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Whether the judge in the Southern District of Mississippi erred by ordering the 60-month supervised release revocation sentence at issue to run consec…
25-6850 Davantae London v. United States Fifth Circuit 2026-02-18 Pending IFP appeal-waiver consecutive-sentencing ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement sentencing-appeal statutory-maximum 1. Whether a general appeal waiver that does not mention the right to challenge the consecutive nature of a sentence bars such a challenge. 2. Whethe…
25-6827 Titus Coston v. United States Fourth Circuit 2026-02-17 Pending IFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing district-court harmless-error procedural-error sentencing-guidelines Whether errors in calculating the Sentencing Guidelines are rendered harmless by the district court's assertion that the Guidelines would make no diff…
25-6808 William Loggins, Jr. v. Kansas Kansas 2026-02-13 Pending IFP constitutional-rights due-process ex-post-facto plea-agreement pro-se-pleading sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether a state court judge must adhere to the principle that a pro se pleading must be construed liberally? 2. Whether the trial judge misconstru…
25-6791 David Sano-Perez, aka David Sanot Perez v. United States First Circuit 2026-02-11 Pending IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-rules harmless-error rule-60b sentencing-guidelines Whether a District Court's mere pronouncement at a criminal sentencing that it would have imposed the same sentence on a defendant without regard to t…
25-6756 Jacklin Cheramy v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2026-02-09 Pending IFP criminal-procedure federal-statute predicate-offense recidivist-enhancement sentencing-guidelines state-conviction Whether, consistent with federal statute mandating the application of the United States Sentencing Guidelines in effect at the time of sentencing, a s…
25-6748 John Edwin Corn, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2026-02-06 Pending IFP 18-USC-3553a criminal-sentencing mitigating-factors sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness upward-variance Following this Court's decision s in United States v. Booker , 543 U.S. 220 (2005), and Gall v. United States , 552 U.S. 38 (2007), whether a district…
25-936 Nadarius Barnes v. United States Tenth Circuit 2026-02-06 Pending appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure guilty-plea legal-challenge unconditional-plea Whether, by entering a guilty plea, a defendant waives his right to appeal his conviction on the basis that the conduct admitted does not constitute t…
25-6705 Chad B. Wolf v. United States Sixth Circuit 2026-02-03 Pending IFP criminal-enterprise managerial-role procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit substantive-reasonableness Question I - Was Wolf's Sentence Substantively and Procedurally Unreasonable as Rendered Given The District Court Used a Sentencing Guidelines Calcula…
25-6674 Justin K. Eaton v. United States Eighth Circuit 2026-01-29 Pending Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure circuit-split commission-authority congressional-review due-process sentencing-guidelines I. Can U.S.S.G. §1B1.13(b)(6) be held to be an "excess of authority" by the Commission when Congress has reviewed and ratified that guideline pursuant…
25-6633 Leihinahina Sullivan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2026-01-21 Pending Response WaivedIFP criminal-history district-court plea-agreement sentence-adjustment sentencing-guidelines status-points &ivn(<)WineVViev' be ^-zmled sendee reducho-n uvtdeK ■sfetfus points Amendment &aJ aiad -WnaA' unde« IS U.SZ. Z&SSfa'fte) 7 reaumnq-toe Court to ronf…
25-6622 Alante Martel Nelson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2026-01-20 Pending Response RequestedResponse WaivedIFP categorical-approach controlled-substance criminal-law federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. To determine a controlled substance offense under USSG § 4B1.2(b) using the categorical approach, do courts compare the elements of the prior convi…
25-6577 Charles Denard Milbry v. Florida Florida 2026-01-14 Pending Response WaivedIFP constitutional-defect ex-post-facto habeas-corpus judicial-discretion plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines Petitioner played a relatively minor role in his acceptance of plea. A trial judge was assigned to petitioner's case when it was filed in 1996 and pre…
25-6583 John Hotaling v. United States Second Circuit 2026-01-14 Pending Response WaivedIFP breach-of-contract criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement santobello-standard sentencing-guidelines Whether the government breaches a plea agreement, and violates due process under Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257 (1971), when it enters into an a…
25-6555 Fredrick Dontae Slade v. United States Fourth Circuit 2026-01-13 Pending IFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process plea-agreement 1. IS A DEFEDANT'S RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS OF LAW VIOLATED WHEN THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES AN APPEAL WAIVER AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT?
25-6563 Gary Craig Stephens v. United States Ninth Circuit 2026-01-13 Pending Response RequestedResponse WaivedIFP court-of-appeals plain-error-review procedural-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-range supervised-release 1. Whether a court of appeals may affirm a sentence when the district court never calculated or identified the applicable Sentencing Guidelines range,…
25-6569 Jamarcus G. Jackson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2026-01-13 Pending Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing drug-purity evidence-standard methamphetamine preponderance-of-evidence sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court can infer that unseized methamphetamine has similar purity to seized methamphetamine. If so, what specific evidence must supp…
25-6570 Orlanda Travon Sloan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2026-01-13 Pending Response WaivedIFP criminal-history individualized-sentencing mental-health-considerations methamphetamine-offense sentencing-guidelines youth-mitigation Whether the Sentencing Guidelines' static Criminal History Categories and excessive offense levels for methamphetamine actual/ice fail to propose a re…
25-6541 Lonzie Nichols v. Mississippi Mississippi 2026-01-12 Pending IFP constitutional-rights due-process ex-post-facto liberty-interest procedural-bars sentencing-guidelines 1. whether a state 's application ano enforcement of its Procedural Bars via its highest appellate Court in Certain Cases resultin annihilation Ano …
25-6533 Arthur Raffy Aslanian v. United States Ninth Circuit 2026-01-09 Pending IFP appeal-waiver appellate-rights criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment post-trial-agreement Whether a post-trial waiver of appeal is unknowing and involuntary, and therefore invalid under the Fifth Amendment, where petitioner was not fully ad…
25-6499 Nycole Amaury Rosario Sanchez v. United States First Circuit 2026-01-07 Pending Response WaivedIFP age-consideration circuit-split criminal-procedure juvenile-sentencing sentencing-guidelines youth-mitigating-factor Whether youth (minor age) at the time of the commission of a criminal offense, with its intrinsic characteristics, is inherently a mitigating factor t…
25-796 Princewill Arinze Duru v. United States Ninth Circuit 2026-01-07 Pending Response Waived bank-fraud criminal-statute identity-theft means-of-identification sentencing-guidelines victim-definition Title 18, United State Code, Section 1028A imposes a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence on anyone who "knowingly transfers, possesses, or uses, w…
25-6487 Derrick S. Lewis v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2026-01-06 Pending Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule criminal-procedure fifth-amendment jury-determination sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Whether the Fifth and Sixth Amendments are violated when a sentencing judge, rather than a jury, finds facts that otherwise alter the minimum and/o…
25-6458 Matthew Darrel Childers v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-12-31 Pending Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance mandate-recall sixth-circuit 1. Whether the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals erred when it denied without explanation Petitioner's Motion to Recall the Mandate, Strike Reply Brief o…
25-6464 Djonibek Rahmankulov v. United States Second Circuit 2025-12-31 Pending IFP bank-fraud co-conspirator-liability constructive-amendment criminal-procedure loss-calculation sentencing-guidelines 1. A writ of certiorari is requested to determine whether the district court's loss calculation which included intended losses under §2B1.1 Applicatio…
25-6465 Ledale Deanthony Sawyer v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-12-31 Pending IFP appeal-waiver appellate-review criminal-procedure habeas-corpus legal-argument sentencing-error 1. Whether a defendant's appeal waiver bars appellate review of a clear sentencing error when the defendant preserved the exact legal argument below a…
25A756 Juan L. Calderon Nonbera v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-12-31 Application administrative-remedies appeal-waiver due-process exhaustion-requirement immigration-removal section-1326d Whether an invalid waiver of the right to appeal an immigration judge's decision renders administrative remedies unavailable for purposes of 8 U.S.C. …
25-6433 Avis Coward v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-12-29 Pending Response WaivedIFP circuit-court-review constitutional-challenge constitutional-review criminal-law criminal-procedure role-enhancement second-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether this Honorable Court should grant certiorari to review whether the Sixth Circuit's determination that 18 U.S.C §922(g) is constitutional on…
25-6439 Marquis Melton v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-12-29 Pending Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split district-court district-court-discretion harmless-error procedural-error sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court's statement, asserting it would have imposed the same sentence regardless of any potential procedural error, renders that err…
25-6411 Gregory Johnson, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-12-22 Pending IFP appeal-waiver appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement Can a criminal defendant knowingly and voluntarily waive the right to appeal a district court's yet-to-be-made errors as part of a plea agreement, and…
25-6406 Lawrence Joseph Florentine v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-12-18 Pending Response WaivedIFP appellate-review judicial-discretion legal-error sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation variance-sentence Does a district court's announcement that it would have imposed the same sentence as an "alternate variance sentence" insulate an erroneous legal ruli…
25-6385 Johnathan Morrison v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-12-16 Pending IFP appeal-waiver appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court miscarriage-of-justice sentencing-guideline Does the miscarriage of justice exception to appeal waivers apply to an appellate claim that a district court sentenced a defendant under the wrong se…
25-6389 Kingsley Ita v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-12-16 Pending IFP appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement sentencing-procedure I. Does a general appeal waiver in a plea agreement bar a criminal defendant from challenging a sentence on due process grounds when the sentencing co…
25-6308 Johnny Joe Figueroa-Mangual v. United States First Circuit 2025-12-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights eighth-amendment fifth-amendment plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether it was a violation to the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the sentencing factors enshrined in 18 U.S.C. 3553 (a) a…
25A660 Alante Martel Nelson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-12-04 Application acca brown-v-united-states career-offender procedural-error sentencing-guidelines time-of-conviction Whether this Court's decision in Brown v. United States, 602 U.S. 101 (2024) extends to the federal Sentencing Guidelines.
25-6212 Nicolas Mondragon-Gonzalez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-11-24 Pending Response RequestedResponse WaivedIFP causation-standard circuit-split death-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness In the case of petitioner Nicolas Mondragon Gonzalez, he received a forty year sentence under the death enhancement in USSG § 2L1.1(b)(7)(D) based sol…
25-6218 Kenleone Joe Nyandoro v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-11-24 Pending IFP appeal-waiver controlled-substance firearm-possession ineffective-assistance second-amendment statutory-maximum 1. Whether the only permissible exceptions to a general appeal waiver are for claims of ineffective assistance of counsel or that the sentence exceeds…
25-6183 Stephen C. Crawford v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-11-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP fifth-amendment perjury reasonable-doubt self-defense sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Whether this Court should adopt and encourage, when requested by a party, a definition of reasonable doubt to include "a doubt that would cause a r…
25A594 Keith Lashon Bell v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-11-20 Application appeal-waiver constitutional-exception criminal-procedure federal-sentencing habeas-corpus plea-agreement Question not identified.
25-6151 Christopher Lewis Tucker v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure medication-administration pretrial-custody sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supervised-release Is a twenty-five year term of supervised release with stringent special conditions including the forced administration of medication "greater than nec…
25-6138 Michael Chance v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-11-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split federal-sentencing life-expectancy parsimony-principle sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Where 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) mandates that federal courts "shall impose a sentence sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with [its] purpo…
25-6141 Mark Abercrombie v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-11-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure harmless-error judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines Whether errors in calculating the Sentencing Guidelines are rendered categorically harmless by the district court's routine and boilerplate assertion …
25-6142 John Elwood Tyrone Martin v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-11-17 Pending IFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure district-court guilty-plea mandate-rule sentencing-error I. If a court of appeals recognizes a sentencing error and remands for resentencing, does the mandate rule bar the district court from considering a d…
25A552 Gregory Johnson, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-11-12 Application appeal-waiver career-offender circuit-split criminal-procedure plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
25-6068 Eliezer Rosario-Ramos v. United States First Circuit 2025-11-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing first-offender judicial-discretion reasonableness-review sentencing-guidelines upward-variance A. Whether first offender Rosario's 23-year prison sentence, that resulted from a 104.4% upward variance, is unreasonable because it was grounded on t…
25-6079 James Anthony Brian Morelock v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-11-10 Pending Response RequestedResponse WaivedIFP constitutional-challenge criminal-rights felony-possession firearms-ban second-amendment sentencing-guidelines 1. Is the lifetime ban on firearms possession by all felons, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), unconstitutional on its face, because it is permanent …
25-551 United States v. Shaheem Johnson Fourth Circuit 2025-11-06 Pending criminal-procedure district-court extraordinary-reasons sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the district court permissibly found "extraordinary and compelling reasons" to allow reduction of respondent's sentence under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c…
25-6038 Daniel Stewart v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-11-05 Pending IFP administrative-law auer-deference circuit-split judicial-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction In Stinson v. United States , 508 U.S. 36 (1993), this Court held that commentary by the United States Sentencing Commission interpreting or explainin…
25A521 Thelonious Wayne Kirby v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-11-05 Application criminal-appeal criminal-conviction eleventh-circuit federal-jurisdiction sentencing-guidelines writ-of-certiorari Question not identified.
25-6023 Worldly Dieago Holstick v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-11-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-claims ineffective-assistance miller-el-precedent plea-voluntariness sentencing-guidelines threshold-inquiry Whether the lower courts violated this Court's precedent in Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322 (2003), by collapsing the certificate-of-appealability…
25-6028 Elizabeth Mora Leyva v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-11-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP co-conspirator criminal-law fifth-amendment firearm-enhancement sentencing-guidelines substantive-due-process Whether the District Court denied the Petitioner's constitutional right to substantive due process under the Fifth Amendment by adding an enhancement …
25-5986 Tovis Ation Richardson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-10-29 Pending IFP appeal-waiver circuit-split drug-conspiracy firearm-enhancement miscarriage-of-justice sentencing-guidelines I. The Fourth Circuit and several other circuits apply the U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1) enhancement if a firearm is found in any place where a defendant's c…
25-5963 Cesar Edgardo Castillo-Rodriguez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-10-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court judicial-discretion plain-error sentencing-guidelines Whether, after Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, 589 U.S. 169 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails to reference…
25-5964 Oladayo Oladokun v. United States Second Circuit 2025-10-27 Pending IFP agency-deference judicial-review notice-and-comment sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the Sentencing Guidelines ' commentary promulgated without notice-and-comment rulemaking retains binding authority after Loper Light Ente…
25A469 Cedric Ray Jones v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-10-24 Application appeal-waiver circuit-split collateral-review constitutional-vagueness plea-agreement section-924(c) Question not identified.
25-5946 Antonio Montrail Anderson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-10-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law firearm-possession interstate-commerce second-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. When does a record show "that the district court thought the sentence it chose was appropriate irrespective of the guidelines" within the meaning o…
25-5924 Lennard Rashard Monroe v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-10-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure participant-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-commission Whether a customer can be counted as a participant for purposes of U.S.S.G. §3B1.1(b)?
25A456 Marquis Melton v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-10-21 Application appellate-review circuit-split firearm-possession guidelines-calculation harmless-error sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
25-5878 Detrayous D. Curry v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-10-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-conviction drug-offense federal-schedule sentencing-guidelines state-law Whether the definition of a "Controlled Substance Offense" for purposes of U.S.S.G. §4B1.2 includes a prior state law conviction for a cocaine offense…
25-5861 Julius Rucks v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-10-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing drug-offense fentanyl misrepresentation sentencing-guidelines u-s-sentencing-commission Whether, under the U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1 (b)(13), a defendant's offense can be enhanced by four levels, when there is no evidence that the defendant misrep…
25-5866 Davon Anthony Beckford v. United States Third Circuit 2025-10-10 Pending IFP miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines substantial-assistance third-circuit waiver-of-appeal 1. DOES ENFORCEMENT OF APPELLANT'S WAIVER OF APPEAL AND THE GOVERNMENT'S SUMMARY AFFIRMANCE MOTION OF MR. BECKFORD'S SENTENCE CONSITUTE A MISCARRIAGE …
25-5853 Clarence Santiago v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-10-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-conduct federal-procedure sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation In assessing whether two defendants are similarly situated for purposes of § 3553(a)(6), are courts required to consider their actual offense conduct?
25-5830 Kortney Moore v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-10-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP agency-inaction career-offender controlled-substances federal-law sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Defendants who have at least two prior "controlled substance offense" convictions qualify as career offenders under the federal Sentencing Guidelines.…
25-5788 Kalup Allen Born v. United States Tenth Circuit 2025-10-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility acquitted-conduct criminal-procedure downward-departure harmless-error sentencing-guidelines A defendant who "demonstrates acceptance of responsibility" for the offense "shall" be awarded a deduction in the offense level. When a defendant's en…
25-5762 Muhammad Masood v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-09-30 Denied IFP criminal-law government-conduct intimidation-coercion sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation terrorism-enhancement Whether the application of the "terrorism enhancement" under USSG § 3A1.4 requires the government to prove that a defendant's actions were "calculated…
25-5769 Robert Scott Kennedy v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-09-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal burglary-statute criminal-procedure predicate-offense sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether Mr. Kennedy was erroneously sentenced as an armed career criminal and received sentencing guidelines enhancements based on two prior Georgi…
25-5696 Anatole Mbe v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-09-22 Pending IFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure legal-error plea-agreement restitution sentencing Did petitioner's appeal waiver as part of his plea agreement preclude an appeal challenging the amount imposed for restitution on grounds that the gov…
25A313 Lairon Graham v. United States Second Circuit 2025-09-18 Presumed Complete appeal-waiver certiorari due-process ineffective-assistance party-presentation second-circuit Whether, by signing a plea agreement with a generic appeal waiver, a criminal defendant waives his right to challenge his attorney's past, present, an…
25-5669 Stanislav Steven Yelizarov v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-09-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-innocence appeal-waiver ineffective-counsel miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement resentencing When a criminal defendant is resentenced after a conviction is vacated because he is actually innocent of the charge, does an appeal waiver in the ple…
25-5650 Deangelus Thomas v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-09-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act criminal-procedure harmless-error sentencing-guidelines shepard-documents sixth-amendment (1) Does the ACCA occasions-different inquiry, requiring a detailed, multi-factored analysis of the facts surrounding at least three prior offenses—fa…
25-5652 Federico Jose Maldonado-Aleman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-09-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court conspiracy drug-distribution jury-trial sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether the Fifth Circuit's decision that a defendant may be sentenced for drugs that he was not shown to have agreed to distribute violates the Court…
25-5620 Terry Duane Qualls v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-09-12 Pending IFP appeal-waiver categorical-approach controlled-substances-act due-process plea-agreement sentencing Whether an appeal waiver applies when the sentencing judge advises the defendant that he has the right to appeal and the government does not object.
25-5609 Jackie Kavaskia McMillan v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-09-11 Pending IFP appeal-waiver district-court illegal-sentence jurisdictional-challenge plea-agreement sentencing While "jurisdictions appear to treat at least some claims as unwaivable" via an appeal waiver in a plea agreement, this Court has not yet decided "wha…
25-5619 Michael Garrick Denson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-09-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure dangerous-weapon evidence-sufficiency jury-verdict sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether there was sufficient evidence to sustain the jury verdicts. 2. Whether the court erred in applying a two-level sentencing enhancement for …
25-227 Raymond Poore v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-08-27 Pending Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (5) administrative-law agency-deference circuit-split judicial-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction In Stinson v. United States, 508 U.S. 36 (1993), this Court held that Seminole Rock deference, now generally known as Auer deference, applies to inter…
25-5446 Javier Perez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-08-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP bodily-injury criminal-procedure enhancement-standard judicial-discretion legal-interpretation sentencing-guidelines Should application of the four-level sentencing enhancement for "permanent or life-threatening bodily injury" under U.S.S.G. § 2A2.1(b)(1)(A) require …
25-5427 Rufus E. Dennis v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-08-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level criminal-procedure district-court hobbs-act sentencing-guidelines upward-variance 1. Did the Defendant "possess" a handgun for the purposes of the sentencing court assessing a 5 point level increase to his base offense level, pursua…
25-5404 Darren Smith v. United States Second Circuit 2025-08-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure mitigation-arguments official-victim-enhancement procedural-error sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court commits procedural error under 18 U.S.C. § 3553, Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338 (2007), and Gall v. United States, 552 U…
25-5390 Brandon Desmond Medford v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-08-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion federal-procedure judicial-interpretation policy-disagreement sentencing-guidelines Whether district courts must ever consider arguments for a lesser sentence based on a policy disagreement with the Guidelines?
25-5387 Robert Narvett v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-08-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement rule-11-hearing Did the Appeals Court error by claiming Movants substantial rights were not affected after conceeding that the District Court accepted the Movants ple…
25-5381 Shameika Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-08-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-821 criminal-law judicial-discretion retroactive-application sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines Whether the lower courts erred by refusing to grant Ms. Johnson a sentence reduction under retroactively applicable Amendment 821 – Part A to the Unit…
25-5357 Jessie Dejuan Sullivan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-08-14 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-law facial-challenge second-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation First, whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) facially violates the Second Amendment? Second, some sentencing judges assert that they would have selected the …
25-5342 Raymond Arthur Verrill v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-08-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure judicial-discretion plain-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-standard Some sentencing judges routinely assert that they would have selected the exact same sentence regardless of any error in applying the Sentencing Guide…
25-5297 Christopher Jerome Ellis v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-08-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender controlled-substance federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law statutory-interpretation Whether the term "controlled substance" in the career offender guideline refers exclusively to substances listed in the federal Controlled Substances …
25-5279 Evan McCarrick Jerald v. Arizona Arizona 2025-08-05 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-law criminal-procedure eighth-amendment juvenile-sentencing life-without-parole sentencing-guidelines Under Graham v. Florida, the Eighth Amendment "prohibits the imposition of a life without parole sentence on a juvenile offender who did not commit ho…
25-5226 Nashaun Drake v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-07-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-law federal-sentencing prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation When defining a controlled substance offense under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) do courts look to the substances that were controlled on the date of the prior …
25-5213 Cimeon Dion Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-07-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility constitutional-principles criminal-procedure mental-illness post-plea-misconduct sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court may deny a reduction for acceptance of responsibility under USSG § 3E1.1 based solely on uncorroborated allegations of post p…
25-5152 Zachary Charles Fowler v. United States Tenth Circuit 2025-07-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a advisory-range appellate-review criminal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines unwarranted-disparities Is a sentence that falls within the advisory guideline range categorically one that does not create unwarranted disparities among defendants with simi…
25-5099 Franklin Ray v. United States Second Circuit 2025-07-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-innocence appeal-waiver due-process plea-agreement sixth-amendment statutory-interpretation After this Court re-interpreted the Aggravated Identity Theft statute in Dubin v. United States, 599 U.S. 110, 132 (2023), Petitioner was factually in…
25-5050 Carlos Caraballo v. United States Tenth Circuit 2025-07-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review case-law findings-of-fact sentencing-guidelines special-offense-characteristic standard-of-review Whether the circuit court applied the appropriate standard of review regarding a challenge to the imposition of a Sentencing Guideline Special Offense…
25-5029 Damon D. Williams v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-07-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion attempted-robbery criminal-procedure fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment I. When imposing maximum , consecutive sentenc es for two convictions for attempted interference with commerce by robbery (18 U.S.C. § 1951) —aris…
25-5031 Michael Odom v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-07-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-consensus due-process fifth-amendment plea-agreement sentencing-proceedings 1. Whether the near consensus determination by the various Circuits to accept appeal waivers in plea agreements that extend to subsequent sentencing p…
25-5008 Stephen T. Aguiar v. United States Second Circuit 2025-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court-review coram-nobis due-process factual-innocence medical-evidence sentencing-guidelines 1. DESPITE THE RECORD SHOWING THAT PETITIONER IS FACTUALLY INNOCENT OF DISTRIBUTING MORPHINE, DID THE SECOND CIRCUIT ERR IN AFFIRMING THE DISTRICT C…
24-7503 Bradley J. Harris v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-06-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-circuit amendment-821 judicial-discretion procedural-error sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines 1) Whether the Fifth Circuit erred in affirming the district court's denial of a sentence reduction under Amendment 821 despite procedural errors, i…
24-7505 Donald Evans v. Jasen Bohinski, Superintendent, State Correctional Institution at Dallas, et al. Third Circuit 2025-06-26 Denied IFP criminal-procedure double-jeopardy ex-post-facto sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation subject-matter-jurisdiction 1) DID THE COURT VIOLATE PETITIONER'S 6TH AND 14TH AMENDMENT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS VIA REFUSING TO GRANT PETITIONER'S REQUEST FOR A CONTINUANCE TO WHE…
24-7508 Curtis Dwayne Medrano v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-06-26 Denied Relisted (6)IFP appellate-review felony-conviction firearms-possession judicial-discretion second-amendment sentencing-guidelines Whether 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) comports with the Second Amendment as applied to a defendant whose most serious prior felony convictions are attempted bu…
24-1295 Brandon Phillips v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-06-23 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) circuit-split criminal-history expungement harmless-error procedural-error sentencing-guidelines In 2022, the citizens of Missouri adopted an amendment to the Missouri Constitution that legalizes marijuana consumption and mandates the retroactive …
24-7478 Shaquan Dannard McCall v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-06-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process plea-agreement 1. ISA DEFEDANTS RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS OF LAW VIOLATED WHEN THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES AN APPEAL WAIVER AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT?
24A1266 Kyle Syphax v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-06-23 Presumed Complete application-note circuit-split criminal-law rule-of-lenity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Question not identified.
24-7471 Quintin T. Ferguson v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-06-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP arson-statute criminal-law interstate-commerce overbreadth-doctrine sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The Seventh Circuit decided Quintin Ferguson's 18 U.S.C. § 844(i) arson conviction was a crime of violence that subjected him to United States Sentenc…
24-7434 Ivan Gutierrez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-06-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP codefendant criminal-sentencing equal-protection leadership-enhancement sentencing-guidelines ussg-section Did imposing a leadership enhancement on Petitioner, pursuant to USSG § 3B1.1(b) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines, but not on his codefendan…
24-1265 Glenn E. Diaz v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-06-12 Denied Response Waived criminal-procedure cross-examination judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent witness-bias 1. Whether a district court can completely bar defense counsel from cross-examining a key government witness on an issue probative of bias and motive.…
24-7409 Pablo Jacobo Felix-Samaniego v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing judicial-discretion presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Should the court of appeals indulge a presumption of reasonableness for a within-guideline-range sentence where the Sentencing Commission has subseque…
24-7396 Arturo Garza, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-06-11 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure mandate-rule resentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the mandate rule precludes a district court from recalculating a defendant's Sentencing Guidelines range at resentencing based on convictions …
24-7357 Christopher Scott Jones v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-06-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process fourth-circuit obstruction-enhancement plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Fourth Circuit erred because the District Court improperly accepted a plea and proceeded with sentencing where Mr. Jones had not been a…
24-7335 Curtis Harris v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-05-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance-offense federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-conviction Defendants who have two prior felony convictions for "controlled substance offense[s]" qualify as career offenders under the federal Sentencing Guidel…
24-7323 Jody D. Owens v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance-offense criminal-law federal-controlled-substances-act sentencing-guidelines state-drug-offenses united-states-sentencing-commission Whether the definition of a 'controlled substance offense' in United States Sentencing Guideline ("U.S.S.G.") U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) only covers offenses…
24-7265 Myron Dreun Cook v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-05-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law federal-guidelines judicial-deference precedent-review sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does Stinson v. United States still accurately state the level of deference due to the Commentary of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines?
24-7208 Cornell Slater v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-05-15 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review constitutional-interpretation judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether the Court of Appeals opinion is in direct contravention of this Court's holdings in Peugh v. United States, 569 U.S. 530, 541 (2013); and Rosa…
24-7166 David Eugene Rush, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver consideration constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement Plea agreements are governed by traditional contract principles — but unlike ordinary contracts, they involve the waiver of fundamental constitutiona…
24-7167 Derek Rogers v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance-offense ineffective-assistance section-2255 sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether a conviction under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-18-406(2)(b)(I), (D(C) can serve as a predicate "controlled substance offense" for career offender…
24-7149 Samuel James Weaver v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-05-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split federal-courts judicial-interpretation sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review What standard of review should apply when a district court applies a federal sentencing guideline to undisputed facts?
24-7122 Michael Samuel Dekelbaum v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process miscarriage-of-justice plea-bargain sentencing 1. Should the U.S. Supreme Court recognize a "miscarriage of justice" exception to a waiver of appeal provision in a plea bargain for due process sent…
24-7123 Carlos Edward Thurman, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure district-court equal-protection firearm-enhancement second-amendment sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the district court clearly erred by applying the USSG § 2D1.1(b)(1) firearm enhancement? II. Whether general application of the USSG § 2D1…
24A1060 Martin Castillo-Quinones v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-05-02 Presumed Complete 18-USC-3553 appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-requirements Question not identified.
24-7058 Todd Cannady v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-04-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability due-process fifth-amendment habeas-corpus sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Was the Petitioner's Fifth Amendment Due Process rights violated when the Ninth Circuit denied his Certificate of Appealability petition for a procedu…
24-7062 Damone D. Oakley v. United States Third Circuit 2025-04-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-2326 criminal-procedure double-counting sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the statutory enhancement under 18 U.S.C. § 2326(2) and Guideline enhancements implemented by the Sentencing Commission constitute double coun…
24-7045 Margaret Ann Sutton v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-conviction drug-trafficking due-process evidence-sufficiency firearm-possession sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the evidence is sufficient as a matter of law to sustain Sutton's conviction for Drug Traffic Conspiracy. II. Whether the evidence is suff…
24-7052 Michael Lynn Ashford v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct constitutional-rights due-process fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether the District Court should be able to utilize acquitted conduct in determining the advisory Guidelines and in reaching an appropriate sentence …
24-7041 Javier A. Rodriguez v. United States Third Circuit 2025-04-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion reasonableness-review sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines variance 1. May the district court determine the extent of the appropriate variance without first correctly calculating the initial Guidelines range? 2. May …
24-7014 Scott Anthony Williams v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-04-16 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure exclusionary-rule federal-courts remand sentencing-guidelines Whether a federal court of appeals may apply the exigent-circumstances exception to the exclusionary rule in the first instance on appeal or, instead,…
24-6976 Domingo Agustin-Simon, aka Pedro Sanchez-Mendez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-04-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP alien-smuggling arms-length-agreement downward-departure sentencing-guidelines sua-sponte u-s-c-3553 1. Is United States Sentencing Guidelines Section 2A4.1(b)(1) (ransom demand) applicable in the context of an arms-length agreement between an alien s…
24-1063 Munson P. Hunter, III v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-04-08 Granted Amici (7)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) appeal-waiver appellate-procedure circuit-split constitutional-challenge ineffective-assistance sentencing-rights 1. Whether the only permissible exceptions to a general appeal waiver are for claims of ineffective assistance of counsel or that the sentence exceeds…
24-6898 Avery Jamal Edwards v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-03-31 Denied IFP controlled-substance criminal-law federal-law sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether an offense must have involved a substance that was controlled under federal law to be considered a "controlled substance offense" as that term…
24-6879 Zachary Michael Linan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-03-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure fifth-amendment judicial-fact-finding sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Did the Fifth Circuit err in affirming the district court's application of U.S.S.G. § 2A1.2(a)(1) (Second Degree Murder) rather than § 2A2.2 (Aggra…
24-6830 Khalid Alboushari v. United States Second Circuit 2025-03-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether the Second Circuit Court of Appeals erred in affirming the District Court's sentence of 92 months' imprisonment without properly considerin…
24-6814 Jason Johnson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-03-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure illegal-sentence plea-agreement sentencing-law While "jurisdictions appear to treat at least some claims as unwaivable" via an appeal waiver in a plea agreement, this Court has not yet had occasion…
24-6752 Adonis Batista v. United States Tenth Circuit 2025-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process fifth-amendment jury-trial methamphetamine-quantity sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Were Petitioner's Fifth Amendment due process rights and Sixth Amendment rights to jury trial violated when the jury in his drug conspiracy trial foun…
24-6753 John Martin v. United States Second Circuit 2025-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-activity joint-enterprise reasonably-foreseeable relevant-conduct second-circuit sentencing-guidelines Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit incorrectly interpreted the Sentencing Guidelines' relevant conduct provisions for j…
24-6737 Carlsel Alexander v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-challenge criminal-conviction due-process firearms-ban second-amendment sentencing-guidelines (1) Is the lifetime ban on possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year of imprisonment, codified …
24-6729 Justin Lang Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility drug-offense felon-in-possession firearms-possession second-amendment sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether section 922(g)(1)'s lifetime ban for possessing a firearm violates the Second Amendment as applied to Petitioner? 2. Can a district court …
24-6695 Edward Deloach v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-03-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-1521 appellate-review criminal-law document-fraud false-document sentencing-guidelines If a defendant is convicted for attempting and conspiring to file a false lien under 18 U.S.C. §1521, but the document he submitted to a federal agenc…
24-939 Kendall Streb v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-03-03 Denied Response Waived certificate-of-appealability habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance plea-bargaining reasonable-jurists sentencing-guidelines The "reasonable jurists" test was created only as a threshold to discourage frivolous habeas appeals. It was never intended as a sky-reaching wall o…
24-6678 Omari Howard Patton v. United States Third Circuit 2025-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure drug-quantity extrapolation leadership-enhancement sentencing-guidelines uncharged-participants WHEN FEDERAL DEFENDANTS ARE ATTRIBUTED A DRUG QUANTITY BASED ON EXTRAPOLATION AND THE CHEMIST FAILS TO TESTIFY AS TO HOW THE EXTRAPOLATION WAS CONDUCT…
24-6667 Luke John Scott, Sr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure false-testimony federal-question obstructing-justice sentencing-guidelines trial-testimony Does a criminal defendant's trial testimony constitute a willful intent to provide materially false testimony as required for a two-level increase for…
24-6655 Raul Hiram Mata-Gardea v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-02-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP almendarez-torres appellate-jurisdiction downward-departure indictment-requirement pre-removal-felony sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether the Fifth Circuit had appellate jurisdiction to review the district court's denial of a motion for downward departure under the Sentencing …
24-6657 Leopoldo Villareal v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-02-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing harmless-error judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing-guidelines Some sentencing judges routinely assert that they would have selected the exact same sentence regardless of any error in applying the Sentencing Guide…
24-6630 Amado De La Mora Cardenas v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-02-24 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-waiver criminal-defendant district-court legal-error plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines The question presented in this Petition for Writ of Certiorari is whether a criminal defendant may prospectively waive the right to appeal the Distric…
24-6618 Dilesh Sharma v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-02-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP computer-offense due-process fifth-amendment image-enhancement sentencing-guidelines technological-changes 1. Has 30 years of technological changes caused the offense enhancements for use of a computer under Sections 2G1.3(b)(3) and 2G2.2(b)(6) of the Unite…
24-6582 Dajuan Martin v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-02-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-challenge felony-ban firearm-possession second-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1) Is the lifetime ban on possession of firearms by all felons, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), plainly unconstitutional on its face because it is…
24-6575 Marshall Ray Scarborough v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-02-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fourth-circuit plea-agreement sentencing Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(b)(1)(N) requires that, before a district court accepts a plea of guilty, it must first "inform the defendant of…
24-6562 Derek Jones v. United States Second Circuit 2025-02-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split due-process factual-basis guilty-plea sentencing-guidelines 1. What are the admissive effects of a defendant's guilty plea? Specifically, does an unconditional guilty plea admit facts alleged in an indictment o…
24-6543 Devin Chaney v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-02-11 Pending Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (4)IFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement sentencing-error Can a criminal defendant knowingly and voluntarily waive the right to appeal a district court's yet-to-be-made errors as part of a plea agreement, and…
24A773 Munson P. Hunter, III v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-02-11 Presumed Complete appeal-waiver circuit-split constitutional-challenge criminal-procedure plea-agreement sentencing-rights (1) whether a defendant who agreed to waive his right to appeal may nonetheless challenge his sentence on constitutional grounds other than ineffectiv…
24-6505 Jerome Jones v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-02-07 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure plea-agreement sentencing-error statutory-right Can a criminal defendant knowingly and voluntarily forfeit his right to appeal the district court's yet-to-be-made errors as part of his plea agreemen…
24A764 Rocco Americo Malanga v. United States Third Circuit 2025-02-06 Presumed Complete agency-rules constitutional-issue due-process loss-calculation pro-se sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
24-6482 In Re Petera Micale Carlton 2025-02-05 Denied IFP career-offender criminal-law fourth-circuit sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is Petitioner still a career offender based upon the Decision of the Fourth Circuit in United States v. Simmons, 649 F.3d 247 (4th Cir. 2011?I.
24-6441 David Joseph Bunevacz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-01-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history due-process government-breach plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines upward-variance 1. Whether petitioner David Joseph Bunevacz's convictions should be reversed because the government breached the plea agreement, in violation of this …
24-6431 Norman Seneka Bowers v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-01-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP direct-appeal judicial-discretion jurisdictional-delay retroactive-application sentencing-guidelines supervised-release I. Whether Amendment 821 to the United States Sentencing Guidelines Should be Applied Retroactively on Direct Appeal. II. Whether A District Court Ma…
24-6410 Antoine Wiggins v. United States Third Circuit 2025-01-28 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (7)IFP circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-procedure federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines § 2K2.1(a)(2), a defendant previously convicted of a "controlled substance offense" is subject to a sentencing…
24-6366 Steven Douglas Freno, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-01-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3553a-analysis appellate-review booker-standard gall-factors judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether, post- Booker and Gall, this Court should grant the Writ to provide clarity on an important, but unresolved area of law, to wit: whether ap…
24-6334 John Fredenburgh v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law judicial-deference judicial-independence sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent Does judicial deference to the Sentencing Commission's Commentary to the United States Sentencing Guidelines violate the principles of judicial indepe…
24-6309 Timothy DeFoggi v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-01-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment direct-harm extraordinary-circumstances sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines u.s.c.-3582 1) As applied to Acquitted Conduct, whether the lower court erred in improperly denying a finding of "extraordinary and compelling" under U.S. Sentenc…
24-6298 Reyes Espinoza v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-01-14 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (3)IFP criminal-activity criminal-leadership participant-threshold sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines upward-adjustment United States Sentencing Guidelines § 3Bl.l(a), provides: "If the defendant was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or mo…
24-6271 Javier Francisco Perez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-01-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach criminal-procedure felony-offense probation-revocation sentencing-guidelines supervised-release I. Whenever a probationer or supervised releasee faces revocation, the Guidelines Manual assigns a grade to the violation "conduct." The violation gra…
24-6233 Dearick Smith v. United States Second Circuit 2025-01-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP auer-deference circuit-split judicial-review kisor-standard sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether this Court's holding in Kisor v. Wilkie, 588 U.S. 558 (2019) applies to the United States Sentencing Guidelines; and 2. If so, whether a s…
24-6190 Jacobie Travinski Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-12-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-interference criminal-law judicial-procedure perjury sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does the three-level adjustment in U.S.S.G. §2J1.3(b)(2) require more than the initial perjury to constitute a "substantial interference with the admi…
24-6193 Ronald Robinson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-12-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing eighth-circuit rita-presumption section-3553a sentencing-guidelines substantive-unreasonableness 1. Does a presumption of reasonableness of Guidelines sentences under Rita preclude a finding of substantive unreasonableness in a maximum guideline s…
24A602 Zackery Terrell v. Texas Texas 2024-12-18 Presumed Complete criminal-procedure eighth-amendment ineffective-assistance plea-bargain right-to-counsel sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
24-6156 Cenious Brewster v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-12-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-appeal judicial-discretion ninth-circuit presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Whether the Ninth Circuit erred when it created an unprecedented "presumption of reasonableness" for "Judiciary Sentencing INformation" ("JSIN") data …
24-6112 Dekeilon Marquel Johnson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-12-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split federal-sentencing predicate-offense rule-of-lenity sentencing-guidelines I. Should Mr. Johnson be sentenced as a career offender under the United States Sentencing Guidelines based upon the current Circuit split of whether …
24-6081 Christopher Zamarripa v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-12-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure effective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement sentencing sixth-amendment WHETHER ZAMARRIPA WAS DENIED EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL GUARANTEED BY THE SIXTH AMENDMENT AS A RESULT OF HIS COUNSEL'S ADVICE THAT HE ACCEPT THE …
24-6072 John Rogers v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-12-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure defendant-conduct Does U.S.S.G. §3E1.1 apply when a defendant has vo plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction voluntary-termination 1. Whether the two clauses in 18 U.S.C. §924(c) creates two separate crimes or a single crime and whether the conflation of the elements of the two di…
24-604 Xiaoqing Zheng v. United States Second Circuit 2024-12-03 Denied administrative-law agency-deference judicial-interpretation kisor-standard sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction Whether the limits on agency deference articulated in Kisor limit the deference owed to the United States Sentencing Commission's commentary on intend…
24-6060 Albert Trampis Dogskin v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split false-information judicial-discretion plea-agreement sentencing-error Whether there is an exception to an appeal waiver in a plea agreement where the district court relied on false or unreliable information in sentencing…
24-6052 Terius Thomas, aka Terius Brown, aka Terry Brown v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-12-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-conflict judicial-review plain-error prejudice-standard sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights Whether the Eleventh Circuit has created a new exception to Molina-Martinez's plain error prejudice standard which conflicts with the general rule tha…
24-6035 Jamel Muldrew v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-11-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP agency-rules circuit-split constitutional-amendments judicial-factfinding sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether this court's holding in Kisor v. Wilkie, 588 U.S. 558 (2019), supports the court of appeals' determination that the Sentencing Guidelines a…
24-6020 Justin Rivera v. United States Second Circuit 2024-11-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-conviction federal-statute sentencing-guidelines sex-trafficking Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit erred by affirming the judgment of conviction and sentence pronounced by the United …
24-5996 Todd Norman v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-offense federal-law sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether an offense must have involved a substance that was controlled under federal law to be considered a "controlled substance offense" as that term…
24-5980 Vernell Moore v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP district-court-discretion eighth-amendment methamphetamine-enhancement proportionality-of-punishment sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines Whether both the District Court and Sixth Circuit erred in determining that the District Court was entitled to apply the 10:1 enhancement for methamph…
24A486 Jeremy Young Hutchinson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-11-15 Presumed Complete ineffective-assistance plea-agreement prosecutorial-misconduct rule-11 sentencing-guidelines sentencing-recommendation Question not identified.
24-5941 Santos Cuevas v. Josh Highberger, Acting Superintendent, Oregon State Penitentiary Oregon 2024-11-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule constitutional-rights criminal-history habeas-corpus jury-fact-finding sentencing-guidelines This case involves two sentencing guidelines rules. One rule, directs trial courts , to count a defendant's convictions at the time of sentencing in …
24-5919 Kent Booher v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing district-court judicial-discretion restitution sentencing-guidelines A. THE DISTRICT COURT ERRED WHEN IN ITS RESTITUTION ASSESSMENT AGAINST MR. BOOHER
24-5869 Shawn Eric Durrah, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-10-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure dangerous-weapon-enhancement drug-distribution firearm-possession sentencing-guidelines To resolve a circuit split, this Court should grant the Writ to determine whether, in applying the dangerous weapon enhancement U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1)…
24-5836 Steven Hadley Hassan v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-10-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP congressional-authority due-process fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation 1) The U.S. Constitution, through Article One, grants Congress the authority to make or change federal laws. This includes the creation of criminal st…
24-5820 Tevon Ngomba v. United States First Circuit 2024-10-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure first-circuit obstruction-of-justice sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit erred by summarily affirming the district court's imposition of a two-level offense increase for…
24A384 Ryan A. Fleming, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-10-22 Presumed Complete criminal-appeal double-counting eighth-circuit firearm-possession high-speed-chase sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
24-5762 Angel Ayala-Vazquez v. United States First Circuit 2024-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review concepcion-precedent first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. Whether the First Circuit 's refusal to grant a sentence reduction under the First Step Act, despite intervening changes in sentencing law, conf…
24-5748 LaVanzel Kerr v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-10-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP affirmative-defense constitutional-challenge criminal-procedure firearms-statute sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation L. May a district court apply a U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6) enhancement without resolving a defendant's affirmative defense claim? II. Is 18 U.S.C. § 922(…
24A345 Ronald Robinson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-10-11 Presumed Complete 18-usc-3553a criminal-history eighth-circuit mitigating-factors sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
24-376 Brennaris Marquis Johnson v. Washington Washington 2024-10-02 Denied fourteenth-amendment jury-finding reasonable-doubt sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment upward-departure Whether the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments require a jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that one or more aggravating facts amount to "substantial…
24-5672 Mark Leon Andrews v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-10-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act circuit-court-review criminal-history prior-convictions sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the 5th and 6th Amendments entitled the petitioner to have a jury decide below his crimes according to AS KCaStons, under the Constitution of …
24-5679 Christopher Michael Sevier v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-10-01 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-law criminal-procedure fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-interpretation Whether 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g) comports with the Fifth and Sixth Amendments?
24-344 James T. Foster v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-09-26 Denied Response Waived appellate-review criminal-sentencing eleventh-circuit federal-procedure obstruction-of-justice sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether certiorari review should be granted where the eleventh circuit erred in affirming the district court's denial of Foster's objection to the …
24-5621 Christopher Dallas Nelson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review clear-error-standard federal-procedure judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Are varied definitions of the clear error standard of review and results of such definitions pertaining to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines permissib…
24-5624 Omar Jorge Valle Estrada v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP court-procedure federal-appeals fifth-circuit judicial-review sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The circuits are split on whether a request for a lower sentence preserves for review a claim that the district court has not adequately explained a s…
24-5588 Deven L. Smith v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion career-offender criminal-history downward-departure sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines QUESTION NO. I: Whether the Sixth Circuit 's decision affirming the judgment of the district court was error, where one of Defendant-Appellant 's pre…
24-5599 David Martins v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-knowledge drug-prosecution federal-sentencing mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether, in a 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) prosecution, the knowingly mens rea contained in section 841(a)(1) also requires the government to prove that the …
24-5601 In Re David Wayne Nelson 2024-09-20 Denied IFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights court-appointed-counsel indigent-defendant procedural-due-process right-to-counsel In the Court's Holding that prejudice is presumed regardless of an appeal waiver in a state criminal case, Garza v. Idaho, 586 U.S. 232 (2019) also me…
24-5580 Octavius Artis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-09-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-procedure factual-basis plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines voluntary-plea Whether the district court erred in sentencing Artis as a career offender where he did not have two prior controlled substance offenses required for a…
24-5550 Jarrod Eugene Davis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-09-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-U.S.C.-3553(a) criminal-sentencing juvenile-convictions sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation upward-departure Where the sentencing court disregarded mitigating evidence and upwardly departed based largely on convictions Petitioner sustained as a teenager, whet…
24-5533 Clint Monroe Utter v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-09-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP abduction base-offense-level carjacking firearm-enhancement robbery sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether the district court erred in denying Utter's objection to the United States Probation Officer's 5 level enhancement to his base offense leve…
24-5523 Calvin Carnell Edwards, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-09-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-deference constitutional-interpretation government-branches judicial-review sentencing-guidelines Is this Court's three-part test, expressed in Kisor v. Wilkie, 588 U.S. 558 (2019), applicable only to agencies located in the Executive Branch, or do…
24-5506 Rustam Yusupov v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-09-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-challenge criminal-conviction second-amendment statutory-interpretation unlawful-possession 1. Whether Rustam Yusupov's conviction for unlawful possession of ammunition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8) violates the Second Amendment? 2. Whether th…
24-5481 Cody Mercure v. United States First Circuit 2024-09-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure eighth-amendment federal-sentencing judicial-review proportionality sentencing-guidelines Did the sentence of three hundred months violate the grossly disproportionate protection afforded by the unusual sentence prohibition under the Eighth…
24A237 Andre Michael Dubois v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-09-04 Presumed Complete amendment-821 criminal-procedure eleventh-circuit federal-sentencing retroactive-relief sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
24-5429 Kemnorris Kinsey v. United States Second Circuit 2024-08-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-interpretation judicial-deference sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction Whether the administrative law principles set forth in Kisor v. Wilkie, 588 U.S. 558 (2019) limit the deference owed to the United States Sentencing C…
24-5433 David Vargas v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-08-30 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP circuit-split district-court judicial-discretion legal-interpretation procedural-error sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court's failure to follow the plain language of the Sentencing Guidelines constitutes an incorrect application of the Sentencing Gu…
24-211 Al Dorsey v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-08-27 Denied Response Waived accessory-offense crime-of-violence criminal-career-act physical-force sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit-interpretation Whether an accessory offense has "as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force" under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 where it (1) does …
24-5405 Michael Edwin Harding v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-08-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance plea-bargaining prejudice-standard sentencing-guidelines Whether contrary to Lee v. United States, 137 S.Ct. 1958 (2017), the district court applied the incorrect prejudice standard to support its decision t…
24-5375 Michael Antrantrino Lee v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-08-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law criminal-law due-process retroactive-application sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-interpretation 0. Is the decision in U.S. v. K 3d 232, 235-3.^ (11th Cir. I retroactively applicable? 2). Does mitigation arguments list be warranted guidelines Vio…
24A183 Paul Curtis Pemberton v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-08-19 Presumed Complete criminal-appeal federal-public-defender pro-se-pleadings sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines tenth-circuit Question not identified.
24-5333 Jamal Mohammad Eleidy v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-08-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver deportation illegal-sentence sentencing-condition statutory-interpretation supervised-release Where the district court in sentencing a United States citizen imposes deportation as a supervised release condition, and 18 U.S.C. § 3583(d) expressl…
24-5306 William Newkirk v. Florida Florida 2024-08-13 Denied IFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process life-sentence robbery-firearm sentencing-guidelines I. WHETHER THE NATURAL LIFE SENTENCES IMPOSED ON ROBBERY FIREARM COUNTS 2-3 WERE ILLEGAL WHERE THE TRIAL COURT NEITHER ORDERED A MANDATORY PRESENTENCE…
24-5313 Tony Carr, aka Tony Carnell, aka Tony Coronel Carr, aka T-Bone v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-08-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP attorney-general-memorandum crack-cocaine criminal-procedure fifth-amendment plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines On December 16, 2002 Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memorandum, which directed prosecutors to charge "pertinent statutory quantities that a…
24-5264 Delgen Foye v. Scott S. Harris, et al. Fourth Circuit 2024-08-07 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-law federal-procedure fourth-circuit judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines \Adun <x W^\ucV c^ci 4te orkkj w&k<*j4-^ ?ro?P^r ^>sWi4-?6r\ k tie alW) a a**. 4o frtc&J Os^l ct\\.tOz (Mins In^ V^r Case (\&n-Um 4r +ke offeah CDorV…
24-5224 Michael Paul Gianfrancesco v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review court-proceedings criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing jurisdiction sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Question not identified.
24A100 Brennaris Marquis Johnson v. Washington Washington 2024-07-29 Presumed Complete aggravating-factors criminal-sentencing judicial-discretion jury-trial sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether a sentence above the statutory presumptive range violates the jury trial right where the judge may not impose such a sentence, even after a ju…
24-5144 Richard Villareal v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-07-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2d1.1(b)(1) criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process fifth-circuit firearm-enhancement sentencing-guidelines tools-of-the-trade-presumption Whether the Fifth Circuit's practice of applying a tools-of-the-trade presumption to the firearm enhancement of sentencing guidelines §2D1.1(b)(1) vio…
24A85 David Vargas v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-07-23 Presumed Complete circuit-split criminal-law enhancement physical-restraint sentencing-guidelines tenth-circuit Question not identified.
24-5116 Mohamad Jamal Khweis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-07-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review burden-of-proof criminal-history-category due-process federal-crime-of-terrorism offense-level sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-enhancement sentencing-paradigm terrorism-enhancement (1) whether the court below erred by upholding the application of Section 3Al.4's Terrorism Enhancement when the evidence presented at trial, or lack …
24-5117 Terrance Nathaniel Brown, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-07-19 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 21-usc-841 acquitted-conduct due-process ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jury-trial sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-sentencing A. Whether counsel was ineffective for failing to argue that the general verdict required that the statutory sentence be based on marijuana under 21 U…
24-5105 Heclouis Nieves-Diaz v. United States First Circuit 2024-07-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP agreement circuit-split conspiracy controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law overt-act sentencing-guidelines The United States Sentencing Guidelines define a "controlled substance offense" to include "the offense[] of conspiring to commit such offenses." The …
24-5095 Moises Gamboa v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-07-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation united-states-constitution DID THE LOWER COURTS IMPROPERLY INTERPRET UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINE § 4C1.1 THAT VIOLATED THE CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT CLAUSE OF THE EIGH…
24-5060 Bert Hudson v. Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole Pennsylvania 2024-07-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-interpretation cruel-and-unusual-punishment cruel-punishment eighth-amendment furman-v-georgia mandatory-minimum parole parole-review second-degree-murder sentencing-guidelines sentencing-statutes After being rebuked for forbidden cruelty by this Court's own landmark 1972 Furman decision, Pennsylvania's sentencing statutes enacted in response to…
24-5071 Dennis German v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-07-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment 5th-amendment 8th-amendment criminal-procedure due-process effective-assistance eighth-amendment fifth-amendment relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines (1). Weather the Government violated the Petitioner's 8th Amendment. Constitutional Rights (To be free from infliction of Cruel and Unusual Punishm…
24-5058 Joseph Curtis Hubman v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-07-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a)(2) 18-usc-3553a child-pornography criminal-history sentencing-guidelines sentencing-purposes upward-variance Whether an upward variance sentence nearly two years higher than recommended by the Sentencing Guidelines is greater than necessary to comply with the…
24-5031 Keith White v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-u.s.c.-§-846 career-offender controlled-substance controlled-substance-offenses criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-criminal-law sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-§-4b1.2 Whether an offense under 21 U.S.C. § 846 may be included in the U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 definition of "controlled substance offenses" for purposes of sentenc…
24A19 Maxsony Coissy v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-07-09 Presumed Complete career-offender circuit-conflict controlled-substance-offense crime-of-violence federal-law sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-7847 Matthew Gatrel v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP computer-crime criminal-procedure improper-venue insufficient-evidence jury-instruction jury-instruction-error protected-computers sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-error sophisticated-means-enhancement venue-challenge 1. Whether petitioner Matthew Gatrel's convictions should be reversed because the government presented insufficient evidence to support his conviction…
23-7817 Fernando Angel Puga v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-06-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-authority delegation-of-authority due-process judicial-authority judicial-delegation probation-officer sentencing-guidelines standard-conditions supervised-release When a district court imposes a term of supervised release as part of a sentence, the United States Sentencing Commission recommends imposing a long l…
23-7823 Jyoti Agrawal v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-06-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-loss base-offense-level criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing fraud fraud-loss-calculation government-grant intended-loss loss-calculation sentencing-guidelines U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1 provides that for cases involving fraud there is an increase in base offense level commiserate with the loss amount. The commentary t…
23-7812 Akohomen Ighedoise v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-06-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) abuse-of-discretion due-process judicial-discretion mitigating-factors plea-agreement post-sentencing-rehabilitation prosecutorial-conduct sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-departure substantive-rights 1) Whether a Judge abuses his/her discretion when there is a determination that post-sentencing rehabilitative efforts are evidence of an attempt to d…
23-7796 Stewart Bitman v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-06-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2422(b) actual-innocence criminal-statute enticement ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel minor minor-protection plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the Petitioner is actually innocent of the counts of conviction whereas, although the Petitioner actually committed, the acts stipulated in…
23A1138 Mark Jordan v. United States Third Circuit 2024-06-21 Presumed Complete criminal-statute divisibility force-clause mens-rea section-924(c) sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-7768 Leonard Williamson, Jr. v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-06-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether the Fifth and Sixth Amendments prohibit the district court from considering conduct of which Mr. Williamson was acquitted by the jury when cal…
23-7746 Robert Brumfield, III v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-06-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct brady-prejudice criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment jury-acquittal prosecution-evidence sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Whether courts evaluating Brady prejudice are permitted to ignore a jury's acquittal when evaluating the strength of the prosecution's evidence. I…
23-7752 Mark Edmond Brown, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-06-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver coram-nobis due-process guilty-plea miscarriage-of-justice sentence sentencing-rights sixth-circuit The Sixth Circuit violated Mr. Brown's due process rights by concluding that his right to file a coram nobis petition fell within the scope of his app…
23-7676 Romone Raphael Jackson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-06-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-enhancement circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances-act drug-distribution federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law Whether a state conviction for distributing a drug that includes substances not regulated under the federal Controlled Substances Act qualifies as a "…
23-7630 Jamaal Elwood Dance v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-06-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-procedure constitutional-law contract-law criminal-procedure judicial-enforcement jurisdiction plea-agreement WAS THE APPEAL BARRED BY THE APPEAL WAIVER IN THE PLEA AGREEMENT, I.E. SHOULD THE COURT OF APPEALS HAVE ENFORCED AND THUS APPROVED THE APPEAL WAIVER?
23-7587 Jondell Middlebrooks v. United States Second Circuit 2024-05-31 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP career-offender crime-of-violence guidelines-manual inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses physical-force sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a crime that requires proof of bodily injury or death, but can be committed by omission, has as an element the use, attempted use, or threaten…
23-7595 Daniel Levi v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-05-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-waiver criminal-appeal due-process liberty-interest ninth-circuit plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines voluntary-consent The Ninth Circuit dismissed Mr. Levi's criminal appeal due to an appellate waiver in the plea agreement. Mr. Levi argues that the appellate waiver in …
23A1071 Marlo Helmstetter v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-05-30 Presumed Complete booker-decision compassionate-release juvenile-offender miller-v-alabama section-3582 sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-7583 Shawn Hill v. United States Second Circuit 2024-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure mental-health plea-bargaining remorse sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness supervised-release 1. Was petitioner improperly denied credit for acceptance of responsibility based on an incident in a Hartford jail that appeared to be a mental healt…
23-7566 Brendon Tyre Garner v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-05-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-amendment 6th-amendment acquitted-conduct criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether the Fifth and Sixth Amendments prohibit a federal court from basing a criminal defendant's sentence on conduct for which a jury has acquitted …
23-7571 Corey Goings v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-05-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-rights appeal-waiver constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement plea-bargaining racial-discrimination sentencing I. Whether the Plea Agreement's general waiver of appeal rights included a waiver of appealing a sentence based on the impermissible factor of race.
23A1040 Al Dorsey v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-05-22 Presumed Complete circuit-split crime-of-violence elements-clause facilitation-offense mens-rea sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-7522 Gonzalo Rodriguez v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-05-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law circuit-split deference judicial-deference kisor-doctrine kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-commission Whether the administrative law principles articulated in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), limit the deference owed to the United States Senten…
23-7512 Dallas M. Acoff v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-05-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-sentencing district-court due-process fifth-amendment guidelines harmless-error judicial-error procedural-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the district court committed error and imposed a procedurally unreasonable sentence on Mr. Acoff that exceeded the upper end of his United Sta…
23-7513 Russell Foreman v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-05-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-interpretation circuit-split deference judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction united-states-sentencing-commission Whether the administrative law principles articulated in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), limit the deference owed to the United States Senten…
23-7502 Kevin Day v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-05-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4a1.3(b) criminal-history district-court-discretion downward-departure fourth-circuit motion-to-dismiss sentencing-guidelines variance-sentence I. Whether the District Court abused its discretion by failing to give Mr. Day a variance sentence and a shorter period of incarceration based upon a …
23-7508 Matias Zarate v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-05-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process guidelines reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines seventh-circuit supervised-release Whether a sentence within the guidelines range is unreasonable when the defendant has already served more time on supervised release than originally s…
23-7471 Shauntavus Berklin v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-05-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-appeal criminal-procedure district-court due-process eleventh-circuit evidence federal-sentencing-guidelines gun-accountability sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines 1. WHETHER CERTIORARI REVIEW SHOULD BE GRANTED WHERE THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ERRED IN AFFIRMING THE DISTRICT COURT'S DENIAL OF BERKLIN'S OBJECTION TO THE…
23-7449 Jacob VanDyke v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law Auer-v-Robbins Chevron chevron-deference child-pornography commentary deference guideline-commentary judicial-review sentencing-guidelines Whether the 1 to 75 ratio for videos found in the commentary to U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2 is entitled to deference under Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resou…
23-7431 Avery Lans v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 abuse-of-discretion circuit-court-review criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing gall-v-united-states procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness QUESTON NUMBER ONE: Did the Eleventh Circuit abused its discretion by the affirmance of Petitioner's 240-month federal sentence when the district cou…
23-7411 Larry Elwood Steptoe v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-05-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP attempt career-criminal controlled-substances criminal-attempt criminal-law federal-statute predicate-offense sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines u.s-sentencing-guidelines Whether a violation of 21 U.S-C. § 841 of the U. S Criminal Code which incorporates "Attempt" crimes qualifies as a predicate offense for the Career C…
23-7388 Michael Andrew Taylor v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-05-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substances controlled-substances-act criminal-law federal-act federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether "controlled substance[s]" in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines §4B1.2(b) are limited to those substances defined and regulated under the feder…
23-1188 Jonathon Owen Shroyer v. United States District of Columbia 2024-05-03 Denied Response Waived appeal-waiver first-amendment free-speech protected-speech relevant-conduct relevant-offense-conduct sentencing substantive-reasonableness 1. Whether a prison sentence imposed as a result of the consideration of protected speech as "relevant offense conduct" violates the First Amendment a…
23-7355 Demario Barker v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-05-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process evidence federal-sentencing-guidelines guideline-calculation hearsay hearsay-statements reliability-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether presumptively unreliable hearsay statements should be permitted in sentencing hearings to substantially increase a Defendant's guideline calcu…
23-7338 Damon Sean Bellis v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-04-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-deference agency-interpretation circuit-split judicial-deference regulatory-ambiguity sentencing-guidelines stare-decisis statutory-interpretation The Court held in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), that before a court may defer to an agency's interpretation of its regulation, the court mu…
23-7327 Zachariah Jay Histed v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-04-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-sentencing judicial-discretion plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a defendant who plea ds guilty, admits the substantive elements of the criminal charge, and spares the government the time and expense of a tr…
23-7332 Angel De Jesus Castillo-Godoy v. United States First Circuit 2024-04-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver burden-of-proof criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment government-defense jurisdiction opening-brief reply-brief sixth-amendment Whether a criminal defendant must raise the issue of an appeal waiver in his opening brief or whether it falls upon the government to raise the waiver…
23-7304 Michael Anthony Granado v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-04-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law due-process firearms firearms-possession music-videos relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit uncharged-offenses The United States Sentencing Guidelines directs courts to use uncharged offenses in its calculation of a defendant's guideline range if the uncharged…
23-7297 Marcus Bennett v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-04-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review control controlled-substances criminal-procedure drug-house drug-house-enhancement federal-appellate-courts possessory-interest sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit Whether the drug-house sentencing enhancement applies with no evidence that the defendant maintained, held a possessory interest in, or otherwise cont…
23-7292 Morris Fuller v. United States Second Circuit 2024-04-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing drug-offense due-process equal-protection federal-district-court judicial-discretion maximum-penalty post-conviction-relief sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-7256 John Pedelahore v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-04-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure district-court-discretion due-process eighth-amendment federal-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness supervised-release Whether the district court erred by ordering Mr. Pedelahore to serve 30 months in prison for nonviolent supervised release violations when the recomme…
23-7221 Luke John Scott, Sr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP federal-law federal-perjury obstruction-of-justice perjury-rule sentencing-guidelines two-level-enhancement uncorroborated-testimony united-states Does the longstanding rule for federal perjury cases that a finding of perjury cannot rest on the uncorroborated testimony of one witness apply to the…
23-7223 Daquan Doral Carter v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver arraignment criminal-procedure district-court due-process merits-review plea-agreement plea-bargaining rule-11 sentencing Can the Government invoke an appeal waiver to preclude merits review of an appeal when the district court failed to specifically question the defendan…
23-7205 Luke Joselin v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-04-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-deference circuit-split fraud fraud-loss intended-loss kisor-v-wilkie loss-calculation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the Commentary to the Fraud Loss Table U.S.S.G. §2B1.1(b), Note 3(A) Defining Loss as Including "Intended Loss," Should Be Given Deference Aft…
23-7173 John Lee Barlow v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach criminal-law felony-classification georgia-law mens-rea recklessness sentencing sentencing-guidelines supreme-court Did the Court of Appeals err when it categorically ruled that Mr. Barlow's two 2013 counts of conviction for Georgia aggravated assault constituted "c…
23-7184 Daniel Paul Sansone v. United States First Circuit 2024-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP confinement confinement-period criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing detention-calculation juvenile-commitment legal-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.-sentencing-guidelines Whether an indeterminate juvenile commitment is properly counted as a period of confinement of at least sixty days under the U.S. Sentencing Guideline…
23-7132 Thomas G. O'Lear v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-04-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP healthcare-fraud insurance-company medicaid medicare offense-level-enhancement sentencing-guidelines victim-definition vulnerable-victim United States Sentencing Guideline § 3A1.1 provides for a base offense level increase where the victim of the offense was vulnerable. In a case involv…
23-7133 Garry Hines v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-04-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility appellate-review criminal-appeal criminal-sentencing due-process fourth-circuit sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum 1. Whether the Fourth Circuit erred when determining that Petitioner's Sentence which exceeded the statutory maximum was proper and reasonable 2. Whe…
23-1078 Gregory Jamal Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-04-03 Denied Response Waived direct-appeal fifth-circuit gun-enhancement importation-guideline leadership-role methamphetamine-distinction sentencing-guidelines united-states-district-court united-states-sentencing-guidelines Whether the lower court should have remanded for the recalculation of sentencing in light of changes in the United States Supreme Court and the Fifth …
23-7122 James Alexander v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-04-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP agency-interpretation circuit-split judicial-deference kisor-standard kisor-v-wilkie regulatory-ambiguity sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Whether the standard for triggering judicial deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulations, as clarified in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. C…
23-7126 Alberto Perez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-04-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP arbitrary-sentences criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-offenses due-process judicial-discretion methamphetamine methamphetamine-distribution sentencing-guidelines sentencing-standards Does the district court's blind reliance upon United States Sentencing Guideline § 2D1.1(c)(1)'s draconian base offense level of 38 for distribution o…
23-7106 Gemar Morgan v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-04-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act criminal-history guideline-commentary sentence-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation stinson-v-united-states supreme-court-precedent united-states-v-havis Do the United States Sentencing Commission application note 4B1.4 cmt.n,(1) that states: "nor are the time periods for the counting of prior sentences…
23-7107 Brock Melancon v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing deference judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.-sentencing-commission (1) Does this Court's decision in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), govern the extent to which district courts may defer to the U.S. Sentencing…
23-7108 Efren Derma-Dominguez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP aggravating-role application-note application-note-2 criminal-organization criminal-role fifth-circuit sentencing-guidelines supervision upward-departure Does an aggravating role adjustment under U.S. Sentencing Guideline § 3B1.1 apply, as Application Note 2 says, only if the defendant organized or supe…
23-7099 Keatron Walls v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-03-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights commerce-clause constitutional-law criminal-law due-process eighth-amendment mental-health sentencing sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent variance-argument 1.) Whether the Circuit Court of Appeals erred in holding that 18 U.S.C. § 2261A(1) is not an unconstitutional expansion of the Commerce Clause in lig…
23A865 James Joseph Bryant v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-03-27 Presumed Complete criminal-appeal district-court eleventh-circuit federal-jurisdiction sentencing-guidelines statutory-review Question not identified.
23-7049 Daniel Arsenio Rodgers v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-03-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-lab criminal-procedure enhancement evidence-interpretation firearms naked-eye sentencing-guidelines serial-number visible Whether the district court erred in applying a four-level enhancement under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for "altered or obliterated" serial number,…
23-7035 Anderson Garcia v. United States Second Circuit 2024-03-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure dominguez-benitez due-process guilty-plea plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing Whether a defendant who pleads guilty and appeals his sentence, challenging his appeal waiver as unknowing, must show both that the waiver was unknowi…
23-1022 Nancy Martin v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-03-18 Denied Amici (1) appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process factual-basis guilty-plea plea-agreement plea-bargaining Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(b)(3) requires a district court to "determine that there is a factual basis" for a guilty plea before accepting …
23-7003 Kenneth Malik Wise v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-03-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fourth-circuit knowingly-waived plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-argument Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit err by concluding that Appellant Kenneth Malik Wise knowingly and voluntarily waived his…
23-6994 Donald M. Reynolds v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-03-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review direct-appeal federal-prisoner guidelines-range resentencing retroactive-amendment sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-modification While a federal prisoner's direct appeal is pending for sentencing issues, and retroactive Amendment 821 is enacted which now lowers the appellant's g…
23-6977 Dasmore T. Coleman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-appeal criminal-sentencing defendant-rights due-process federal-sentencing procedural-history sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether Coleman's sentence is substantively unreasonable.
23-6950 Lawrence Guerain Fleming v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure felon-in-possession guideline-interpretation judicial-interpretation obstruction-of-justice pre-investigation-conduct sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Petitioner pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition. His sentence was increased pursuant to section 3C1.1 of the United States Sentenc…
23-6953 Anthony Lamont Mason, II v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP federal-court federal-sentencing indian-major-crimes-act mandatory-minimum mcgirt-v-oklahoma sentencing-guidelines state-court state-sentencing statutory-interpretation This case presents a legal question under the Indian Major Crimes Act (IMCA), 18 U.S.C. § 1153, that is increasingly important in the wake of McGirt v…
23-6943 Michael Lawrence Kerlin v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing cross-reference disproportionate-effect due-process evidence evidence-standard pro-se-petition sentencing-guidelines standard-of-proof 1. Whether a cross reference which has a disproportionate effect on the sentence requires a higher standard of proof that mere proponderence. 2. Whet…
23-6919 Raul Perez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-03-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility alford-plea criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing inter-circuit-split memory-defense memory-loss plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines Does a plea of guilty pursuant to North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970), based on a complete loss of memory of the actions underlying the offen…
23-6904 Chance Joseph Seneca v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review categorical criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion due-process guidelines harmless-error judicial-procedure sentencing-guidelines Whether errors in calculating the Sentencing Guidelines are rendered categorically harmless by the district court's routine assertion that the Guideli…
23-6907 Tryton Alonzo Thomas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-deference agency-interpretation criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-deference judicial-review kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the standard for triggering judicial deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulations, as clarified in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. C…
23-6900 Bryan Reshad Hill v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure federal-rules fifth-circuit jury-verdict plain-error presentence-report rosales-mireles sentencing sentencing-guidelines Does a sentence twice that authorized by the jury's verdict constitute plain error? This Court's decision in Rosales-Mireles suggests so, but recent F…
23A803 Khan Mohammed v. United States District of Columbia 2024-02-29 Presumed Complete circuit-split criminal-history due-process ineffective-counsel sentencing-guidelines terrorism-enhancement Question not identified.
23-6834 Jeremy Lee Sestak v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP as-applied-petition constitutional-protections criminal-procedure double-jeopardy sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release u.s.s.g.-§4b1.5 u.s.s.g.-§5d1.2 Can a defendant bring an as-applied petition for modification of the supervised conditions? Does supervised release conditions as applied invoke Doub…
23-6841 Ronald D. Houston v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-02-27 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review booker-standard circuit-split crime-of-violence gall-v-united-states procedural-error reasonableness-review resisting-arrest sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-booker The United States Courts of Appeal disagree as to a district court's power to preclude appellate review for significant procedural error required by G…
23-6824 Jeremiah James Lynch v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-02-26 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-law criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process eighth-amendment parole proportionality sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Is it a Constitutional Violation to a grade A, naoUTk>iT\ f^ccx lOO? w*W T^^rmorc. /AovavT, ^cawsq A w^e, T,\m<l \a\£> oc\AW a\■6<^ v0^ c^- ('^ YAoa't…
23-6827 Victor Leon-Moya v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-02-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP conspiracy criminal-procedure drug-importation drug-trafficking enhancement-factors importation jurisdiction sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness 1) Whether a defendant's suggestion for a codefendant to pay a supplier what the codefendant owed said supplier constitutes "directing" per USSG § 3…
23-6818 Romeo Kevante Pride v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-02-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-sentencing due-process eighth-amendment sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ERRED BY DENYING MR. PRIDE'S ARGUMENT THAT THE DISTRICT COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR BY IMPOSING A 110…
23-6820 Marvin Carcamo v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-02-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure gang-membership harmless-error ninth-circuit procedural-error racketeering rico-conspiracy sentencing-guidelines 1. Did the Ninth Circuit incorrectly affirm the district court's procedural error determining racketeering conduct was reasonably foreseeable under th…
23-6799 Leon King v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-02-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion legal-reasoning sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c) requires a sentencing court which rejects a defendant's nonfrivilous arguments in favor of a lower sentence to explain its…
23-6774 Tremayne Silas v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-02-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP ambiguity appeal-waiver circuit-court criminal-appeal guilty-plea involuntary involuntary-plea legal-ambiguity summary-reversal Whether this Court should summarily reverse the Eighth Circuit's dismissal of Silas's appeal when the appeal waiver is ambiguous as to whether it appl…
23-6757 Bryan Alan Kennert v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-02-15 Dismissed Response WaivedIFP actual-loss deference economic-offenses guideline-interpretation intended-loss judicial-deference loss-calculation sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation This case involves the proper application of this Court's decision in Kisor v. Wilkie, 1389 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), in interpreting the United States Sent…
23-6749 Craig Alan Morrison v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-02-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing judicial-interpretation physical-restraint plain-text recurring-issue sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines victim-definition Whether a defendant should receive an increased sentence under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.3 for having "physically restrained" a victim, where the conduct at issu…
23-6751 Delon Joseph Adams v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-02-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924 concurrent-sentence concurrent-sentences criminal-law criminal-procedure federal-criminal-procedure federal-statute firearm-offense sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c)(1)(D)(ii) precludes a sentencing court from imposing a sentence for a Section 924(c) firearm offense partially concur…
23-6712 Abner Renato Natareno-Calderon v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-02-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure judicial-presumption reasonableness-standard rita-precedent rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether the Court should clarify how a defendant who challenges the substantive reasonableness of a within-Guidelines sentence may rebut an appellate …
23-6707 Sean Robert Wathen v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure dangerous-weapon district-court drug-offense enhancement factual-findings findings-of-fact sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g-2d1.1(b)(1) weapon-enhancement 1. Is the sentencing court required to make specific findings of fact, supported by the record, that a defendant possessed a dangerous weapon in conne…
23-6672 Christopher R. Williams, Jr. v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-02-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court drug-purity drug-quantity methamphetamine-case procedural-errors sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the district court erred by sentencing the Defendant to three hundred sixty (360) months in light of the circumstances of the case? II. Wh…
23-6647 Davaudrick Antron EtchisonBrown v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-02-01 Denied IFP 2nd-amendment bruen-standard criminal-law criminal-statute due-process federal-jurisdiction firearm-possession interstate-commerce precedent second-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) violates the Second Amendment under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022).…
23-6634 Andres Colon-Miranda v. United States First Circuit 2024-01-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review due-process litigation-strategy package-doctrine sentencing-guidelines summary-dismissal ussg-3d1.2 A. What is the appropriate standard of review when an appellate court improperly grants a motion for summary dismissal that has the practical effect o…
23-6545 Stephen Christopher Plunkett v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability circuit-split civil-rights due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance judicial-recusal sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment standing A. Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit completely flout this Court's precedent as set forth in Buck v. Davis . 580 U.S. 100 …
23-6555 Luis Aceves-Ramirez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law drug-offense drug-offenses enhancement importation knowledge-requirement mens-rea methamphetamine sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the two-level enhancement in U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(5) for a drug offense that involves imported methamphetamine requires that the defendant knew…
23A686 Clifford Laines, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-01-24 Presumed Complete armed-career-criminal-act criminal-statute drug-trafficking firearm-possession sentencing-guidelines serious-drug-offense Question not identified.
23-6531 Terrance Brown v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-01-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP borden-v-united-states career-offender crime-of-violence criminal-conviction criminal-sentencing district-court judicial-review mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent 00hcVVvLC iht ddrtricrt coox-v trct6 vo $\o&[no^ -vViod Brouon \S a cac^r o-^ockr vxadxr U-S.S.G MfeU aad M5LZ, AoWerc OAt, Brouon ^ pccdxodc coavxc-…
23-6544 In Re Mo Savoy Hicks 2024-01-23 Denied IFP appellate-jurisdiction criminal-procedure due-process emotional-harm enhancement-factor miscarriage-of-justice prejudicial-variance sentencing-guidelines third-party-harm 1. DOES THE MINNESOTA SENTENCING GUIDELINES ENHANCEMENT FACTOR 'PARTICULAR CRUELTY' IN RELYING ON EMOTIONAL HARM TO THIRD PARTIES INSTEAD OF CONDUCT E…
23-6526 Larry Coates v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-01-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-deference agency-interpretation auer-deference judicial-review kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Whether the Sentencing Commission, when interpreting the Guidelines, should receive a more deferential version of Auer deference than all other federa…
23-6485 Keaton Lamar Shaw v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-deference agency-interpretation criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-deference kisor-standard kisor-v-wilkie policy-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the standard for triggering judicial deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulations, as clarified in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. C…
23-6486 Schuyler Algernon Smith v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-deference agency-interpretation criminal-sentencing federal-courts judicial-deference kisor-standard kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent Whether the standard for triggering judicial deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulations, as clarified in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. C…
23-6492 Delondo Henderson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP complicity complicity-law controlled-substances criminal-law inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-4b1.2 Does the State of Kentucky's complicity law state an inchoate offense, such that a conviction for complicity cannot constitute a "controlled substance…
23-6493 Shannon Wilson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP application-note application-note-9 criminal-law drug-quantity judicial-interpretation methamphetamine pill-form sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the plain language of Application Note 9 to sentencing guidelines §2D1.1(c) requires a sentencing court to calculate the amount of pill-form m…
23-6499 Pete Manning v. United States Third Circuit 2024-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-procedure drug-schedules federal-law federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-law time-of-consequences time-of-conviction In federal sentencing, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines typically call for a higher advisory Guidelines range if the defendant has been convicted of a p…
23-6500 Jimmy Lee Smart v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-interpretation auer-deference circuit-conflict criminal-sentencing federal-agencies judicial-deference kisor-standard regulatory-interpretation sentencing-guidelines Whether the standard for triggering judicial deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulations, as clarified in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. C…
23-6502 Marwan Lamar Lamb v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process judicial-finding preponderance-of-evidence preponderance-of-the-evidence sentencing-guidelines trial-by-jury Does nearly doubling a defendant's Guidelines sentence range based on a judge's finding by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant committe…
23-6476 Phillip Thomas Green v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-01-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines appellate-review constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing presumption-of-reasonableness rebuttal sentencing-guidelines With the understanding that federal sentences are accompanied by a presumption of reasonableness if they fall within a properly calculated advisory gu…
23-6477 Jamaile L. Huey v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-01-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP borden-v-united-states crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-jurisdiction fourth-circuit mens-rea robbery robbery-statute sentencing sentencing-guidelines violent-crime Whether a state robbery conviction, sustained under a statute without a specified mens rea for the element of violence or threat of violence, but with…
23-6461 Luis Armando Jimenez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-01-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process federal-criminal-justice federal-sentencing guidelines judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines Under Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338 (2007), can a district court at sentencing ignore a party's nonfrivolous arguments for a greater or lesser s…
23-6466 Edgar Lerma Flores, aka Carlos Alberto Penuelas Rodriguez, aka Carlos Alberto Pencelas Rodriguez v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-01-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 abuse-of-discretion extraordinary-compelling-reason extraordinary-reason guideline-ranges methamphetamine-disparity methamphetamine-purity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction sixth-circuit Can the disparity in Guideline ranges for offenses involving substance containing methamphetamine and those involving a pure methamphetamine be consid…
23-6454 Darwin Dwayne Hutchins v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender cocaine-definition controlled-substance federal-vs-state-law non-violent-drug-crimes sentence-length sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines state-federal-definition 1. Did the district court err when it counted Hutchins's Ohio cocaine conviction as a controlled substance offense to make him a career offender under…
23-6440 Ismael De Jesus-Flores v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-01-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law constitutional-interpretation constitutional-law due-process notice-and-comment sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation vagueness vagueness-doctrine Whether the U.S.S.G Commentary being issued on a High in § 2L1.1 is unconstitutionally vague when it was never subjected to notice and comment to the …
23-6445 Calvin Solomon v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-01-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-v-new-jersey crack-cocaine-law crack-cocaine-sentencing discretionary-review eleventh-circuit first-step-act judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction Section 404 of the First Step Act of 2018 sets out two steps to determine whether the imposition of a reduced sentence is warranted for a defendant pr…
23-736 Bernard Gadson v. United States First Circuit 2024-01-08 Denied Response Waived administrative-law agency-deference criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-review loss-calculation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does deference to the Sentencing Commission's commentary to USSG § 2B1.1, cmt. n.3(A), expanding the meaning of "loss" to include "intended loss," vio…
23-6421 Remberto Rivera v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-01-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-guidance circuit-split deference judicial-deference sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation stinson-v-united-states supreme-court-precedent Whether this Court's decision in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), now prescribes the amount of deference to be paid to the United States Sente…
23-6405 Brian K. Allen v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-01-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process evidentiary-hearing federal-circuit fundamental-rights plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-procedure 1. Whether the near consensus Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals' application of plea agreement appeal waivers as to subsequent sentencing proceedings,…
23-6406 Jamal Eberhardt v. United States Third Circuit 2024-01-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court-standard criminal-procedure due-process excessive-sentence judicial-discretion reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review third-circuit 1. Did the Third Circuit error by not finding Mr. Eberhardt's sentence was harsh and excessive.
23A601 Shannon Donoho v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-01-02 Presumed Complete child-pornography federal-criminal-law photographic-evidence sentencing-guidelines sexually-explicit-conduct statutory-interpretation Whether surreptitiously recorded videos and images of minors in a bathroom depict those minors engaging in "sexually explicit conduct"—namely, the "la…
23-6387 Montgomery Lebeau v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-12-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP anticipated-imprisonment concurrent-sentence concurrent-sentences criminal-procedure federal-sentencing judicial-interpretation same-incident sentencing-guidelines state-charges ussg-5g1.3(c) When a state term of imprisonment is anticipated to result from another offense that is relevant conduct to the federal offense of conviction, the Fed…
23-6347 Trayone Lefferio Bell v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-12-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-loss administrative-deference circuit-split federal-sentencing-guidelines fraud-guidelines intended-loss kisor-v-wilke loss-calculation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does the intended loss commentary to the fraud guidelines § 2B1.1(b)(1) violate this court's decision Kisor v. Wilke, 139 S.Ct. 2400 (2019).
23-6335 Devonne L. Walker v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-12-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-leadership criminal-organization criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing firearm-possession guideline-enhancement leadership sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review 1) Whether the lower court erred in applying a 4-level increase pursuant to U.S.S.G. Guideline § 3B1.1(a) in determining the Petitioner to be an organ…
23-6336 Javier Garibay Mendoza, aka Javier Garibay Mendoza-Romero, aka Jose Mendoza-Romero v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-12-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a circuit-split criminal-sentencing gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion procedural-obligations procedural-requirements sentencing-guidelines upward-variance Under Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 50 (2007), a district court imposing an outside-Guidelines sentence "must consider the extent of the deviati…
23-6325 James E. Downs v. Ricky D. Dixon, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections Florida 2023-12-21 Denied IFP civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process equal-protection florida-statute habitual-offender sentencing sentencing-guidelines UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTIONS (4) (0), (¢ )e 14 AMENDMENTS) CAN THE CLNEMS BEING PRESENTED HEREIN DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT MANIFEST WSUSTSECCE…
23-6312 Andre Reese v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-deference agency-interpretation judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie precedential-interpretation sentencing-guidelines stare-decisis statutory-construction statutory-interpretation In Stinson v. United States, 508 U.S. 36 (1993), this Court held that the United States Sentencing Commission's commentary to the Sentencing Guideline…
23-6314 Dana Jahmal Stevenson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review attempt attempt-offense controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the court of appeal s erred in ruling that a prior sentence for a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 (a)(1) qualified as a "controlled substance …
23-6278 Devontae Nykel Racliff v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-12-15 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 2nd-amendment bruen-standard criminal-law criminal-statute due-process federal-jurisdiction firearm-possession interstate-commerce second-amendment sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) violates the Second Amendment under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022).…
23-6249 Flenoid Greer v. Michigan Michigan 2023-12-13 Denied IFP collateral-review due-process equal-protection fourteenth-amendment liberty-interest post-conviction post-conviction-relief sentencing-guidelines successive-motion Can a State's collateral review procedures deny a person from having an invalid sentence vacated, without violating the right to petition. Whether Pe…
23-6196 Boris Ward v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-12-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-representation cumulative-effect drug-transaction ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-offer prior-convictions reasonableness-of-sentence sentencing-guidelines 1) Whether trial counsel provided constitutionally deficient representation to Mr. Ward. 2) Whether the district court erred by failing to vary from …
23A516 Ronald D. Houston, aka Hassan Blue, aka Ron Reezy v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-12-07 Presumed Complete borden-precedent crime-of-violence eighth-circuit force-clause resisting-arrest sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-6169 Juan Carlos Soto v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-12-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-3553 appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process federal-sentencing ninth-circuit-court remand sentencing sentencing-guidelines A. Selective Remand Petitioner asks: Why does the 4th Circuit Court of appeals Remand (Almost Cases Where Not all of the appellant's Non-Frivolous Pa…
23-6165 Jesus Del Valle Gonzalez-Rodriguez v. United States First Circuit 2023-12-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver brief-filing burden-of-proof court-of-appeals criminal-procedure due-process government-defense opening-brief plea-agreement reply-brief Whether a criminal defendant must raise the issue of an appeal waiver in his opening brief or whether it falls upon the government to raise the waiver…
23A510 Larry Coates v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-12-05 Presumed Complete auer-deference circuit-split kisor-deference sentencing-guidelines sentencing-uniformity stinson-precedent Question not identified.
23-6157 Mario Alberto Netro-Perales v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-12-04 Denied IFP administrative-law circuit-split deference federal-courts federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation stinson-v-united-states 1. The circuits have split over the extent of deference that is to be given to the commentaries to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines after the decisio…
23-6150 Quindell Tyree Maloid v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-12-01 Denied IFP administrative-interpretation administrative-law deference judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-commission Whether the administrative law principles articulated in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), limit the deference owed to the United States Senten…
23-6151 Urbano Torres-Giles v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-12-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split clearly-erroneous-facts criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process fact-finding reliability reliability-standard sentencing-context sentencing-guidelines This Court's precedent precludes the use of clearly erroneous facts to influence a criminal defendant's sentence. Here, the district court assumed the…
23-578 Christopher Kinzy v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure district-court-discretion gall-standard gall-v-united-states guidelines judicial-explanation rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court can insulate from vacatur a sentence based on an erroneously enhanced Guidelines range simply by stating, without explanation…
23-6129 Jarmaine Carter v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-11-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach crime-of-violence extortion federal-sentencing ohio-revised-code ohio-robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Ohio robbery under Ohio Revised Code § 2911.02(A)(2) categorically matches the enumerated offense of "extortion" under United States Sentencin…
23-6131 Eliseo Vaquerano Canas v. United States First Circuit 2023-11-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP administrative-agency administrative-law congressional-directive sentencing-commission sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-authority statutory-interpretation use-of-a-minor use-of-minor-enhancement I. Whether the Sentencing Commission exceeded its authority when, contrary to a Congressional directive, it made the "Use of a Minor" sentencing enhan…
23-6134 Rajon Jamison v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-11-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act armed-career-offender base-level base-level-calculation constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process juvenile-conviction sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation WHETHER THIS COURT SHOULD GRANT THIS APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI AND ADDRESS TWO SENTENCING ERROR OF SIGNIFICANCE WHEN THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WH…
23-6135 Charles Kevin Agerton v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-11-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law federal-jurisdiction legal-interpretation offense-matching sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether an offense-matching categorical approach applies to the determination of a "controlled substance offense" under the Sentencing Guidelines?
23A483 Salvador Magluta v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-11-29 Presumed Complete acquitted-conduct circuit-split compassionate-release sentence-modification sentencing-guidelines solitary-confinement Question not identified.
23A474 Xiaorong You, aka Shannon You v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-11-28 Presumed Complete administrative-deference circuit-split economic-espionage intended-loss sentencing-guidelines trade-secrets Question not identified.
23-6121 Jemare Ray McNair, aka Head v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-11-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appeal-waivers career-offender criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-enhancement WHETHER CAREER OFFENDER STATUS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO APPEAL WAIVERS IN PLEA AGREEMENTS WHERE A DEFENDANT HAS A LEGITIMATE ARGUMENT THAT HE WAS NOT A CA…
23-6068 Jermaine Deshan West v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-amendment courts-of-appeals due-process empirical-evidence equal-protection fifth-amendment methamphetamine sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines "Whether the U.S. Sentencing Commission abdicated its duties under 28 U.S.C. §994(2) (l)(B) when determining the appropriate amount of imprisonment Co…
23-6079 Santos David Ramirez-Ortega v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review conflict-with-other-courts criminal-procedure district-court guideline-range holguin-hernandez judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines substantial-arguments Whether, after Holguin -Hernandez v. United States , __U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails…
23-6082 Cuedell Javon Henry v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP borden-precedent categorical-approach circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-sentencing fifth-circuit reckless-mental-state sentencing-guidelines taylor-descamps texas-robbery Whether the Fifth Circuit has continued to misapply Taylor and Descamps by ignoring Borden and expanding "robbery" (as enumerated as a "crime of viole…
23-6085 Randall Gray Stoneman, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment criminal-procedure district-court evidence evidence-seizure federal-sentencing-guidelines motion-to-suppress search-and-seizure sentencing sentencing-guidelines video-surveillance A. WAS THE DISTRICT COURT IN ERROR IN DENYING THE MOTION TO SUPPRESS THE EVIDENCE SEIZED PURSUANT TO THE APRIL 19, 2020 VIDEO? B. WAS THE SIX LEVEL E…
23-6086 Luis Alberto Marcano-Godoy v. United States First Circuit 2023-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-defendant criminal-procedure government-defense opening-brief procedural-rule reply-brief Whether a criminal defendant must raise the issue of an appeal waiver in his opening brief or whether it falls upon the government to raise the waiver…
23-6087 Ronell Whitehead v. United States Third Circuit 2023-11-21 Denied IFP 21-usc-841 21-usc-846 circuit-split conspiracy-law controlled-substances drug-conspiracy drug-distribution mandatory-minimum sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Section 846 of title 21 provides that the available penalties for a controlled substances conspiracy violation are "the same ... as those prescribe…
23A458 Tony Ford v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-11-21 Presumed Complete appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-jurisdiction sentencing-guidelines writ-of-certiorari Question not identified.
23-537 Faisal Ashraf, aka Sal v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-11-20 Denied Amici (1) appeal-waiver circuit-split computer-fraud-and-abuse-act criminal-procedure due-process factual-basis federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure plea-agreement Whether the federal courts of appeals can refuse to consider a challenge to the sufficiency of the factual basis for a guilty plea when the plea agree…
23-6054 In Re Christopher Thieme 2023-11-20 Denied IFP 5th-amendment constitutional-violation double-counting double-jeopardy due-process grouping multiple-punishment sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Does the application of a four-level sentencing enhancement under United States Sentencing Guideline § 2A1.5(b)(1) to the sentence calculation of a de…
23-6048 Elvis Redzepagic v. United States Second Circuit 2023-11-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law federal-sentencing material-support offense-level sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation terrorism terrorist-organizations Whether this Court should grant certiorari to resolve the circuit split regarding the correct offense level that is to be used in sentencing violation…
23-6029 Brianna Irene Bustam v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-16 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history drug-offenses first-step-act rule-of-lenity safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The question presented is whether the "and" in § 3553(f)(1) means "and," so that a defendant satisfies the provision so long as she does not have (A) …
23-6018 Calvin F. Currica v. Richard Miller, Warden Fourth Circuit 2023-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP brady-standard brady-vs-maryland criminal-procedure due-process fourth-circuit guidelines judicial-review plea-agreement plea-bargaining post-conviction-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the decision below should be summarily reversed because the Fourth Circuit substituted its judgment for an erroneous factual decision by the s…
23-6025 Deunta Finch v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure guidelines plain-error-review preservation-of-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit Has the Sixth Circuit erred by creating a novel doctrine that says, to avoid plain-error review, a criminal defendant must object after the sentencing…
23-6005 Ehab Sadeek v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-14 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-sentencing due-process plain-error procedural-error sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-wooden In the admitted absence of established circuit precedent, was it plain error for the appellate court to affirm Petitioner's 405-month sentence based o…
23-5995 Jake Messer v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion character-testimony commerce-clause federal-kidnapping-statute guidelines-calculation interstate-commerce noneconomic-violent-crime procedural-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines L Whether the Sixth Circuit's interpretation of the Federal Kidnapping statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(), as applied to Petitioner, exceeded Congressiona…
23A428 Charles States v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-11-13 Presumed Complete attempted-murder categorical-approach crime-of-violence sentencing-guidelines substantive-offense united-states-v-taylor Question not identified.
23A414 Monterial Wesley v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-11-08 Presumed Complete appellate-review discretionary-authority extraordinary-circumstances federal-criminal-law sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-5978 Brian Keith Person, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-11-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process fourth-circuit knowing-voluntary plea-agreement plea-bargaining voluntariness Whether the Fourth Circuit Erred By Dismissing Mr. Person's Appeal Pursuant to An Appeal Waiver When He Argued that His Plea was Not Knowing and Volun…
23-5954 Arthur Picklo v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 924(c) consecutive-sentences consecutive-sentencing criminal-procedure federal-criminal-law rule-of-lenity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the rule of lenity requires a sentencing court to impose a § 924(c) sentence consecutive to only the predicate crime of violence or drug offen…
23-5940 John Paul Lopez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-02 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-authority delegation-of-authority due-process federal-sentencing judicial-authority judicial-delegation probation-officer sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Does Standard Condition 12 unconstitutionally delegate judicial authority to the probation officer?
23-5941 Gregory L. Randle v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-02 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP consecutive-sentence consecutive-sentences criminal-procedure due-process federal-jurisdiction sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness supervised-release Whether the district court erred by ordering Mr. Randle to serve 12 months in prison for nonviolent supervised release violations, and by ordering the…
23-5946 Dravion Sanchez Ware v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-11-02 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process identification identification-evidence law-enforcement physical-restraint sentencing-guidelines surveillance-evidence L. As held by other Circuits, the physical restraint enhancement in US.S.G. § 2B3.1(b)(4)(B) requires more than pointing a gun at someone, and the Ele…
23-5947 Kraig M. Trotter v. United States Third Circuit 2023-11-02 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP controlled-substances criminal-procedure deterrence due-process federal-sentencing methamphetamine methamphetamines proportional-punishment sentencing-guidelines third-circuit Did the Third Circuit err in failing to consider the disparity in sentencing under U.S.S.G §2D1.1(c) of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for methamph…
23A391 Bernard Gadson v. United States First Circuit 2023-10-31 Presumed Complete administrative-law circuit-split kisor-deference loss-calculation plain-error sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-5908 Michael James Choulat v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-30 Denied IFP which expands the application of § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B) agency-deference criminal-law drug-trafficking firearm-possession firearms sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Kisor's limits on courts' deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulation permitted deference to Comment 14(B), which expands th…
23-5893 Tigran Zmrukhtyan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-10-26 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-procedure firearm-possession law-enforcement law-enforcement-interaction physical-struggle reckless-conduct risk-enhancement sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Does mere possession of a firearm, even during a brief physical struggle with law enforcement, support a § 3C1.2 enhancement?
23-5875 Andres Vargas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-25 Denied IFP agency-interpretation auer-deference circuit-split federal-criminal-sentencing judicial-deference kisor-standard kisor-v-wilkie regulatory-ambiguity sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Whether the standard for triggering judicial deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulations, as clarified in Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. C…
23A375 Rico Lorodge Brown v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-10-25 Presumed Complete almendarez-torres apprendi-rule criminal-statute jury-finding prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines Whether the Armed Career Criminal Act's different-occasions element must be found by a jury rather than a sentencing judge.
23-5788 Roberto Buendia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review davis fifth-circuit intra-circuit-conflict molina-martinez plain-error plain-error-review rosales-mireles sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent Whether the standard the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals applied for determining if the sentencing Guidelines' error in Buendia's case was "plain" conf…
23-5790 Brock Brian Beeman v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process fourth-circuit notice-requirements plea-agreement rule-32 sentencing sentencing-notice Did the Fourth Circuit err in upholding the Petitioner's appeal waiver to preclude his claim that the trial court violated the notice provisions of Ru…
23-5782 Tyrone Robinson, aka Tyrone R. Robinson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-10-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance federal-law grievous-ambiguity rule-of-lenity sentencing-guidelines state-law statutory-interpretation Whether the meaning of the term "controlled substance" in the Sentencing Guidelines includes any substance prohibited by state law, or instead only th…
23-5786 Mark Andre Green v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-court borden-precedent borden-v-united-states circuit-split crime-of-violence legal-analysis sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review statutory-interpretation 1. Whether Texas state law aggravated assault by injury can be considered a crime of violence under the Sentencing Guidelines in light of this Court's…
23-5766 Richard Todd Haas v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-10-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 3553a-factors appellate-review criminal-sentencing fourth-circuit procedural-error sentencing-guidelines variance-sentence Is the Fourth Circuit's plausibility test for evaluating a variance sentence under the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors, because it is untethered from any …
23-5773 Adrian De La Torre v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-authority delegation-of-authority due-process federal-sentencing judicial-authority judicial-delegation probation-officer sentencing-guidelines supervised-release When a district court imposes a term of supervised release as part of a sentence, the United States Sentencing Commission recommends imposing a long l…
23-5755 Dewayne Joseph v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-10-11 Denied IFP circuit-split discretion discretionary-relief fair-sentencing-act first-step-act retroactive-application sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether district courts have an obligation to calculate revised guidelines to reflect the retroactive effect of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 as …
23-5739 Daniel Ray Metsinger v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit jurisdiction plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by dismissing Mr. Metsinger's appeal based on the waiver of appeal provision in his Plea Agreement.
23-5699 Jose J. Galiany-Cruz v. United States First Circuit 2023-10-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP compassionate-release criminal-justice criminal-procedure district-court district-court-authority extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines Does a district court have the authority to determine what constitutes "extra ordinary and compelling reasons " warranting compassionate release or ar…
23-5678 Jasper Michael Wagner v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court-interpretation constitutional-law criminal-history criminal-procedure descamps-v-united-states gall-v-united-states judicial-fact-finding sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment united-states-v-hernandez Whether the Fifth Circuit's holding that that judicial fact-finding as to past offenses is permissible during sentencing pursuant to United States v. …
23-5688 Angel Marie Jordan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-02 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appeal-waiver constitutional-challenge criminal-justice criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process plea-agreement right-to-appeal This Court has recognized that an appeal waiver in a plea agreement cannot bar a challenge when a conviction, or sentence, is based on "constitutional…
23-5691 Ricardo Garcia, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-02 Denied Relisted (3)IFP circuit-split criminal-history due-process mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Pursuant to the "safety-valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute, a defendant convicted of certain nonviolent drug crimes can obtain relief …
23-310 Cory Ratzloff v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-09-26 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) administrative-law agency-deference agency-interpretation guidelines-commentary judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines stinson-v-united-states supreme-court-precedent united-states-sentencing-commission Whether the administrative law principles articulated in Kisor limit the deference owed to the United States Sentencing Commission's commentary on the…
23-5623 Patrick Medearis v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-09-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-846 conspiracy controlled-substance-offense crime-of-violence federal-criminal-law overt-act sentence-enhancement sentencing-guidelines ussg-4b1.2 I. Does conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 qualify as a "controlled substance offense" under USSG § 4B1.2…
23-5631 Jason M. Moriarty v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-09-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP consecutive-sentences criminal-law criminal-procedure imprisonment maximum-sentence revocation-of-release sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supervised-release When revoking multiple terms of supervised release and requiring a defendant "to serve in prison all or part of the term of supervised release," may t…
23-5636 Javon Montreal King v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-09-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal background criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum substantive-reasonableness youth youth-consideration Whether the district court erred, considering Mr. King's youth and background, when it sentenced him to the statutory maximum of 120 months' imprisonm…
23A259 Faisal Ashraf, aka Sal v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-09-21 Presumed Complete appeal-waiver cfaa-authorization computer-fraud-and-abuse-act guilty-plea sufficiency-of-factual-basis van-buren 1. This case presents an important question on which circuits are split: whether appellate courts can refuse to consider a challenge to the sufficienc…
23-5599 Juan Manuel Amaya-Castaneda v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-09-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP almendarez-torres appellate-review criminal-procedure judicial-discretion prior-conviction-exception prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether, after Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, _U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails to…
23-5591 Patrick Andrew Groves v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-09-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP aiding-and-abetting attempted-distribution attempted-transfer controlled-substances controlled-substances-act criminal-law drug-offenses sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation surplusage For certain recidivist guideline enhancements, "[t]he term 'controlled substance offense' means an offense under federal or state law, punishable by i…
23-5571 Deon Jefferson Johnson v. Mike Brown, Warden Sixth Circuit 2023-09-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights cruel-and-unusual-punishment cruel-unusual-punishment due-process fair-trial habeas-corpus habitual-offender jury-trial sentencing-guidelines PETITIONER WAS DENIED HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL JURY TRIAL DUE TO HIS CONVICTION BASED ON A HUNG JURY. PETITIONER WAS DENIED …
23-5546 Richard Sansbury v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-09-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP abduction circuit-split criminal-law definitional-analysis location-change robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation victim-movement The meaning of "abducted" as used in United States Sentencing Guideline § 2B3.1(b)(4) and elsewhere throughout the Sentencing Guidelines is the subjec…
23-5550 Joseph Jones v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-09-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-court civil-procedure contractual-law due-process plea-agreement sentence-appeal-waiver sentencing standing Whether the Appellant's rights were violated when the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals enforced a sentence appeal waiver in a plea agreement that was…
23-198 Jamar M. Lewis v. United States Third Circuit 2023-09-05 Denied Amici (1) armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach controlled-substance federal-law predicate-conviction sentencing-guidelines state-law 1. Under this Court's decision in McNeill, is the term "controlled substance" in the Sentencing Guidelines defined at the time of the predicate convic…
23-5512 Robinson Mendoza-Gomez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-09-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure double-counting due-process enhancement-application federal-sentencing governmental-officer obstruction-of-justice sentencing-guidelines Whether the guidelines' enhancement for obstruction of justice requires some conduct above and beyond the conduct comprising the offense of conviction…
23-5503 Roman Alvarado, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-authority delegation-of-authority due-process federal-sentencing judicial-authority judicial-delegation probation-officer sentencing-guidelines supervised-release When a district court imposes a term of supervised release as part of a sentence, the United States Sentencing Commission recommends imposing a long l…
23-5432 Kyle Vaughn v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure judicial-presumption presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness-standard rita-precedent rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Whether the Court should clarify how a defendant who challenges the substantive reasonableness of a within-Guidelines sentence may rebut an appellate …
23-5435 Marques Webb v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit judicial-review jurisdiction plea-agreement plea-bargaining procedural-default waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by dismissing Mr. Webb's appeal based on the waiver of appeal provisions in his Plea Agreement.
23-5437 Adedayo Hakeem Sanusi v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split due-process fundamental-fairness sentencing-guidelines sophisticated-means substantive-reasonableness upward-variance 1. Whether the Appellant is deprived of Due Process and fundamentalsairness where the district court applies a sophisticated means enhancement based u…
23-5392 Angelo Joseph Fernandez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-08-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence criminal-law domestic-violence mens-rea prior-conviction recklessness sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court 1. Does the petitioner's prior conviction for corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant under California Penal Code § 273.5(a) qualify as a crime of v…
23-5363 Kyle Richard Bishop v. Georgia Georgia 2023-08-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process judicial-discretion jurisdiction mitigating-factors sentencing-guidelines standing Question not identified.
23-5364 Christopher Alexander Nerius v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-08-16 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender-guideline controlled-substance-offense criminal-procedure federal-sentencing prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines timing-question united-states-sentencing-guidelines Whether, in determining if a prior offense is a "controlled substance offense" for purposes of the career offender guideline, U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b), sen…
23-5357 Carlos Edwin Smith, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-08-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a adult-sentencing adverse-childhood-experiences criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court judicial-discretion mitigation-factors relevancy sentencing-guidelines I. WHEN SENTENCING A DEFENDANT PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) DOES A DISTRICT COURT FULLY "CONSIDER THE FACTORS SET FORTH IN 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)" IF …
23-5358 Devin Jerrod Long v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-08-15 Denied IFP controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law drug-conviction drug-offense federal-judge prior-felony prior-felony-convictions sentence-enhancement sentencing-guidelines The United States Sentencing Guidelines significantly increase the recommended sentencing range for a defendant who has at least two prior felony conv…
23-5304 Jaquantious Hutchison v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-09 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation The Safety Valve provision, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f), instructs district courts to sentence under the guidelines without regard to any statutory mandatory …
23-5320 Curtis Lavon Magee v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit judicial-review jurisdiction plea-agreement plea-bargaining procedural-error waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by dismissing Mr. Magee's appeal based on the waiver of appeal provisions in his Plea Agreement.
23-5296 Leonel Marin-Torres v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-08-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-justice-reform effective-assistance-of-counsel equitable-relief first-step-act guidelines-range ineffective-assistance pro-se-representation sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Whether a district court, when deciding a First Step Act motion on the pleadings, complies with Concepcion v. United States, when it fails to calcu…
23-5290 Littleton William Clark v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-08-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law district-court double-jeopardy due-process felony-offense firearms guideline-application sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the District Court erred in interpreting Note 14(c) of §2K2.1(b)(6)(B) when it applied a four-level enhancement pursuant to §2K2.1(b)(6)(B) fo…
23-5276 German Martinez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review appellate-standard circuit-split criminal-procedure judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
23-5236 Marvas Aurelien v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-07-28 Denied IFP circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-sentencing drug-schedules federal-drug-schedules federal-law federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-drug-offenses I. Whether the "controlled substance" definition in United States Sentencing Guideline § 4B1.2(b) incorporates the federal drug schedules in effect at…
23-5240 Alden Brent Cooper v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-07-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-conduct criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment presentence-investigation presentence-investigation-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines Section 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(1) can be violated by either knowingly receiving or distributing child pornography. A defendant accused of a violation of…
23-5207 Omar Alfonso Alas v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-07-26 Denied IFP 18-usc-16a categorical-approach crime-of-violence crimes-of-violence immigration mens-rea physical-force sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a crime with a mens rea of extreme recklessness has, "as an element, the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the…
23-5213 Deangelo Devon Grant v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-07-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP constructive-amendment criminal-procedure due-process indictment indictment-interpretation judicial-discretion methamphetamine methamphetamine-weight sentencing-guidelines Does utilizing a provision of the United States Sentencing Guidelines for " actual " weight of methamphetamine, rather than the charged offense of " m…
23-5187 Juan Sepulveda-Arreola v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-07-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice criminal-procedure district-court federal-jurisdiction federal-law fifth-circuit minor-participant sentencing-guidelines Whether the Fifth Circuit violated federal law when it conducted a cursory review of the facts related to the district court's erroneous refusal to de…
23-5159 Juan Jabari Hollis v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-07-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines appeal-waiver categorical-approach controlled-substance-offense controlled-substance-offenses criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing miscarriage-of-justice sentencing-guidelines waiver-of-appeal Despite waiving his right to appeal his sentence except under limited circumstances, did the calculation of his advisory guideline range, which influe…
23-5164 Ermin Adzemovic v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-07-21 Denied IFP controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-sentencing decontrolled-substances drug-offense federal-sentencing-guidelines guideline-range prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines ussg-4b1.2 Does a prior drug conviction under a statute that included now decontrolled substances qualify as a "controlled substance offense" to enhance a defend…
23-5174 Dionte Houff v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-07-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split constitutional-statute jurisdiction plea-agreement retroactive-application statutory-and-constitutional-issues supreme-court-precedent waiver-of-appeal Can a plea agreement that contains a waiver of appeal bar a direct appeal of a conviction and/or sentence based on a statute that this Court later rul…
23A57 Tyrone Robinson, aka Tyrone R. Robinson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-07-21 Presumed Complete circuit-split controlled-substance-offense eighth-amendment-sentencing federal-standards jerome-presumption sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
23-5149 Javier Escalera, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-07-20 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history fifth-circuit mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Pursuant to the "safety-valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute, a defendant convicted of certain nonviolent drug crimes can obtain relief …
23-5154 Justin Christopher Smith v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-07-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver armed-career-criminal-act criminal-procedure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prior-convictions sentencing statutory-interpretation statutory-sentencing violent-felony violent-offense 1. Whether an appeal waiver can bar an attack on an enhanced statutory sentence? 2. Whether Petitioner's prior convictions for robbery and resisting …
23-5137 Joshua Christopher Stockstill v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-07-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines section-3553a-factors sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness Whether the district court ordered a substantively unreasonable 30-year prison sentence.
23-5113 Charleton Maxwell v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-07-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-circuit conservative-estimate criminal-procedure drug-quantity due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines walton-rule Issue 1. In the case at bar the sentencing judge refused to a apply a higher standard than a mere preponderance when the issue was, based on a drug…
23-5114 Leroy C. Tate v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-07-17 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance eighth-circuit-interpretation federal-sentencing-guidelines mcneill-precedent mcneill-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines state-law Does McNeill require courts to define "controlled substance" under § 4B1.2 of the federal sentencing guidelines by consulting superseded state schedul…
23-5101 Christopher Wade v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-07-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure fifth-circuit gall-v-united-states harmless-error judicial-precedent sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-guzman-rendon I. Whether the Fifth Circuit's application of harmless error doctrine pursuant to United States v. Guzman-Rendon, 864 F.3d 409 (5th Cir. 2017) violate…
23-5055 Erick De Jesus-Torres v. United States First Circuit 2023-07-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP aiding-and-abetting appellate-review downward-variance gall-v-united-states kimbrough-v-united-states meaningful-explanation policy-considerations sentencing-court sentencing-enhancement sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines Whether a sentencing court must provide a reasonable explanation, on the record, as to why it is not considering a sentencing factor, particularly an …
23-2 Gerald Spruell v. United States Third Circuit 2023-06-30 Denied Response Waived appellate-review conspiracy criminal-procedure drug-conspiracy drug-quantities evidence evidence-sufficiency jury-verdict mandatory-minimum sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in concluding there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict and drug quantities attributed to the …
23-5002 Joseph Hauschild v. Illinois Illinois 2023-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure eighth-amendment graham-v-florida juvenile-offender juvenile-sentencing life-without-parole meaningful-opportunity meaningful-opportunity-for-release roper-v-simmons sentencing-guidelines term-of-years-sentence In the landmark decision of Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48 (2010), this Court held that, for a juvenile offender who did not commit homicide, the Eigh…
23-5004 Gregory L. Randle v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-jurisdiction appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit plea-agreement plea-bargaining procedural-waiver right-to-appeal waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by dismissing Mr. Randle's appeal based on the waiver of appeal provisions in his Plea Agreement.
22-7900 David Wright, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-06-29 Denied IFP criminal-law criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process equal-protection federal-sentencing-guidelines guideline-range prior-conviction prior-convictions sentencing-guidelines state-statutes statutory-interpretation Whether the District Court erred by counting a prior conviction for violation of a state statute that had been changed to make the conduct not a crime…
22-7904 Andrew Ryan Demont v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-06-29 Denied IFP appellate-review armed-career-criminal circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-law drug-convictions federal-guidelines federal-sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1) Whether prior drug convictions inclusive of substances that have since been decontrolled can be used to impose present day federal sentencing enha…
22-7831 Charles A. McRae v. Shannon N. Myers, et al. Seventh Circuit 2023-06-23 Denied IFP appellate-review civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights court-procedure due-process judicial-interpretation legal-standard sentencing-guidelines standing summary-judgment /\ppe//<-tbS Cbor'C drr id i'Ae /jtp^icA Ctvrd-^ fi)e.cf do/t./- jQM -tie fit fiD t) t M.}dj <?*. Q\4r peHH ox«A "AWBr 6o.y uokt/i, k& o-f- po$$}b c…
22-7832 David Troy, III v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-06-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court circuit-precedent criminal-resentencing fair-sentencing-act first-step-act fourth-circuit retroactive-changes retroactive-law sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether retroactive changes in the law unrelated to the Fair Sentencing Act must be corrected in a First Step Act proceeding?
22-7840 Cordelro Desean Shoulders v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit judicial-review jurisdiction plea-agreement plea-bargaining procedural-error waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by dismissing Mr. Shoulders' appeal based on the waiver of appeal provisions in his Plea Agreement.
22-7826 Ronell Watson v. United States Second Circuit 2023-06-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-amendment 6th-amendment attempted-murder constitutional-rights fifth-amendment jury-instructions premeditation sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-maximum Is premeditation an element of attempted murder under the federal system, such that the Government violated Petitioner's Fifth and Sixth Amendments ri…
22-7833 Jeremy Randall Ezell v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-sentencing judicial-presumption reasonableness-standard rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether the Court should clarify how a defendant who challenges the substantive reasonableness of a within-Guidelines sentence may rebut an appellate …
22-7814 Joshua E. Preece v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-06-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP chapter-four criminal-history criminal-law due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines recidivism recidivist-enhancement relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-commission Do the relevant conduct principles of USSG § 1B1.3 govern application of Chapter Four recidivist enhancements?
22-7806 Travis Charles Werkmeister v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-06-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-offense drug-trafficking federal-sentencing-guidelines mens-rea methamphetamine-importation scienter-requirement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether this Court should grant the Writ to resolve a circuit split as to whether the two level enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1 (b) (5) contains…
22-7807 Chayna Holguin v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-16 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history federal-sentencing first-step-act rule-of-lenity safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The question presented is whether the "and" in § 3553(f)(1) means "and," so that a defendant satisfies the provision so long as she does not have (A) …
22-7791 Clark Downs v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-06-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 15-year-old circuit-court-review criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-sentencing interstate-commerce safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction sexual-exploitation visual-depiction WHETHER THE EVIDENCE WAS LEGALLY INSUFFICIENT AS TO THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE ELEMENT ON COUNT ONE, WHICH CHARGED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A FIFTEEN YEAR …
22-7792 Diante Turman v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-06-15 Denied IFP appellate-review armed-career-criminal-act circuit-court-review circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-conviction criminal-procedure district-court-discretion drug-offense drug-schedule drug-schedules federal-sentencing federal-sentencing federal-sentencing 22-7791" mcneill-precedent mcneill-v-united-states safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction Whether the district court erred at sentencing in Congress and the U.S. Sentencing Commission require judges to impose criminal sentences that take account of a penalty range advised by the Sentencing…
22-7796 Jose Alfredo Perez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review case-specific-facts criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process fifth-circuit sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance upward-variance Whether a district court's mere recitation of the sentencing statute absent any application of case-specific facts is sufficient to support a five-yea…
22-7771 Jaden Rene Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3583 acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-sentencing due-process federal-procedure incarceration liberty liberty-deprivation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the District Court unreasonably sentenced Petitioner to a higher than necessary sentence by denying Petitioner's points for acceptance of resp…
22-7755 Jerome Williams v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-06-12 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance federal-sentencing-guidelines mcneill-precedent mcneill-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines state-drug-laws Does McNeill require courts to define "controlled substance" under §§ 4B1.1 and 4B1.2 of the federal sentencing guidelines by consulting superseded st…
22-7756 Andre Zeno v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-12 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-minimum Whether the "and" in § 3553(f)(1) means "and," so that a defendant satisfies the provision so long as he does not have (A) more than 4 criminal histor…
22-7740 Chelsea Shannon McIntyre v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-06-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion policy predicate-convictions sentencing-guidelines Did Ms. McIntyre receive due process of law where the district applie d Care er Offender Guide lines, lacking a sound basis in policy, and leading to …
22-7716 Minnela Moore v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-06-06 Denied IFP circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-law drug-schedules federal-drug-schedules federal-offense sentencing-guidelines state-drug-offenses statutory-interpretation (1) Whether the term "controlled substance," from the "controlled substance offense" definition in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b), is limited to substances that …
22-7702 Antonio Montero v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-05 Denied Relisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3553(f) criminal-history criminal-procedure federal-sentencing safety-valve sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation A defendant is entitled to the safety-valve sentencing provision of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) unless he violates all three subsections of the statute: (1) m…
22-7703 Jacob Patrick Krafft v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-06-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness within-guidelines-sentence How does a court of appeals determine whether a defendant has rebutted the presumption of reasonableness when the defendant is challenging the substan…
22-7690 Rodney Raphael Fluckes v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-06-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substances controlled-substances-act criminal-law federal-act federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether "controlled substance[s]" in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines §4B1.2(b) are limited to those substances defined and regulated under the feder…
22-7685 Satish Kartan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-06-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP compelled-testimony-withdrawal court-precedent due-process forced-labor griffin-v-california prosecutor-comments right-to-testify rock-v-arkansas sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. whether the district court violated Kartan's Might to testify and the subsequent prosecitor's comments, "These defendants don't like answering ques…
22-7670 Lonnie Burdette Porter v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-05-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-procedure due-process evidence-sufficiency firearm-possession sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation sufficiency-of-evidence In Thompson v. Louisville, 362 U.S. 199 (1960) and Garner v. Louisiana, 368 U.S. 157 (1961), this Court held that it is a violation of due process to …
22-7676 Rene Lugo-Barcenas v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-05-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights drug-purity due-process equal-protection methamphetamine methamphetamine-sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment ussg-2d1.1 Claim #1 Does the fifth amendment's due process and equal protection rights guard against disparate sentences created by the Methamphetamine Drug Tabl…
22-7659 Darrien D. Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing first-step-act judicial-discretion motion-to-reduce sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Did the District Court abuse its discretion when it imposed a sentence of 360 months when the applicable guideline range was 235-293 months? 2. Di…
22-7650 Nolan Washington v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-26 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-procedure mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court Whether the Di strict Court erred when i t (1) fel t constrai ned to i mpose the mandatory mi nimum sentence, 120 months of i mpri sonment; (2) di d …
22-7618 Dennis Dewayne Jackson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-05-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP cruel-and-unusual-punishment cruel-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment first-time-offender non-violent-offense non-violent-offenses procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE SENTENCE OF 138 MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED ON A FIRST-TIME OFFENDER VIOLATED THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT PROHIBITION AGAINST CRUEL AND UNUSUAL …
22-7606 Yvette Crystal Wade v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-05-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-1951 18-usc-924 crime-of-violence elements-clause hobbs-act physical-force sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Hobbs Act robbery under 18 U.S.C. § 1951 is a crime of violence under the elements clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(8)(A), where the offense encom…
22-7588 Eric Lee Coleman v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-05-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP affirmative-defense categorical-approach criminal-law due-process judicial-interpretation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-analysis statutory-interpretation The question presented is whether a court must consider the availability (or non-availability) of an affirmative defense in the categorical approach.
22-7584 Kahliq Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appeal-waivers circuit-split criminal-defendant criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement policy-concerns sentencing-errors Can a criminal defendant knowingly and voluntarily forfeit his right to appeal the district court's yet-to-be-made sentencing errors as part of his pl…
22-7587 John Wayne Spell v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit judicial-review plea-agreement procedural-error waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by dismissing Mr. Spell's appeal based on the waiver of appeal provisions in his Plea Agreement.
22-7569 Andrew Payton v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver contract-law criminal-defendant criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process plea-agreement sentencing-error sentencing-errors voluntary-forfeiture Can a criminal defendant knowingly and voluntarily forfeit his right to appeal the district court's yet-to-be-made sentencing errors as part of his pl…
22-7552 Jeffrey Christopher Anders v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-05-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense deference-to-agency-interpretation genuine-ambiguity guidelines-commentary inchoate-offenses judicial-deference sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether courts may defer to guidelines commentary without first determining that the underlying Guideline is genuinely ambiguous. 2. Whether the S…
22-7523 Samuel Caison v. United States First Circuit 2023-05-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing cruel-and-unusual-punishment incarceration mental-health nature-of-crime personal-characteristics sentencing-court sentencing-guidelines Whether imposing a period of incarceration that is within the Sentencing Guidelines range can be considered cruel and unusual punishment when the offe…
22-7518 John William Iron Road v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-05-10 Denied IFP appeal-waiver appellate-review circuit-split criminal-sentencing proximate-causation proximate-cause restitution restitution-award sentencing statutory-interpretation unlawful-award Whether an appellate court should enforce an appeal waiver where the appeal challenges an unlawful restitution award?
22-7494 Floyd Ellis Wyche v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver conviction conviction-appeal criminal-procedure due-process plea-bargaining plea-colloquy rule-11 sentencing Rule 11(b)(1)(N) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure requires that a district court conducting a plea colloquy inquire into the defendant's kno…
22-7498 Joel Armando Rodriguez v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP cooperating-defendants cooperating-witnesses criminal-procedure drug-weight fourth-circuit methamphetamine offense-level plea-bargaining relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT IMPROPERLY EXPANDED GUIDELINE § 1B1.3 BY INCLUDING AS RELEVANT DRUG WEIGHT UNCORROBORATED STATEMENTS OF TWO COOPERATING DEF…
22-7502 Anthony Gilbert-Brown v. United States Third Circuit 2023-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process fourth-amendment police-conduct seizure sentencing-guidelines standing supreme-court-review use-of-force 1) Whether Third Cicuit Court of Appeals Erred Affirming Gilbert-Brown was seize when Officer Engle approach Gilber.t-Brown as he attempted to go aro…
22-7480 Elbert Silas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-provisions criminal-procedure due-process index-of informed-consent procedural-rights reason-for-granting-the-writ sentencing-guidelines Whether Mr. Silas's due process rights were violated by the enforcement of the appeal waiver when Mr. Silas was not advised and did not know that he w…
22-7439 Julio Osorio v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process federal-law guideline-interpretation ransom-crime sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The Fifth Circuit Court Of Appeals has entered a decision in on the same conflict with the decision of other Courts Of Appeals important question of …
22-7444 Julio Gonzalez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice base-offense-level cocaine-possession criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing culpability culpability-assessment drug-quantity fifth-circuit sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Fifth Circuit violated federal law when it conducted a cursory review of the facts related to the district courts erroneous decision to…
22-1063 Tennessee v. Tyshon Booker Tennessee 2023-05-02 Denied Response Waived 8th-amendment constitutional-law criminal-procedure eighth-amendment graham-v-florida juvenile-offenders juvenile-sentencing life-without-parole miller-v-alabama sentencing-guidelines term-of-years-sentences Whether this Court should extend Graham and Miller to term-of-years prison sentences that permit a juvenile offender's release after a lengthy period …
22-7418 Sammy Redi Araya v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-05-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-fraud government-failure judicial-discretion loss-amount loss-calculation plea-bargaining sentencing-courts sentencing-guidelines victim-losses I. Whether a sentencing court is required to verify actual or intended victim losses when applying a U.S. Sentencing Guidelines ("U.S.S.G. ") §2B1.1 S…
22-7432 Willie Glover, Jr. v. United States District of Columbia 2023-05-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-law criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process eighth-amendment executive-order human-rights recidivism sentencing-guidelines standing j POi> Lcfr-Zj '.lu»«e,>«Wt.»<.>J)*s U> (WlfVJi jrwiKsL K 1a^pSpaja.r-atJ stMftf ^VvVs f&r &®cuV W£, OrAef QWH ^9 Berber Pj^,fc3 Eei.Pi^*WW of Wn»^ I…
22-7385 Timothy Eugene Brown v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-04-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-offender controlled-substance controlled-substances eleventh-circuit federal-enhancement florida-priors sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-law state-priors Whether United States v. Jackson, 36 F.4th 1294 (11th Cir. 2022) was wrongly decided by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, when it stated that App…
22-1043 Joshua Louis Rupp v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-04-27 Denied Response Waived circuit-split due-process government-inducement plea-bargaining plea-withdrawal sentencing-guidelines Whether the Sixth Circuit split with the Second, and erroneously departed from this Court's jurisprudence, when it refused to honor the spirit of the …
22-7379 Igor Grushko v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-04-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment criminal-procedure fourth-amendment law-enforcement loss-calculation probable-cause reasonableness reasonableness-standard search-and-seizure search-warrant sentencing-guidelines 1. WHETHER THE POLICE ENTERING A RESIDENCE TO EXECUTE A SEARCH WARRANT MUST POSSESS PROBABLE CAUSE THAT THE PERSON THEY ARE SEEKING IS INSIDE THE RESI…
22-7359 Devin Baker v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-04-25 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP controlled-substances criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-convictions drug-offense federal-sentencing prior-convictions sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The United States Sentencing Guidelines significantly increase the recommended sentencing range for a defendant who has at least two prior felony conv…
22-7361 Demonte Tretion Kelly v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-04-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process intellectual-disability miscarriage-of-justice sentencing-guidelines Whether appellate waivers in federal criminal cases contain and implied exception for miscarriage of justice.
22-7354 Rafael L. Beier v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-04-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 certificate-of-appealability evidentiary-hearing ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargaining section-2255-motion sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Did the Ninth Circuit err in summarily denying a certificate of appealabililty that would allow an appeal from an order denying a motion to vacate,…
22-7308 Jose Alfredo Solis v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-04-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure federal-appeals guidelines-range harmless-error sentencing-guidelines standard-of-proof The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines "are not only the starting point for most federal sentencing proceedings but also the lodestar." Molina-Martinez v. Uni…
22-7288 Gilberto Gonzalez-Enriquez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process error-calculation harmless-error judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review u.s-sentencing-guidelines Whether a sentencing court can insulate a substantial error in calculating the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range from appellate review simply by assert…
22-7289 Terrick Bishoff v. United States First Circuit 2023-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review application-notes circuit-court circuit-split criminal-intent deference firearms-trafficking gun-transfer sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the First Circuit erred in concluding that the enhancement for trafficking in firearms set out in U.S.S.G. §2K2.1(b)(5) applies to someone …
22-7290 Michael Kenneth Howard v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure district-court fourth-circuit right-to-appeal sentencing-guidelines waiver waiver-of-appeal I. Whether the Fourth Circuit erred by ruling that Mr. Howard waived his right to appeal whether the District Court erred by not applying Acceptance o…
22-7273 Fidelmar Hernandez-Jimenez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-04-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review conflict-with-other-courts criminal-procedure district-court district-court-error holguin-hernandez judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines substantial-argument substantial-arguments Whether, after Holguin -Hernandez v. United States , __U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails…
22-7258 Brian Marc Fraser v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-04-12 Denied IFP aggravated-robbery amendment commission-amendment criminal-classification due-process enumerated-offense robbery robbery-definition sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation L. Whether there is a reasonable probability of a different result if the court of appeals were permitted to consider the Commission's Proposed Amendm…
22-7263 Christopher L. Ramirez v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-04-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances due-process equal-protection federal-law sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1) Whether "controlled substance offenses" under United States Sentencing Guidelines §4B1.2(b) are limited to those offenses involving substances list…
22-7243 Mario Roberto Bonilla-Diaz v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-04-10 Denied IFP due-process equal-protection fifth-amendment illegal-reentry immigration-law in-absentia removal-order sentencing-guideline sentencing-guidelines I. Whether Mr. Bonilla-Diaz's in absentia removal order, which issued when he was ten years old and forms the basis for his illegal reentry conviction…
22-7231 James Sonny Alaniz v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-04-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights due-process fifth-amendment gall-standard gall-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-due-process upward-departure Whether the Court of Appeals holding that a sentencing court is not required to use the incremental steps in Section 4A1 -3(a)(4)(B) in an upward depa…
22-7130 Timothy Fletcher v. United States First Circuit 2023-03-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP booker-decision criminal-procedure district-court-notice federal-rules federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure judicial-discretion mandatory-guidelines notice-requirement sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-booker Whether this Court's elimination of the mandatory sentencing guidelines pursuant to United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005) has rendered Fed. R. …
22-7096 Appellant 1 and Appellant 2 v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-03-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-discretion appellate-procedure breach constitutional contract-interpretation cooperation-agreement crime-of-violence judicial-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines Was it unconstitutional and improper for the Fifth Circuit to rely on the government's newly argued application of an undefined contract provision to …
22-7106 Brian Keith Wells, aka B. K. Wells v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-03-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP counsel-denial criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing ineffective-assistance procedural-review role-enhancement sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment sixth-circuit substantive-reasonableness ussg-3b1.1 Whether this honorable Court should grant certiorari to review whether Mr. Wells request for new counsel should have been granted? Whether this honor…
22-7061 Lorenzo Elias Mendez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography circuit-split criminal-law due-process federal-statute first-amendment minor-exploitation sentencing-guidelines sexually-explicit-conduct statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the statutory term "lascivious exhibition " refers to the defendant 's act of exhibiting a minor 's genitals on film, or, in other words, t…
22-7070 Kenneth Douglas Clark, III v. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 2023-03-22 Denied IFP 6th and 8th Amendment rights by refusing to drop char and allowing a biased jury verdict excluding his self-defense claim constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance-of-counsel ineffective-counsel jury-bias jury-exclusion prosecutorial-misconduct self-defense sentencing sentencing-guidelines trial-procedure 1. Is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in violation of the Petitioner's 5th and 8th amendment by refusing not to drop all charges against the Petition…
22-7055 Terrindez Xsidrick Bryant v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-03-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines booker-kimbrough-precedent district-court district-court-authority judicial-discretion kimbrough-v-united-states methamphetamine methamphetamine-sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance united-states-v-booker In Kimbrough v. United States, 552 U.S. 85 (2007), this Court held that a district court had the authority, at sentencing, to reject the advice of the…
22-7059 Aaron M. Haynes v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-03-21 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history-points criminal-justice federal-sentencing first-step-act mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation The "safety valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute requires a district court to ignore any statutory mandatory minimum and instead follow …
22-7037 Mario Albert Villegas v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-03-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-851 advisory-sentencing-guidelines constitutional-error ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-procedure strickland-standard strickland-v-washington u-s-c-section-851 Whether defense counsel's failure to advise a client of increased sentencing exposure under 21 U.S.C. § 851, and failure to correctly calculate the ad…
22-7014 Michael Hucks v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-03-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP alternate-sentence appellate-review armed-career-criminal-act circuit-split constitutional-notice criminal-procedure fourth-circuit guideline-errors harmless-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure I. Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit's reliance on an announced alternate variant sentence to assume as harmless all G…
22-6970 Jeffrey Kesten v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process judicial-enforcement mens-rea plea-agreement (1) Can a court enforce an appeal waiver from a plea agreement when the defendant was not informed of and did not plea to the proper mens rea element …
22-6973 Joseph Woloszyn v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-threat drug-addiction due-process preponderance-of-evidence probation-violation revocation-hearing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release uncorroborated-statements I. Did Woloszyn's Uncorroborated Statements to the Probation Officer Prove Woloszyn Violated the Terms of His Supervised Release? II. Does a Violatio…
22-6936 Edson Gelin v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split compassionate-release criminal-procedure first-step-act ineffective-assistance murder-conviction ninth-circuit sentencing-guidelines sentencing-policy state-court statutory-interpretation 7W Ccur-f of far W. Ekv^J-U\ ^-ff'rr/vei -W, of Mo^-'cwvj -fr /wo d rfr^ ^ -f,'osjC (KrC^ ? oC feJrr4-,'0Ki€r /y of (JfJ *T4-f ^ <*f £b~f)r'g}tWold?ts…
22-6945 Derrick Owens v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 7th-circuit appellate-review career-offender circuit-court-split circuit-split cocaine-conviction cocaine-convictions federal-law sentencing-guidelines Did the district court err by finding that Mr. Owens is a Career Offender pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines because the Indiana cocaine convi…
22-6927 Derrick Deshon Collins v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-03-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-presumption appellate-review certiorari criminal-procedure fifth-circuit presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness within-guidelines-sentence How does a court of appeals determine whether a defendant has rebutted the presumption of reasonableness when the defendant is challenging the substan…
22-6908 Eduardo Guadalupe Melendrez-Soberanes v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-03-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof case-agent-testimony criminal-procedure drug-quantity drug-trafficking due-process evidence fifth-circuit photographic-evidence sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the Fifth Circuit's practice of shifting the burden of production and proof to the defendant at sentencing violates a defendant's Due Process …
22-828 Roger E. Pace v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-03-01 Denied Relisted (2) circuit-split criminal-history federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Courts interpret statutes by applying Congress's plain language. In the First Step Act, Congress modified the federal sentencing statute to say that a…
22-6853 Joshua Seekins v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-02-23 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review commerce-clause criminal-law criminal-possession due-process federalism harmless-error interstate-commerce jurisdictional-issue second-amendment sentencing-guidelines (1) Whether Congress may criminalize intrastate possession of ammunition solely because it crossed state lines at some point before it came into the d…
22-6838 Demetri D. Beachem, aka Demetrius D. Beachem v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-02-22 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (9)IFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process ineffective-assistance-of-counsel involuntary-plea miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines Whether a court can take into account exceptions binding it to accord precedent over objections to a prior court's authority to decide. Whether a cou…
22-6839 Michael O. Brown v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-court-precedent conspiracy conspiracy-conviction criminal-career-offender prior-convictions sentence-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit state-convictions Whether the court erred in failing to grant appellant relief from his sentence enhancement based upon his prior state convictions after Mathis and whe…
22-6825 Richie Lee Edmonds, III v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-02-21 Denied Relisted (2)IFP controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-history criminal-law drug-distribution due-process federal-sentencing federalism sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a prior state conviction for drug distribution qualifies as a "controlled substance offense" under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b), when the state statute…
22-6803 Mario C. Thomas v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-02-16 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Section 3553(f) of Title 18, U.S. Code, is the "safety valve" which can allow a defendant to receive a sentence less than the statutory mandatory mini…
22-6808 Erich Deolax Riker v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-02-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process fact-finding federal-sentencing jury-finding jury-trial sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Whether a factual finding that is necessary to render a federal sentence substantively reasonable must be found by a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.
22-6732 David Alvarado-Rios v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-sentencing judicial-discretion presumption-of-reasonableness rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness How does a defendant who challenges the substantive reasonableness of a within-Guidelines sentence rebut an appellate presumption of reasonableness of…
22-6717 Vontez Scales, aka Tez v. United States Third Circuit 2023-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender categorical-approach circuit-split civil-rights controlled-substance criminal-law delivery-definition due-process sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The battle lines are clearly drawn, with the circuits split and without this court's intervention the debate regarding inchoate offenses are controlle…
22-6718 Justin Stabler v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 abuse-of-discretion alcohol-consumption criminal-sentencing electronic-searches section-3553a sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness supervised-release 1) Whether the 120-month sentence ordered by the district court is substantively unreasonable because, among other reasons, the Guidelines sentencing …
22-6702 Jason Boyet v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-02-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver contract-law criminal-defendant criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process plea-agreement sentencing-error sentencing-errors waiver-enforceability Can a criminal defendant knowingly and voluntarily forfeit his right to appeal the district court's yet-to-be-made sentencing errors as part of his pl…
22-6666 Leonel Ruiz-Lopez v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-01-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure federal-statute hughey-v-united-states legal-definition restitution sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation title-18 victim-and-witness-protection-act victim-restitution The Victim and Witness Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3663 ("VWPA"), permits a district court to order restitution to victims of an offense under Title 1…
22-706 Timothy Howard Spriggs v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-01-30 Denied Response Waived constitutional-rights criminal-procedure fourth-amendment ineffective-assistance private-property residence rv search sentencing-guidelines utilities warrantless-search 1. Whether the Fourth Amendment permits the warrantless search of an immobile RV, i.e., one that is attached to usual residential utilities such as se…
22-707 Barry J. Cadden v. United States First Circuit 2023-01-30 Denied Response Waived circuit-split criminal-sentencing objective-standard objective-test reckless-risk sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines subjective-test u.s.s.g.-3a1.1(b) vulnerable-victim vulnerable-victim-enhancement 1. Did the District Court clearly err in applying a four-point "vulnerable victim" enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3A1.1(b) to defendant's sentence, abse…
22-6651 Michael Vanous v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-01-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure guidelines ineffective-assistance judicial-discretion jury pretrial-proceedings sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Question 1: Was defense counsel ineffective in the pretrial proceedings? Question 2: Was it a violation of the Sixth Amendment to sentence outside th…
22-6626 Jonathan Jefferson Ferris v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-authority due-process federal-sentencing judicial-authority judicial-delegation probation-officer sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers supervised-release Does Standard Condition 12 unconstitutionally delegate judicial authority to the probation officer?
22-6627 Kenneth Mobley v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court-jurisdiction due-process jurisdiction loss-calculation restitution restitution-order sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness Was Mr. Mobley's sentence procedurally and substantively unreasonable as it was calculated on an excessive amount of loss unjustified by the facts of …
22-6628 Johnell Lewis Britton, Sr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure fact-specific-reasons federal-sentencing judicial-discretion non-guidelines-sentences procedural-error reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether district courts are required to articulate fact-specific reasons for imposing non-guidelines sentences?
22-6616 Brian Cota v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-law criminal-sentencing due-process notice plea-bargaining plea-negotiation sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Whether the court of appeals erred by concluding that Mr. Cota can be subject to a life time of supervised release, and thereby a lifetime of revocati…
22-6591 Alecia Trapps v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-01-23 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance-offense federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law Did the Ninth Circuit's disposition of Petitioner's claim under § 4B1.1(a) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines conflict with a rule that at lea…
22-6571 Marcus Wayne Covington v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-01-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP bond-hearing civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel public-defender sentencing-guidelines sentencing-report standing 1. Was Public Defender Robert Brodsky ineffective by assisting defendant to enter a plea without using improperly calculated Sentencing Guidelines pol…
22-6558 Roshua Marquiston White v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-01-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing minimal-role minor-role sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Petitioner, ROSHUA MARQUISTON WHITE, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine. He object…
22-6560 Candido Gomez-Santacruz v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-01-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a district-court-discretion federal-sentencing gall-v-united-states imprisonment-duration prior-term-of-imprisonment sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness In light of its nuanced, holistic approach to federal sentencing, whether a district court may, consistent with § 3553(a)'s plain text, treat the dura…
22-6564 Sohiel Omar Kabir v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-01-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split co-conspirator control-over-co-participants criminal-enhancement leader-organizer-enhancement leader-role ninth-circuit second-fourth-sixth-eleventh-dc-circuits sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines Does the aggravating role enhancement for "leader[s]" or "organizer[s]" of concerted criminal activity in section 3B1.1(c) of the United States Senten…
22-653 Melvin Ray v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-01-17 Denied Response Waived abduction abduction-definition circuit-split criminal-procedure different-location guideline-commentary judicial-interpretation sentencing-guidelines stinson-v-united-states Under § 2B3.1(b)(4)(A) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines ("U.S.S.G "), a four- level increase applies to a defendant 's offense level, " if a…
22-6536 Antoine D. Jackson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-01-13 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history due-process safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation (1) Whether this Court should resolve a Circuit split and decide if the word "and" in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) should be interpreted in the disjunctive …
22-644 Anthony Lomax v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-01-11 Denied Amici (1)Response Waived auer-deference career-offender career-offender-enhancement circuit-split crime-of-violence judicial-interpretation kisor-v-wilkie seminole-rock sentencing-guidelines In Stinson v. United States, 508 U.S. 36 (1993), this Court held that commentary by the United States Sentencing Commission interpreting or explaining…
22-6502 Jerry Joseph Higdon, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure due-process habeas-corpus jurisdiction jurisdictional-challenge procedural-bar sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. IS THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT USING ITS PROCEDURAL BAR RULES IN MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH THE UNITED STATES CONSTIT…
22-6443 Daquan Madrid Pridgen v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-01-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process rule-of-lenity sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-interpretation structural-error I. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT COMMITTED STRUCTURAL ERROR BY FINDING THAT THE SENTENCE FOR A VIOLATION OF 18 U.S.C. § 2113(e) SHOULD BE 10 YEARS TO LIF…
22-6395 Bryan Wolfe v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-12-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process mental-condition mental-health multi-offense-adjustment notice racial-animus rehabilitation sentencing sentencing-guidelines upward-departure Was there adequate notice of a departure the night before sentencing, as to allow Wolfe a fair opportunity to rebut the claims that increased his sent…
22-6391 Nonami Palomares v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-12-23 Denied Amici (1)Relisted (3)IFP criminal-history drug-crimes drug-offense federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Pursuant to the "safety-valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute, a defendant convicted of certain nonviolent drug crimes can obtain relief …
22-6376 Marcus Joseph v. South Carolina South Carolina 2022-12-22 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP arbitrary-suspension civil-rights constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process ex-post-facto habeas-corpus proportionality-review sentencing-guidelines state-court Question not identified.
22-6379 Leetavious Gaines v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-12-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 circuit-split compassionate-release defendant-motion district-court-discretion first-step-act policy-statement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Section 1B1.13 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines is an "applicable" policy statement that binds the district court in considering a d…
22-6364 Fairly W. Earls v. Federal Bureau of Prisons Seventh Circuit 2022-12-21 Dismissed IFP concurrent-sentences consecutive-sentences constitutional-rights double-jeopardy due-process federal-sentence sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-sentence I. Whether Earls should have to serve the same Federal Sentence a Second Time. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit violated Ear…
22-6344 Bryshun Genard Furlow v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach controlled-substance-offense criminal-procedure drug-conviction fourth-circuit mandate-rule prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines Whether the Fourth Circuit erroneously refused to apply its intervening case law to Furlow's case, incorrectly applying the mandate rule. Whether the…
22-6329 Phosavan Khamnivong v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-12-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-amendment 6th-amendment bodily-injury due-process fifth-amendment firearm-enhancement jury-trial reasonable-doubt sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment In United States v. Jones, 574 U.S. 948 (2014), three justices urged the Court to grant certiorari to answer the question left open in Rita v. United …
22-6316 Kalvin Walker v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-12-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court guideline-range harmless-error judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines Whether errors in calculating the Sentencing Guidelines are automatically rendered harmless by a district court's statement that the correctness of th…
22-6307 John Homer Legros, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-12-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP conspiracy controlled-substance criminal-law drug-offense federal-jurisdiction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether "Conspiracy" to Commit a Crime is a Controlled Substance Offense as defined under the United States Sentencing Guide lines Section §4B1.2I. W…
22-6306 Marion Joseph Hare v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-12-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP affirmative-force borden-v-united-states causation-of-injury circuit-split criminal-statute force-clause sentencing-guideline sentencing-guidelines violent-force (1) Whether a statute that only requires causation-of-injury and not the affirmative application of force satisfies the violent-force requirement? (2…
22-6288 Mangwiro Sadiki-Yisrael v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-12-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level first-degree-murder guilty-plea mens-rea rehaif-v-united-states rico-conspiracy sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-max Whether in a RICO conspiracy case the government is required to prove a defendant's mens rea and knowledge of first-degree murder to establish the sta…
22-6289 Kevin Singleton v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-12-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver constitutional-rights criminal-procedure fifth-circuit judicial-review plea-agreement plea-bargaining procedural-history waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by dismissing Mr. Singleton's appeal based on the waiver of appeal provisions in his Plea Agreements.
22-6264 Randall Eddie Mellon v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-12-09 Denied IFP administrative-law agency-deference auer-deference circuit-split judicial-review relevant-conduct seminole-rock-deference sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation In Stinson v. United States, 508 U.S. 36 (1998), this Court held that Seminole Rock deference, now Auer deference, applies to interpretive or explanat…
22-6266 Earl Moore v. United States Third Circuit 2022-12-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender civil-rights criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act recidivism sentence-reduction sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Question not identified.
22-6255 Deonte Courtez Gates v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-12-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP blakely-v-washington circuit-court-conflict constitutional-interpretation eighth-amendment federal-law juvenile-defendant relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines L. Whether the relevant conduct sentencing guideline is unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment as applied to conduct committed by a juvenile defe…
22-514 Edwar Rodriguez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-12-05 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) advisory-sentencing-guidelines criminal-history criminal-sentencing dangerous-weapon dangerous-weapon-enhancement drug-quantity eleventh-circuit sentence-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines statutory-sentencing-factors 1. Whether certiorari review should be granted where the Eleventh Circuit erred in affirming the district court's denial of Rodriguez' objection to th…
22-6216 Jonny Shineflew v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-12-05 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-procedure guideline-offense integrated-agreement plea-agreement prosecutor prosecutorial-discretion sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Whether an integrated plea agreement that specifically identifies Guideline offense levels and specific offense characteristics on which the parties a…
22-6212 Eric Cain v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-12-02 Denied Relisted (9)IFP criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines fifth-amendment jury-trial-right sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment After a jury acquitted the petitioner of a firearms charge, the district court relied on the same conduct to increase his sentence range under the Fed…
22-6214 Timothy Robert Gallion v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-12-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process fourth-circuit sentence-credit sentencing-credit sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines supervised-release A. WHETHER THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ERRED BY DISMISSING MR. GALLION'S MERITORIOUS ARGUMENT THAT THE DISTRICT COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERR…
22-6166 Raymond Mendez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-11-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court-review criminal-procedure drug-quantity due-process hearsay hearsay-evidence judicial-procedure sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervisory-power Throughout three cycles of 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) proceedings, the district court has denied Raymond Mendez a reduction to his life sentence based on …
22-6134 Eugene Riley III v. Illinois Illinois 2022-11-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment constitutional-violation criminal-sentencing cruel-and-unusual-punishment de-facto-life-sentence due-process juvenile-justice juvenile-offenders miller-v-alabama mitigating-factors sentencing-guidelines Did the State Court violate the U.S. Constitution when it imposed a 32 year sentence when it disregarded the mitigating factors laid out in Miller v. …
22-6138 Michael Lindell Teasley v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-11-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion civil-rights court-of-appeals criminal-procedure district-court due-process eighth-circuit equal-protection judicial-discretion non-violent-offenses sentencing sentencing-guidelines bh pid the Gort of pepeals fp the Eight Cikwuit, South cn Piswier oF Towa, abuse its diduetin by vhlizing the Cer wero Feendeg guidelines, whi dh phim…
22-6117 Tracy Lamont Miles v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law federal-jurisdiction federal-question sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the term "controlled substance," from the "controlled substance offense" definition in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b), is limited to substances that are …
22-6128 Christopher Erwin v. United States Third Circuit 2022-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 circuit-split cooperation-agreement downward-departure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-colloquy section-2255-motion sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum 1. Did the Circuit Court err in affirming the district court's decision to deny, without a hearing, Petitioner's motion pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 b…
22-6092 Joshua Lewis v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 3553a-factors criminal-history departures guidelines-departure procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g.-4a1.3 upward-variance Whether a district court can vary upward from the advisory sentencing range under the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) based on the inadequacy of a defe…
22-6106 David Shane Paquette v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split contract-law criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process plea-agreement Whether an appeal-waiver provision in a plea agreement is enforceable when the agreement provides the defendant with no benefit.
22-6108 Jose Luis Ramirez, Jr., aka Zachary Matthew Johnson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-conviction criminal-procedure fourth-circuit ineffective-assistance-of-counsel money-laundering plea-agreement plea-bargaining securities-fraud 1. WHETHER THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT ERRED IN DISMISSING THE PETITIONER'S MERITORIOUS APPEAL OF HIS CONVICTION OF SECU…
22-6063 Naomi Michelle Gutierrez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-11-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-circuit criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process fifth-circuit firearm-enhancement presumption sentencing-guidelines tools-of-the-trade Whether the Fifth Circuit's practice of applying a tools-of-the-trade presumption to the firearm enhancement of sentencing guidelines §2D1.1(b)(1) vio…
22-6042 Ryan Hayes v. United States First Circuit 2022-11-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure discretionary-review due-process equal-protection first-circuit sentencing I. Whether considerations of equal protection and due process required the First Circuit to entertain Mr. Hayes' appeal where Mr. Hayes had not challe…
22-5993 Malik Ross v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-11-04 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (10)IFP criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment preponderance-of-evidence reasonable-doubt sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Does a judge deny a defendant's Fifth Amendment rights by increasing a prison sentence based on disputed facts the Court did not find beyond a reasona…
22-5983 Cordavia Daniels v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-11-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) age-consideration criminal-appeal criminal-sentencing fifth-circuit mitigating-factors sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness I. Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by affirming the district court's consideration of Cordavia's age and mitigating factors. II. Whether the Fifth Ci…
22-5962 Marquis Donte Brown v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-11-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-review post-booker-hearing safety-valve sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. WHETHER THE DISTRIC T COURT ERRED BY IMPOSING AN UNLAW FUL SEN TENCE CONTRARY TO THE MANDATES OF § 3553(a) AND §3553(f)(5) WHICH PRECLUDE USE OF IN…
22-5914 Dominique Lamar Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3583 administrative-violations criminal-procedure criminal-supervision district-court-discretion due-process liberty liberty-deprivation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the District Court acted excessively by sentencing Petitioner to a sentence two and half times above the supervision guideline range for admin…
22-5897 Unises Chapotin v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-10-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing due-process johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states section-2255 sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines vagueness void-for-vagueness 1) Whether the residual clause in Section 4B1.2 of the previously binding United States Sentencing Guidelines is void for vagueness pursuant to Johnso…
22-5879 Eugene Thurman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-10-20 Denied IFP administrative-law appellate-review controlled-substance criminal-law due-process fifth-circuit sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation Did the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals err when it deferred to the United States Sentencing Commission's use of commentary in its Guidelines Manual to…
22-5847 Lindsey Orr v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion judicial-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation term-of-imprisonment WHEN ARE THE SECTION 3553 (d) FACTORS SATISFIED? THE 3553 OPINION JUSTIFIED BASED UPON? THE COMPLETION OF THE TERM OF IMPLEMENTATION SPECIFIED FROM …
22-5833 Carlos Alejandro Zuniga-Garcia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-10-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice criminal-procedure federal-criminal-procedure federal-law fifth-circuit leader-organizer-role leader-role preponderance-of-evidence sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Eifth Circuit violated federal law when it conducted a cursory review of the facts related to a four-level increase in sentencing point…
22-340 Mark E. Pulsifer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-10-12 Judgment Issued Amici (4)Relisted (3) circuit-conflict circuit-split criminal-history criminal-justice-reform first-step-act mandatory-minimum rule-of-lenity safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The "safety valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute requires a district court to ignore any statutory mandatory minimum and instead follow …
22-5816 Tony Lam v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-10-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 career-offender conspiracy conspiracy-offense controlled-substance ineffective-assistance legislative-authority legislative-delegation sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Did trial counsel provide ineffective assistance to his client upon his failure to research, investigate, and object to his client's career offender c…
22-5788 Martin Elliott Brooks v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-10-07 Denied IFP appellate-review circuit-split harmless-error judicial-discretion procedural-error rule-52 sentencing-courts sentencing-guidelines Whether errors in calculating the Sentencing Guidelines are rendered harmless by the district court's assertion that the Guidelines would make no diff…
22-5730 Quincy Campbell v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-10-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review burden-of-proof coconspirator-testimony criminal-procedure due-process judicial-error relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the district court erred by sentencing the Defendant to one twenty (120) months in light of the circumstances of the case ? II. Whether th…
22-5729 Jose Madrid-Becerra v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-09-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history criminal-procedure deportation early-release federal-criminal-defendants immigration immigration-law sentencing-guidelines state-statutes Several states have or had statutes authorizing the early release of state prisoners with deportation orders to the United States Immigration and Natu…
22-5665 Geoffrie Dill v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-09-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law drug-offense federal-jurisdiction federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does "controlled substance offense", as that term is used in U.S.S.G. §4B1.1 and defined by U.S.S.G. §4B1.2(b), refer only to those controlled substan…
22-5627 Justin Tyrone Young v. Texas Texas 2022-09-20 Denied IFP due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-discretion plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum supreme-court-precedent Can ft Lauiyen haue. his Client PieaCuibty -ho OS'years on ft Statutory maximum OP Zo years* ovftt'R TEXAS Lal/. Can ft Court Re Fuse ho Homor ft u …
22-242 Cyrano R. Irons v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-09-14 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure district-court harmless-error judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure Whether errors in calculating the Sentencing Guidelines are rendered categorically harmless by the district court's assertion that the Guidelines woul…
22-5580 Derrick Dion Ingram v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-09-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law appellate-review criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process firearm-enhancement firearms guideline-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Where U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B) directs a four-level increase in offense level when a defendant possesses a firearm "in connection with another felony…
22-5576 Thoucharin Ruttanamongkongul v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-09-13 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP civil-rights conspiracy criminal-procedure due-process evidence-admissibility human-trafficking sentencing sentencing-guidelines sex-work sexual-offense statutory-interpretation violent-crime When state values v. evidence, to show that petitioner fired (unclear handwriting) to the United States to court completely e.g. a six footers; and th…
22-5507 Edward F. Swanson v. Texas Texas 2022-09-06 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process felony-dismissal ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing sentencing-guidelines strickland-standard xs itH ■Oxstrxc .t Clou fir uxolateDXO THE THE SJftZCtf/JGS OF HPPPEAOZ ?* t v tPH f> Tt/fiSC OXSMXSS THE... Titty &TP ,n aeFEUOMT QuZLTy OF /) LtC°X…
22-5484 Erika Perez-Garcia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-09-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review conflict-with-other-courts criminal-procedure district-court holguin-hernandez judicial-discretion sentencing-argument sentencing-guidelines substantial-arguments Whether, after Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, __U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails t…
22-5491 John Michael Ward v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-09-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-vagueness criminal-law criminal-statute federal-procedure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel overbreadth statutory-interpretation vagueness Was the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana's interpretation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) vague and overbroad, and did Petitioner's at…
22-5469 Jeffrey Beard, II v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-08-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause criminal-procedure cross-examination hearsay hearsay-evidence obstruction-of-justice sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires that the accused "shall enjoy the right ... to be confronted with the witnesses against him." Th…
22-5474 Romney Christopher Ellis v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-08-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP communication-offense criminal-sentencing harassment intent-to-carry-out overt-acts sentencing sentencing-guidelines threat-enhancement threatening-communications u-s-sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g.-§-2a6.1(b)(1) Whether, in sentencing in cases involving threatening or harassing communications, the six-level offense level enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2A6.1(b)(1…
22-5477 Tracey L. Brown v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-08-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender case-law circuit-split criminal-appeal criminal-procedure due-process hobbs-act jurisdiction ninth-circuit sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Should the decision by the Ninth Circuit to deny Mr. Brown's appeal be vacated when said decision was based upon case law that was vacated by this …
22-5466 Leonard Andrew v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-08-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP significant intellectual deficit and reduced ment criminal-sentencing downward-departure intellectual-deficit judicial-discretion mental-capacity reduced-mental-capacity sentencing sentencing-guidelines USSG-5H1.3 USSG-5K2.13 Whether a sentencing court must meaningfully address a defendant's request for a downward departure pursuant to USSG §§ 5H1.3 and 5K2.13 when he has a…
22-5454 Jesus Carreon-Grimaldo v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-jurisdiction court-of-appeals discretionary-decision discretionary-decisions downward-departure jurisdictional-label sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation subject-matter-jurisdiction Does the court of appeals have jurisdiction to review the district court's discretionary decision not to depart below the advisory Sentencing Guidelin…
22-5461 James Keith Russey v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance federal-jurisdiction judicial-interpretation legal-uniformity sentencing-guidelines state-law Whether the categorical approach requires courts to define Sentencing Guidelines terms like "controlled substance" uniformly, as three circuits have h…
22-5446 Jose Francisco Maldonado-Rosa v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-08-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure fifth-circuit plea-agreement sentencing waiver waiver-of-rights Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by ruling that Mr. Maldonado waived the right to appeal his sentence because of the Waiver of Appeal provision in his …
22-5449 Antonio Rodriguez, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-08-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-conflict controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense drug-trafficking federal-conviction federal-drug-trafficking federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is it obvious error to find a prior federal drug trafficking conviction is a "controlled substance offense" under the Sentencing Guidelines when the s…
22-163 Lenair Moses v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-08-23 Denied Amici (3)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) administrative-law agency-deference auer-deference criminal-law judicial-interpretation kisor-v-wilkie precedential-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation In Stinson v. United States, 508 U.S. 36 (1993), this Court held that Seminole Rock deference, now generally known as Auer deference, applies to inter…
22-5427 Jade Christian Nichols v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-08-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-procedure federal-law federal-sentencing preemption sentencing-guidelines state-law statutory-interpretation Does a state definition of "controlled substance" control a federal sentencing enhancement under the Sentencing Guidelines, when the state lists subst…
22-161 Robert Nieto and Darrick R. Vallodolid v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-08-22 Denied Response Waived batson-challenge batson-v-kentucky constitutional-rights equal-protection jury-selection prosecutorial-discretion racial-discrimination sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether Mr. Nieto's and Mr. Vallodolid's convictions should be reversed because the Government's peremptory striking of qualified Hispanic prospect…
22-5418 Miguel Jesus Rodriguez-Villanueva v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-08-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines appellate-jurisdiction circuit-split criminal-sentencing discretionary-decision downward-departure fifth-circuit sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation subject-matter-jurisdiction Whether the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals had appellate jurisdiction to review the district court's discretionary decision not to depart below the ad…
22-5421 Henry Wilke Eilders v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-08-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP conspiracy criminal-history drug-conspiracy drug-offenses federal-sentencing-guidelines methamphetamine methamphetamine-distribution relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether Petitioner's prior methamphetamine related convictions occurring within two years of the conspiracy for distributing methamphetamine should…
22-5394 Eric Christopher Falkowski v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-08-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance-act controlled-substances criminal-law due-process enhancement-clause overbreadth sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness void-for-vagueness Whether USSG § lBl.l 's serious-bodily-injury enhancement clause —as relative here to the Controlled Substance Act, 21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq—is imperm…
22-5404 Charles Anthony Walker, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-08-19 Denied IFP abduction abduction-definition circuit-split criminal-law criminal-procedure fourth-circuit hobbs-act robbery sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-guidelines (1) Whether movement of an employee within the confines of a store qualifies as abduction under U.S.S.G. § 2B3.1(b)(4)(A)
22-5342 Patrick LaJuan Jones, Jr. v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-08-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-procedure federal-law federal-sentencing preemption sentencing-guidelines state-law statutory-interpretation Does a state definition of "controlled substance" control a federal sentencing enhancement under the Sentencing Guidelines, when the state lists subst…
22-5326 Juan Samuel Rodriguez-Huitron v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-08-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP clear-error criminal-procedure judicial-review limited-remand plain-error remand sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum substantial-rights This Court in Molina-Martinez v. United States advised that courts of appeals may order a limited remand to assess the impact of clear error on the de…
22-5331 Mark Anthony Williams v. Michigan Michigan 2022-08-10 Denied IFP confrontation-clause criminal-sexual-conduct cross-examination cumulative-error due-process fourteenth-amendment ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment I. THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED AT TRIAL WAS INSUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE CONVICTION OF CSC 1st DEGREE WHERE THERE WAS NO PROOF OF PENETRATION AS REQUIRED BY…
22-5313 Jesse Rondale Bailey v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-08-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a)(6) career-offender criminal-procedure empirical-evidence evidence-based judicial-discretion presumption sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines unwarranted-disparity within-range-sentences When evaluating whether a sentence imposed within the applicable guideline range avoids unwarranted sentencing disparities under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(6…
22-5314 Daniel Ray v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-08-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion legal-reasoning rita-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines The Court has observed that "where a party presents nonfrivolous reasons for imposing a different sentence, the judge will normally go further and exp…
22-5303 George Daniel McGavitt v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-08-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law due-process federal-sentencing minor-sexual-conduct minors sentencing-guidelines sexual-offense-definition sexual-offenses statutory-interpretation Whether self-penetration by a minor (not prepubescent) using a benign household item is "sadistic or masochistic" under USSG § 2G2.1(b)(4)(A).
22-5288 Kendale Welborn v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP alleyne-decision alleyne-v-united-states apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey criminal-sentencing drug-offenses methamphetamine-actual methamphetamine-mixture plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment The Appellant's Appeal was denied on April 29, 2022 by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. In this case, the Appellant raises one (1) issue for determ…
22-5253 Dennis Charles Helmer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-08-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 circuit-split compassionate-release covid-19 criminal-justice-reform first-step-act medical-care sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines 1.) Whether the District Court erred when it denied relief to Petitioner 18 U.S.C. 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) motion based upon the applicability of 18 U.S.C. 3…
22-5262 David D. Major v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-08-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion acceptance-of-responsibility appeal-denial career-offender criminal-history drug-related-offense obstruction-of-justice reliable-evidence sentencing-guidelines (1) Isnt Seventh Circuit's panel decision contrary with UNITED STATES v. CHEEKS, 740 F.3d 440 (7thcir 2014),where district Court abused it's discret…
22-5265 Preston Hester, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-08-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines advisory-range criminal-procedure district-court due-process sentencing sentencing-guidelines SORNA SORNA-tier tier-level Whether the district court's failure to determine Mr. Hester's correct SORNA tier level in calculating the correct advisory Guideline sentencing range…
22-5237 Heather Marie Newhouse v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-08-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law controlled-substance-offense criminal-law guideline-commentary inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1) Whether the United States Sentencing Commission exceeded its authority by adding inchoate offenses to the definition of "controlled substance offe…
22-5232 Jesus Javier Cruz-Hernandez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-07-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-sentencing judicial-presumption reasonableness-standard rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether the Court should clarify how a defendant who challenges the substantive reasonableness of a within-Guidelines sentence may rebut an appellate …
22-5217 Ramell Markus v. United States Second Circuit 2022-07-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court-split circuit-split criminal-sentencing extreme-physical-pain kidnapping objective-standard sentencing-guidelines serious-bodily-injury subjective-vs-objective Like other Sentencing Guidelines provisions involving violence, the Guidelines for kidnapping offenses (USSG §2A4.1) enhance a defendant's sentence wh…
22-5204 Ramon Belducea-Mancinas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-07-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-conflict controlled-substance drug-trafficking federal-drug-conviction fifth-circuit plain-error sentencing-guidelines Ramon Belducea-Mancinas was sentenced as a career offender based on pre-2018 federal convictions for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. In December 2…
22-5185 Thomas Creighton Shrader v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-07-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3583 18-usc-3742 double-jeopardy federal-bureau-of-prisons fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supervised-release #1 When the Federal Bureau of Prisons is misapplying 18 U.S.C. 3583(a) [Supervised Release] not only to Petitioner, but to thousands (1000's) of Feder…
22-5127 Edward Brown v. United States First Circuit 2022-07-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP co-conspirators double-jeopardy fifth-amendment political-beliefs political-views procedural-reasonableness resentencing sentencing sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines 1. Since the petitioner has been continuously in custody since October 4, 2007, he completely served the sentences of imprisonment imposed by the dist…
22-5135 Joshua Jay Schroeder v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-07-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure federal-rules plea-agreement right-to-appeal sentencing Does a defendant retain the right to appeal a sentence if, after imposition of the sentence, the district court advises the defendant of the right to …
22-5139 Carol Johnene Morris v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-07-19 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 2nd-amendment armed-career-criminal-act civil-rights criminal-history criminal-procedure double-jeopardy drug-possession due-process felony-enhancement prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
22-5105 Tanner Lance King v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-07-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness within-guidelines-sentence How does a court of appeals determine whether a defendant has rebutted the presumption of reasonableness when the defendant is challenging on appeal t…
22-5107 Marcus Dwayne Pemberton v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-07-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appeal-waivers brady-standard brady-v-united-states circuit-split criminal-procedure miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement plea-agreements sentencing-guideline sentencing-guidelines SHOULD STANDARDS OTHER THAN THE KNOWING AND VOLUNTARY WAIVER STANDARD OF BRADY V. UNITED STATES GOVERN THE ENFORCEMENT OF APPEAL WAIVERS IN PLEA AGREE…
22-5097 Hidey Diaz, aka Silvio Manuel Amador, aka Celio Alvarez-Carrasco v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-07-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 10th-circuit circuit-court-review criminal-sentencing federal-prosecution government-action guideline-range sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines statutory-directive substantive-reasonableness unwarranted-disparity Did the Tenth Circuit err in concluding that it was barred from considering, on review for the substantive reasonableness of Mr. Diaz's sentence, the …
22-5028 Damien Dre Gonzales v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-07-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP adam-walsh-act appeals commerce-clause criminal-procedure district-court federal-kidnapping federal-sentencing guidelines-error harmless-error sentencing-guidelines IL Is a district court's Guidelines error always harmless when the court states that it would have imposed the same sentence regardless of the Guideli…
22-5017 Travaris Devon Bishop v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-07-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-3553(a) criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum substantive-reasonableness Whether the district court ordered a substantively unreasonable statutory maximum sentence of 120 months in prison, when the Guidelines range was only…
22-5018 Michael Allen Long v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-07-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver appellate-review criminal-procedure fifth-circuit jurisdiction plea-agreement plea-bargaining procedural-error standard-of-review waiver Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by finding that Mr. Long's appeal should be dismissed based on the waiver of appeal provision in his Plea Agreement.
22-5006 David Cadena v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process reasonableness-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum upward-variance 1. Did the district court impose a substantively unreasonable sentence when it varied upward from the advisory sentencing range to the statutory maxim…
22-5007 Lann Tjuan Clanton, aka Tjuan v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure federal-sting federal-sting-operation fourth-circuit ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement I. WHETHER, AFTER WINNING THE RIGHT TO FILE A BELATED APPEAL DUE TO COUNSEL'S INEFFECTIVENESS FOR FAILING TO FILE A NOTICE OF APPEAL, THE FOURTH CIRCU…
22-5012 Kielan Brett Franklin v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence due-process fifth-amendment guideline-range hearsay hearsay-statements hobbs-act sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reliability (1) Is substantive reliability required under the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States when a district c…
21-8269 James Paris Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-06-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines advisory-range criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness upward-variance 1. Did the district court impose a substantively unreasonable sentence when it varied upward from the advisory sentencing range?
21-8277 Matthew Michael Cimino v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-06-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
21-8247 Johnathan Carter v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-06-28 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP abduction abduction-enhancement bank-robbery circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The four-level abduction enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2B 1.3(b)(4)(A) was applied to Appellant's bank robbery conviction based on moving victims…
21-8236 Edward Toliver v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-06-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appeal-waivers circuit-split criminal-defendant criminal-procedure due-process fair-trial fairness-doctrine plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines Are plea agreement appeal waivers that forfeit a criminal defendant's right to challenge errors in the district court's interpretation and application…
21-8238 James Seeley v. United States Second Circuit 2022-06-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2252a constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure due-process fourth-amendment proportionality sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-authority statutory-interpretation Question not identified.
21-8232 Stephon Ellis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-06-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing eighth-amendment judicial-discretion mitigating-factors mitigation-factors proportionality proportionality-principle sentencing-guidelines traumatic-background traumatic-childhood Whether the 90-month sentence imposed on Mr. Ellis was "greater than necessary" considering his extraordinarily traumatic childhood.
21-8171 Lamar Keith Garvin v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing defendant-characteristics due-process judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines sentencing-range sentencing-variance I. Whether the Fourth Circuit erred by affirming the District Court's imposing an unreasonable sentence under the totality of the circumstances, and w…
21-8181 Joshua Hayes v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-vagueness delegation-of-authority due-process judicial-delegation probation-conditions probation-officer sentencing-guidelines supervised-release vagueness Whether the imposition of Standard Condition (12), U.S.S.G. § 5D1.3(c)(12), violates a defendant's right to Due Process because the condition unconsti…
21-8129 Radu Miclaus v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-06-14 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review application-note-2 circuit-split criminal-law identification-trafficking means-of-identification sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation trafficking transferring Did the Sixth Circuit err in holding that "trafficking" a means of identification does not also constitute "transferring" such identification under Se…
21-8111 Leo Contrera v. United States Second Circuit 2022-06-10 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP covered-offense discretionary-modification discretionary-review first-step-act non-covered-offense sentencing-guidelines sentencing-modification sentencing-package u-s-code-3553a I. Whether the First Step Act (FSA) of 2018, under § 404 of the act, when a district court finds a defendant has a "covered offense" making him/her el…
21-8117 Xavier Jamaal Orange v. United States District of Columbia 2022-06-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP counsel-error criminal-procedure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel molina-martinez molina-martinez-v-united-states prejudice sentencing sentencing-guidelines Due to defense counsel's deficiency, petitioner was sentenced based on an incorrect Sentencing Guidelines range (57 months, using a range of 46-57 mon…
21-8099 Darnell McConnell, II v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-06-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substances controlled-substances-act criminal-law federal-act federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether "controlled substance[s]" in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines § 4B1.2(b) are limited to those substances defined and regulated under the fede…
21-8092 Nicole R. Bramwell v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-06-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-U.S.C.-3553a 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3661 abuse-of-discretion appellate-review below-guideline-sentence collateral-consequences downward-variance sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review (1) When a district court commits no procedural error at sentencing – e.g., correctly calculates the guidelines, considers all statutory sentencing fa…
21-8093 Albert Aiad-Toss v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-06-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-USC-3553a abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure district-court-discretion procedural-reasonableness reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness supervised-release Whether Mr. Aiad-Toss's lifetime supervised release term was procedurally unreasonable because the district court failed to adequately explain its dec…
21-8075 Ricky Bagola v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-06-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-801 advisory-range controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense controlled-substances-act criminal-law federal-sentencing-guidelines federal-statute prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation ussg-4b1.2(b) Is the term "controlled substance" in § 4B1.2(b) limited to those substances defined and regulated under the federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S…
21-8079 Kenyad Laquan Kelly v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-06-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process federal-sentencing gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion legal-standard sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether the District Court Erred in Applying a Different Starting Point for Defendant's Sentence than the United States Sentencing Guidelines?
21-8034 Robert Lawrence v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-06-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split compassionate-release criminal-procedure defendant-motion first-step-act sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is the Eleventh Circuit's decision in United States v. Bryant, 996 f.3d 1243 (11th Cir. 2021) correct in determining that Section 1B1.13 of the United…
21-8014 Reginald Woods v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-06-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 district-court district-court-discretion first-step-act policy-statement sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 is an "applicable" policy statement that binds a district court in considering a defendant-filed motion for sentence reducti…
21-7977 Jason Albert Halda v. Wisconsin Wisconsin 2022-05-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing disproportionality eighth-amendment juvenile-offenders juvenile-sentencing miller-montgomery-rule miller-v-alabama montgomery-v-louisiana proportionality-review sentencing-guidelines 1. Is Jason Halda entitled to a resentencing because the judge imposed sentences long before the Court's rulings in Miller and Montgomery. Therefore,…
21-7970 Oscar Geovanny Campos v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-05-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court guideline-range holguin-hernandez judicial-discretion sentencing-arguments sentencing-guidelines substantial-arguments Whether, after Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, __U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails t…
21-7852 Fernando Salazar-Figueroa v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-05-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice appellate-review criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process federal-jurisdiction federal-law fifth-circuit mitigating-role sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Fifth Circuit violated federal law when it conducted a cursory review of the facts related to a warranted mitigating role adjustment un…
21-7841 Danny Jewell v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-05-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law drug-offense due-process importation-enhancement knowledge-requirement sentencing-guidelines strict-liability The United States Sentencing Guidelines provide for an enhanced sentence for a person who commits an offense involving the importation of amphetamine …
21-7822 Christopher Patrick Lovings v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure enhancement fleeing fleeing-offense judicial-discretion knowledge knowledge-standard law-enforcement sentencing sentencing-guidelines ussg-3c1.2 Whether a sentencing court may apply an enhancement pursuant to USSG § 3C1.2 when the record fails to establish the defendant knew or had reason to kn…
21-7824 Jerome Scott King v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing voluntary-waiver Whether a provision in a plea agreement that bars a defendant from appealing a sentence of imprisonment violates due process and whether it can be kno…
21-7828 Kimberly Jones v. United States Second Circuit 2022-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof circuit-split criminal-history criminal-sentencing drug-quantity drug-quantity-determination intervening-arrest narcotics-guidelines personal-use sentencing-guidelines 1. Who bears the burden of proving or disproving "personal use" quantities when making drug quantity determinations for purposes of the narcotics guid…
21-7773 Eric Middlebrook v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-05-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP consecutive-sentences constitutional-challenge constitutional-law double-jeopardy drug-crimes drug-offense guideline-range mandatory-consecutive-term mandatory-minimum sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines 1. Does punishing an individual with both a statutory penalty that requires a mandatory consecutive prison term and a Guideline Range enhancement for…
21-7767 Michael Don Billups v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-05-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-opinions appellate-review district-court federal-sentencing judicial-discretion prejudice prejudicial-error sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether courts of appeals evaluating the prejudicial effect of a Guideline error must accept a district court's claim that the Guidelines exerted no i…
21-7769 Lonnell Tucker v. United States District of Columbia 2022-05-04 Denied Amici (1)Response WaivedIFP appellate-review base-offense-level circuit-split drug-quantity narcotics-prosecution relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether the Court should resolve the circuit conflict by requiring de novo review for contested methodologies used to determine Base Offense Levels in…
21-1418 Medardo Queg Santos v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-05-04 GVR Response RequestedRelisted (2) controlled-substances expert-testimony good-faith good-faith-defense medical-practice medical-purpose relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. If a physician's good faith is a complete defense to a prosecution for prescribing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose or ou…
21-7748 Sonny Austin Ramdeo v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-04-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split compassionate-release defendant-motion first-step-act sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act statutory-interpretation Whether the expanded compassionate release statute, 18 U.S.C. §3582(c)(1)(A) (2018) triggers any sentencing guideline policy statements when defendant…
21-7735 Erskin Bernard Perryman v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-04-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-waiver base-offense-level criminal-procedure due-process judicial-review minor-participant plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals erroneously granted the Government's Motion to Dismiss and refused to address whether the trial court calculated th…
21-7697 Michael Mirando, aka Michael John Mirando v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-04-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure district-court loss-calculation sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review What standard of review applies to an appeal challenging a district court's methodology for calculating the loss amount under Section 2B1.1 of the Uni…
21-7700 Ronald Hunter v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-04-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion extraordinary-and-compelling extraordinary-compelling-reasons rehabilitation sentencing-guidelines sentencing-law sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i), a district court may "reduce [a] term of imprisonment" upon "motion of the defendant" if it finds that "extraordin…
21-7701 Francisco Rosales Hernandez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-04-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines advisory-range criminal-procedure district-court extraordinary-compelling-reasons judicial-discretion molina-martinez-v-united-states ninth-circuit plain-error remand remand 21-7700" rosales-mireles-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines sentencing-law sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether a district court may consider nonretroacti When should a case be remanded for resentencing under the plain-error standard of review if the district court failed to announce its calculation of t…
21-7707 Jerome Lamar Pitts v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-04-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-law constitutional-violation criminal-procedure due-process legal-remedy plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines 1) Whether a miscalculated Sentencing Guideline violates Due Process enough to count as a "sentence in violation of the Constitution or laws of the Un…
21-7666 Izell Delorean Grissett, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-04-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi apprendi-ruling collateral-review constitutional-claim criminal-procedure guidelines mandatory-guidelines miscarriage-of-justice section-2255 sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Whether the Sixth Amendment requires the fact of a first-degree murder cross reference under § 2Al.l-to be treated as an element-when that finding …
21-7674 Jamie Allen v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-04-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process fourth-circuit reversible-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation WHETHER THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ERRED BY REFUSING TO HEAR MR. ALLEN'S MERITORIOUS CLAIMS THAT THE DISTRICT COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERRO…
21-7662 Michael Wayne Cook v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-04-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-opinions appellate-review district-court district-court-discretion federal-sentencing judicial-standard prejudice prejudicial-error sentencing-guidelines Whether courts of appeals evaluating the prejudicial effect of a Guideline error must accept a district court's claim that the Guidelines exerted no i…
21-7645 Alimamy Barrie v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-04-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure federal-appeals federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure judicial-review plain-error procedural-default re-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines successive-filing Should an Error be Corrected in a Motion under Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 52b, when the Conditions of US v. Olano are met, even if the I…
21-7632 Carlos Gotay-Guzman v. United States First Circuit 2022-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP application-note criminal-history criminal-history-points federal-jurisdiction first-circuit-decision plain-error plain-error-standard puerto-rico puerto-rico-convictions sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Did the First Circuit err when it held Mr. Gotay-Guzman could not establish plain error regarding the assessment of 2 criminal history points for his …
21-7619 Jarbarri Randale Wall v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure federal-law plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-condition statutory-authority statutory-maximum supervised-release The district court imposed a special condition of supervised release that the defendant abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages, not associate wit…
21-7625 Jonathan Scott May v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure district-court enhancement federal-sentencing judicial-discretion plain-error sentencing-guidelines 1. Did the district court plainly err when applying an enhancement under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 2G2.2(b)(5)?
21-7626 Joseph Martinez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court guideline-range holguin-hernandez judicial-discretion sentencing-argument sentencing-guidelines substantial-arguments Whether, after Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, __U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails t…
21-7609 Desmond Deleon Carviel v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-04-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law career-offender-guideline district-court-discretion guideline-commentary inchoate-offenses judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1) May a district court defer to the Sentencing Guideline commentary without first determining if the guideline is genuinely ambiguous. Kisor v. Wilk…
21-7594 Orin Kristich v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-04-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-counsel attorney-misconduct court-discretion de-novo-review due-process judicial-misconduct judicial-procedure plea-bargaining plea-waiver sentencing-guidelines supervised-release 1. Whether the Appellant's Appeal Counsel, Mr. Acton, can tell the court that the Appellant agrees to dismiss the Appeal without ever talking to the A…
21-7598 Irvin Garces v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-04-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice criminal-procedure drug-offense exceptional-importance federal-law fifth-circuit minor-role sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Fifth Circuit violated federal law when it conducted a cursory review of the facts related to a warranted two-level adjustment under U.…
21-7600 Christopher Hibshman v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-04-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-3583 18-USC-3583(e) criminal-conduct criminal-sentencing reasonableness-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-standards supervised-release 1. For violation of supervised release is the imposition of a 24 month sentence consecutive to a 2 year Indiana prison term unreasonable and at odds w…
21-7586 Jaako Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-04-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-sentencing generic-offense robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation texas-penal-code texas-robbery violent-crime Whether Texas robbery, a crime defined differently than similarly named crimes in a majority of states, is a crime of violence under the United States…
21-7587 Jose Garcia Solorzano v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-04-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility appeal criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion reduction-in-sentence sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g.-§3e1.1 u.s.s.g.-interpretation Did the district court err in not granting Mr. Solorzano a reduction in sentence for his acceptance of responsibility under U.S.S.G. §3E1.1?
21-7547 Gabriel Gonzalez v. John P. Yates, Warden Eighth Circuit 2022-04-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights covid-19 cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process eighth-amendment imprisonment prison-conditions sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Does continued imprisonment under unconstrained exposure to a lethal contagion, such as COVID-19, violate his Eighth Amendment right to be free fro…
21-7520 Isaiah Wilson v. United States Second Circuit 2022-04-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924 2nd-amendment burglary-statute career-offender civil-rights crime-of-violence due-process federal-sentencing free-speech sentencing-guidelines standing statutory-interpretation 1. Should the court exercise it's Power to resolve a split amongst the sister Circuits regarding New Jersey Third degree burglary designation as a cri…
21-7507 Valedia Gross v. First NLC Financial Services, LLC, et al. Maryland 2022-03-31 Denied IFP appeal appeal-waiver case-reopening civil-procedure court-intervention default-judgment legal-procedure motion-to-vacate standing timeliness waiver Did the Court of Special Appeals (COSPA) err, as a matter of law, in holding that Ms. Gross waived her right to appeal the circuit court's order vacat…
21-7482 Gregory Jean-Louis v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-03-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-procedure circuit-split criminal-appeal criminal-defendant criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process judicial-review sentencing waiver-exception Should the United States Supreme Court grant certiorari in order the finally resolve the substantial circuit split regarding the "miscarriage—of—justi…
21-7473 Antwoyn Terrell Spencer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-03-25 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-procedure drug-conspiracy due-process first-step-act habeas-corpus jury-trial sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether Petitioner is being deprived of his Civil Right to Due Process against law without due process of law in Violation of the Constitution and Law…
21-7445 Juniel B. Rios v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure procedural-due-process sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness upward-variance 1. Whether Constitutional Due Process requires that Irizarry v. United States, 553 U.S. 708 (2008) that limited the Notice requirement in Fed.R.Crim.P…
21-7441 Edgardo Maldonado-Arce v. Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency First Circuit 2022-03-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals civil-procedure criminal-procedure due-process judicial-review jurisdiction legal-interpretation sentencing-guidelines standing state-law statute-of-limitations Question not identified.
21-7443 Roberto Arenas-Tellez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-03-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure district-court guideline-range holguin-hernandez-v-united-states judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines substantial-arguments Whether, after Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, _U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails to…
21-7429 Damon Ramon Martinez v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law auer-deference constitutional-law crime-of-violence judicial-interpretation seminole-rock seminole-rock-deference sentencing-guidelines Does the Sentencing Commission's commentary impermissibly expand the unambiguous definition of "crime of violence" in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 to include atte…
21-7430 Roberto Padilla Espinoza v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection fifth-circuit-review judicial-discretion prior-convictions sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
21-7434 Darryl Williams v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender circuit-split crime-of-violence due-process equal-protection residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines This Court holds various residual clauses are unconstitutionally vague under the Due Process Clause, but has not yet addressed the residual clause in …
21-7438 Tramone Horne v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion judicial-review preponderance-of-evidence sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Should the Court require proof by more than a preponderance of the evidence of facts that significantly increase the defendant's sentence range under …
21-1275 Abetubokun Adesioye v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-03-22 Denied Response Waived appeal appeal-waiver court-of-appeals criminal-appeal criminal-procedure due-process plea-bargaining right-to-appeal rule-11-colloquy sentencing sentencing-guidelines waiver Did the Court of Appeals err in finding that the petitioner knowingly and intelligently waived his right of appeal without having considered the exist…
21-7405 Joshua Guity-Nunez v. United States Third Circuit 2022-03-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-section-1594 appeal base-offense-level criminal-conviction criminal-law criminal-statute due-process federal-sentencing human-trafficking sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I, Whether Petitioner, who was convicted of 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c), is subject to a Base Offense Level of 34 or 14?
21-7386 Sandchase Cody v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 compassionate-release district-court district-court-discretion due-process federal-criminal-procedure first-step-act sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Section 1B1.13 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines is an "Applicable" policy statement that binds a district court when considering "ex…
21-7390 Choya Dwayne Hailey v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-03-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5k1.1 5K1.1-motion breach-of-contract criminal-procedure downward-departure government-breach government-discretion plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines Whether the government breached the supplemental plea agreement when it declined to move for a downward departure under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Man…
21-7391 Isaiah Ramon Henderson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-03-16 Denied Amici (1)Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substances controlled-substances-act criminal-procedure federal-law federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether "controlled substance[s]" in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines § 4B1.2(b) are limited to those substances defined and regulated under the fede…
21-7357 Joel Castro-Lopez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-03-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing discretion district-court-discretion guidelines judicial-reasoning legal-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether a district court errs should reference or address substantial arguments for a sentence outside the Guideline range?
21-7345 David Wayne Aring v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography circuit-split due-process eighth-amendment first-time-offender judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release QUESTION ONE Whether in the exercise of its supervisory jurisdiction over the United States Courts, this Court should correct the correctable injustic…
21-7351 Miguel Angel Cruz-Polanco, aka Luis Hernandez v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure federal-sentencing plain-error plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines I- wheter the Federal SeNten cing Guidelines Manvel Reguire a Plea oF Guilty and PoiNt ReductioN three guarantee a ? For accePtaNCe OF ResPoN sability…
21-7331 Darregus T. Robinson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-10 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP circuit-split civil-rights compassionate-release constitutional-violation due-process habeas-corpus policy sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation USSG §1B1. B TO DENY RELIEF WHEN THE GUIDELINE DID NOT APPLY TO HIS MOTION? 5TH AND 8TH AMENDMENT CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS! CAN PETITIONER GET RELIE…
21-7332 Marlon Sisnero-Gil v. United States Second Circuit 2022-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-conflict circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness substantive-unreasonableness supervisory-power Whether the Petition should be granted because the Court of Appeals' decision holding that Petitioner's sentence was not substantively unreasonable co…
21-7323 Russell Hampton v. United States Second Circuit 2022-03-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review conspiracy jury-instructions juvenile-delinquency juvenile-delinquency-act post-majority-misconduct presentence-report presumption-of-retaliation sentencing-guidelines Whether, to comply with the Juvenile Delinquency Act, a jury must be instructed that it cannot convict unless it finds that the defendant 'ratified' h…
21-7301 Bogdan Nicolescu v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP access-devices congressional-intent criminal-enhancement criminal-sentencing guideline-commentary identity-theft sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation unauthorized-access-device wireless-telephone-protection-act 1. Whether Application Note 2 of the Commentary to U.S.S.G. § 2B1.6 bars the application of the U.S.S.G. § 2Bl.l(b)(ll)(B)(i) 2-level enhancement for …
21-7318 Abraham A. Augustin v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process federal-court mandatory-sentence resentencing right-to-counsel section-2255 section-3553a sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-requirements SENTENCING IN FEDERAL COURT IS GUIDED BY STATUTE AND CONSTITUTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF THE FACTORS IN 18 …
21-7269 Joseph Peter Clarke v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion covid-19 criminal-history downward-variance drug-offenses juvenile-offenses sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines stash-house-robbery Issue 1: Whether the appellate court erred affirming the district court's abuse of discretion in overruling petitioner's objections to the PSI Report …
21-7230 Gemar Morgan v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-03-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment civil-rights court-of-appeals criminal-procedure due-process judicial-review legal-standard probation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supervised-release Question not identified.
21-7236 Joseph Crocco v. United States First Circuit 2022-03-01 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP career-offender categorical-approach circuit-conflict circuit-split controlled-substance-offense plain-error sentencing-guidelines unsettled-law Whether the Court of Appeals erred when it held that the district court's erroneous determination that Petitioner was a career offender, based on Peti…
21-7221 Alfred Lavoris Moody v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-justice criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion juvenile-justice mitigating-factors mitigation-factors proportionality rehabilitation sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review Whether the 78-month sentence imposed on Mr. Moody was " greater than necessary " considering his troubled childhood.
21-7222 Hugo Valencia Mendoza v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-guidelines vagueness-doctrine 1. Is the term "involved" under Section 2D1.1(b)(5) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines Unconstitutional under the Vagueness Doctrine through t…
21-7190 Jason Terrell v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-02-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights court-of-appeals due-process jurisdiction merits plea-agreement procedural-facts standard-of-review 1. Whether the court of appeals erred by dismissing the appeal based upon an appeal waiver contained in the plea agreement and should have addressed M…
21-7195 James Leon Higgins v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-02-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2nd-amendment commerce-clause constitutional-challenge criminal-statute due-process federal-criminal-law firearms firearms-possession interstate-commerce perjury-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether 18 U.S.C. §922(g) permits conviction for the possession of any firearm that has ever crossed state lines at any time in the indefinite past, a…
21-7169 Latwon James v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-02-22 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fourth-circuit plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-factors supervised-release waiver I. Whether the Fourth Circuit erroneously dismissed Mr. James's appeal based on a provision in Mr. James's plea agreement waiving his right to appeal …
21-7163 Nathaniel Ruth v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-02-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substances criminal-procedure federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law statutory-interpretation I Does the phrase "controlled substance" in U.S.S.C. § 4B1.2(b) include substances that are excluded from the Controlled Substances Act? II. When def…
21-7136 Gregory Nesbitt, aka Spooky v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-02-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 circuit-split compassionate-release district-court first-step-act policy-statement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Section 1B1.13 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines is an "applicable" policy statement that binds the district court in considering a d…
21-7139 Bradley Scott Williams v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-02-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-level-score criminal-procedure drug-offense judicial-discretion methamphetamine sentencing-guidelines USSG-Section-2D1.1(c)(2) USSG-Section-2D1.1(c)(4) Did the trial court commit error when it calculated the appellant's sentencing guideline base level score using the enhanced "Ice" guideline value und…
21-7128 Cornelius Riley v. United States Third Circuit 2022-02-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-amendment 6th-amendment constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-offense due-process fifth-amendment jury-trial sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Should this Honorable Court extend the reasoning of Apprendi, Alleyne, and Peugh to cases where a defendant's sentencing guideline range increases sig…
21-1118 Duianete Moore v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-02-11 Denied Response Waived career-offender criminal-history criminal-law due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines juvenile-conviction juvenile-offenses predicate-offense sentencing sentencing-guidelines Is a conviction committed 24 years ago, when Petitioner was 16 years old, a proper predicate offense for classification of Career Offender status purs…
21-7079 Reginald Glenn v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-02-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault circuit-split criminal-law generic-offense mens-rea sentencing sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g.-4b1.2 To be a "crime of violence" under the enumerated clause of U.S.S.G. §4B1.2(a)(2), an offense must have elements that match or are narrower than the el…
21-7070 Anderson Curtel Duke v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP agency-deference agency-interpretation attempt-crimes circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines stare-decisis stinson-v-united-states 1. Should courts defer to Sentencing Guidelines commentary when there is no ambiguity in the underlying text? 2. Has the Commission impermissibly exp…
21-7065 Lori Majors v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing procedural-reasonableness ransom-demand sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness upward-adjustment vulnerable-victim DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR BY ASSIGNING A TWO-LEVEL UPWARD ADJUSTMENT PURSUANT TO U.S.S.G. §3A1.1(b)(1) BASED ON ITS ERRONEOUS FINDING THAT THE CASE I…
21-7057 Victor Nava, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-02-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act borden-v-united-states career-offender-guideline crime-of-violence enumerated-offense-clause reckless-aggravated-assault reckless-assault sentencing-guidelines texas-law 1. Does the Supreme Court's holding in Borden v. United States, 141 S. Ct. 1817 (2021) that a reckless aggravated assault cannot qualify as a "crime o…
21-7062 Michael Devell Smith v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-02-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3553(a) criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion guidelines section-3553a sentence-disparity sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness unwarranted-disparities Whether the district court ordered an unreasonable 24-month sentence considering the facts of this case and the Guidelines sentence range of 12 to 18 …
21-7054 Ervin Walker, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-02-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3582 abuse-of-discretion compassionate-release criminal-procedure district-court-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction ussg-1b1.13 Whether the District Court abused its discretion when it denied Petitioner's Motion for Compassionate Release under 18 USC § 3582 (c)(1)(A), after it …
21-7031 Joseph D. Davis v. United States District of Columbia 2022-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP compassionate-release court-of-appeals criminal-sentencing district-of-columbia-court-of-appeals federal-procedure guidelines inconsistent-opinions judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-commission I. Whether the opinion of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals concerning the Petitioner's motion for Compassionate Release is inconsistent with …
21-7032 Adrian Hunt v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2d1.1(b)(1) 5th-circuit criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit firearm-enhancement sentencing-guidelines tools-of-the-trade tools-of-the-trade-presumption Whether the Fifth Circuit's practice of applying a tools-of-the-trade presumption to the firearm enhancement of sentencing guidelines §2D1.1(b)(1) vio…
21-7034 Jeriton Lavar Curry, aka Cheese v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender crime-of-violence criminal-procedure district-court-error due-process hobbs-act legal-analysis sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether a conviction for Hobbos Act Robbery qualifies as a "crime of violence" under the Sentencing Guidelines, U.S.S.G.3 4BI.2(a).? 2) Whether the D…
21-6987 Marcus Antonio Grubbs v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-01-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver contract-law criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process miscarriage-of-justice procedural-waiver sentencing Whether a defendant can "knowingly," "voluntarily," and/or "intelligently," execute an appeal waiver of conduct yet to occur in the proceedings, visa-…
21-6969 Alton Jackson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines booker circuit-court-review criminal-sentencing guideline-enhancement lapsed-statute legal-interpretation mandatory-guidelines sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether it was error for the Eleventh Circuit to uphold the district court's enhancement of Defendant's sentence under a provision of U.S.S.G. § 2K…
21-6972 Maria Haydee Luzula v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP bureau-of-prisons circuit-split first-step-act non-delegation-doctrine sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 is an "applicable" policy statement that binds a district court in considering a defendant-filed motion for sentence reducti…
21-6955 Erica Umbay v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-01-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-rights criminal-procedure due-process federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel interstate-commerce plea-bargaining plea-withdrawal sentencing-guidelines Whether a Criminal Defendant Can Withdraw a Plea Under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(b)(3) if the Plea Lacked an Adequate Factual Basis? Whet…
21-6937 Colin Michael v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-01-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review district-court district-court-discretion judicial-presumption rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness united-states-sentencing-commission Should an appellate court automatically presume that a within - or below guideline sentence is substantively reasonable when the underlying rationale …
21-6940 Ferney Salas Torres v. United States Second Circuit 2022-01-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-appeal criminal-procedure district-court-discretion minor-role-adjustment pilot-enhancement plea-agreement procedural-reasonableness second-circuit sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. A writ of certiorari is requested to determine whether the Second Circuit Court of Appeals erred in affirming Ferney Salas Torres' judgment of conv…
21-6921 Sedale Pervis v. United States Second Circuit 2022-01-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) criminal-law criminal-sentencing district-court family-impact judicial-discretion mitigating-factor procedural-background respect-for-law respect-for-the-law sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The touchstone statu te for criminal sentencing, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), provides that a sentence must promote respect for the law. However, "respect for…
21-6924 John T. Veysey v. Louis Williams, II, Warden Seventh Circuit 2022-01-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP burrage-v-united-states controlled-substance-act habeas-corpus mandatory-guidelines pre-booker sentencing-guidelines 1. WHETHER § 2255 (E) "SAVINGS CLAUSE " IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE DECISIONS OF THIS COURT AND OF OTHER COURTS OF APPEAL AS THE CORRECT INSTRUMENT BY W…
21-6888 Ryan Kenneth Richmond, aka Rich v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-01-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review attempted-murder criminal-defendant criminal-procedure plea-agreement relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines I. DOES A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT'S WAIVER OF HIS RIGHT TO APPEAL A WITHIN GUIDELINE'S SENTENCE BAR APPELLATE REVIEW WHERE THE DISTRICT COURT USED A CROSS …
21-6861 Piyarath S. Kayarath v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-01-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP adolescent-brain compassionate-release extraordinary-circumstances mandatory-life-sentence mandatory-minimums neuroscience neuroscience-evidence procedural-error section-3553 section-3582 sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform Whether Booker's invalidation of the mandatory sentencing regime, and post-Booker neuroscience facts about the adolescent brain constitutes extraordin…
21-996 Yonell Allums v. United States Second Circuit 2022-01-13 Denied Amici (2)Response Waived as-applied-challenge booker-decision criminal-sentencing judicial-discretion reasonable-sentence rita-decision sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act sixth-amendment sixth-amendment-violation In United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), this Court held that the United States Sentencing Guidelines violated the Sixth Amendment because the…
21-6825 Diana Bustamante v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-01-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law modified-categorical-approach predicate-offenses sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Do statutes criminalizing simulated controlled substances count as predicate "controlled substance offenses" for applicability of the career offender …
21-6803 Javier Rosales v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion amendment-782 discretion drug-conspiracy due-process fifth-amendment opportunity-to-be-heard retroactive-amendment sentence-reduction sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether the Fifth Circuit erred in deciding that the District Court's order denying relief under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) did not comprise an abuse o…
21-6762 Karina Lizett Juarez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-01-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-criminal-law federal-law fifth-circuit mitigating-role sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Fifth Circuit's cursory review of the facts related to a warranted mitigating adjustment under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2 violated federal law in…
21-6758 Cameron Taevon Jones v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-01-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-law federal-law guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-law does the term "controlled substance offense" as defined in the Guidelines include offenses under state law that are not categorical matches under fede…
21-6760 Deandre Spencer Cotton v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-01-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence criminal-law divisibility-inquiry due-process federal-court-certification federalism sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines state-court-certification state-criminal-statute statutory-interpretation I. If a state criminal statute's divisibility is ambiguous when the defendant is convicted in state court, may a federal court later certify its divis…
21-6738 Kadeem Willingham v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-12-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582c1a 924(c)-sentences 924c-sentences district-court-discretion extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons first-step-act nondelegation-doctrine sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines sub-delegation 1. Whether U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 is an "applicable" policy statement that binds a district court in considering a defendant-filed motion for sentence redu…
21-6707 Antonio Turner v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-12-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3553(a)-factors administrative-remedy bureau-of-prisons compassionate-release criminal-sentencing extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines Whether the district court erred by denying Mr. Turner's Motion for Sentence Reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i).
21-6685 Christopher Dominguez v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-12-21 Denied IFP criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance-of-counsel informed-consent mandatory-minimum plea-agreement plea-bargaining prosecutorial-misconduct right-to-trial sentencing sentencing-guidelines The prosecutor, defense counsel, and the district court all informed Mr. Dominguez that if he went to trial he would face a mandatory minimum sentence…
21-6692 Alex D. Ramos v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-12-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582c1a 18-usc-924c circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing extraordinary-circumstances federal-procedure sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a district court may consider the 2018 amendment to the sentences mandated by 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) in determining whether a defendant has shown …
21-6679 Juan Jarmon v. United States Third Circuit 2021-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court-conflict conspiracy conspiracy-law crack-cocaine criminal-law evidence evidentiary-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review united-states-v-pressler Whether the Third Circuit Court of Appeals entered a decision in conflict with the decision of United States v. Pressler where the evidence presented …
21-6658 Donald Ray Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-12-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure federal-courts federal-sentencing guideline-commentary judicial-deference judicial-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Whether federal sentencing courts are bound by the illustrations found in Guideline Commentary?
21-6642 Tre Reshawn Tate v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-12-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP application-note criminal-law dangerous-weapon judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie possession robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is the application note defining "dangerous weapon" overly broad under Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019) by defining "possession" of a "dangerou…
21-6644 Ashot Minasyan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-12-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement plea-bargaining prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing voluntary-plea Whether Minasyan's waiver of appeal is unenforceable for the following reasons: because it was not knowing, intelligent and voluntary, and because Min…
21-6618 Jamie Matsuba and Takaharo Thomas Matsuba v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-12-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 27-year-old-opinion due-process judicial-interpretation legal-precedent loss-calculation mortgage-fraud rents-gained sentencing-guidelines Whether a loss calculation determined using "rents gained" in a mortgage fraud case violates due process when it is based on a single 27-year-old opin…
21-6592 Donald Stanley v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-12-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law drug-statute mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums mens-rea ninth-circuit-precedent rehaif-v-united-states sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Whether the knowingly mens rea in 21 U.S.C. § 841 applies to the elements of drug type and quantity that establish mandatory minimum and enhanced maxi…
21-6609 Christopher Coffer v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-12-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing defendant-health due-process health-issues judicial-discretion medical-disadvantage mitigation-factors sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance variance What is the extent of medical disadvantage that a defendant must present in order to secure a variance based on ill health?
21-6578 Gregory Leri v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-12-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-history downward-adjustment drug-trafficking first-step-act safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-minimum On December 21, 2018, Congress enacted the First Step Act of 2018 (P.L. 115 391). In Section 402 of the First Step Act, Congress amended subsection (f…
21-6584 Gregory Donell Eatmon v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-12-13 GVR Relisted (2)IFP 18-u.s.c.-3553(a) criminal-procedure district-court-discretion first-step-act section-404(b) sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.-sentencing-guidelines This Court recently granted certiorari in Concepcion v. United States, No. 201650, on the question of whether, when deciding if it should "impose a re…
21-6555 Malik Saunders v. United States Second Circuit 2021-12-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split crimes-of-violence criminal-offenses culpable-omission culpable-omissions injury-or-death intentional-causation physical-force sentencing-guidelines u.s.-sentencing-guidelines Whether all criminal offenses that require proof of an intentional causation of injury or death, including those which may be committed by way of culp…
21-6540 Alfred E. Daking, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-12-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split compassionate-release first-step-act judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-1b1.13 When Congress enacted the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 (Pub. L. No. 98 473, Tit. II, ch. II, 98 Sta. 1987; 18 U.S.C. §3551, et seq.) , it provided a …
21-6450 Steven Zinnel v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-11-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-v-new-jersey criminal-procedure gall-v-united-states jury-determination sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment substantive-reasonableness substantive-unreasonableness Any fact that increases the penalty to which a defendant is exposed constitutes an element of a crime under and must be found by a jury, not a judge. …
21-6403 Garland Guillory v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-24 Denied IFP application-note commentary controlled-substance-offense district-court-discretion fifth-circuit inchoate-offenses kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines u.s.-sentencing-commission (1) Under what circumstances may a district court rely on commentary in the U.S. Sentencing Commission's Guidelines Manual to determine a defendant's …
21-6418 Emmanuel Ashemuke v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law circuit-split due-process federal-courts federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-deference legal-interpretation plain-meaning plain-meaning-rule sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether federal courts should defer to the Commentary of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines when it expands the definition of a term used in the text o…
21-6427 Antonio Lorensito Garrido v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing drug-crimes mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. Should this Court resolve a division among the circuit courts regarding whether the two-level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. §2D1.1(b)(5) for the…
21-6376 Antonio Soul Gonzalez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-23 GVR Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-resentencing eligibility first-step-act judicial-discretion resentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation The question presented here is analogous to the question presented in Concepcion v. United States, No. 20-1650, on which this Court recently granted c…
21-6390 Marcial Carrillo-Serna v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-11-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-error guidelines-calculation molina-martinez-v-united-states ninth-circuit ninth-circuit-review plain-error plain-error-review prejudice sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights When the district court fails to calculate the guideline range at sentencing, whether the defendant may rely on the district court's error alone to sh…
21-6362 Rocky Krupa v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP booker booker-standard district-court-discretion due-process family-circumstances probabilistic-model procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness u.s.s.g.-§5h1.6 Question I. – Was Rocky Krupa's sentence procedurally and substantively unreasonable as the district court did not consider nor articulate why the app…
21-750 Jasper Knabb v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-11-19 Denied Response Waived 28-usc-2255 criminal-procedure due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargain plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines Where 28 U.S.C. § 2255 requires a prompt hearing unless the motion and the files and records of the case conclusively show that the prisoner is entitl…
21-6334 Christopher Jason Henry v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review booker-standard circuit-court harmless-error molina-martinez-v-united-states procedural-error procedural-reasonableness rosales-mireles-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-booker I. In the opinion below, a divided panel of the Eleventh Circuit held that the sentencing adjustment in U.S.S.G. § 5G1.3(b) is completely advisory, ev…
21-6336 Darrin Lashaon Betts v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 21-usc-841(a)(1)-(b)(1)(a) amendment-782 criminal-procedure fed-r-crim-p-11(c)(1)(c) fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines statutory-law type-c-agreement Whether a defendant is eligible for 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) (1)(2) relief pursuant Amendment 782 where the district court adopted a Type-C plea agreement …
21-6286 Patrick Lawrence Henderson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-11-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule criminal-procedure due-process jury-determination jury-trial reasonable-doubt revocation-sentence sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum Whether Henderson's revocation sentence violates Apprendi and its progeny because he has been forced to serve a sentence beyond the statutory maximum …
21-6287 Mario Hernandez-Galarza v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history discrimination due-process equal-protection fifth-amendment immigration-law liberty noncitizen-rights sentencing-guidelines In 2016, the United States Sentencing Commission promulgated United States Sentencing Guideline (U.S.S.G.) § 2L1.2(b)(3), which applies exclusively to…
21-6318 Michael Aaron Aldridge v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP consecutive-sentences criminal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness supervised-release 1. Whether the district court exceeded the statutory maximum sentence of 24 months imprisonment when it imposed five separate sentences of imprisonmen…
21-6294 Robert Michael Junkins v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-11-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment criminal-procedure drug-evidence drug-sentencing illegal-search motion-to-suppress search-and-seizure sentencing sentencing-guidelines vehicle-search 1. Whether the district court erred in denying Junkins' Defendant's Motion to Suppress Evidence for the evidence discovered in Mr. Junkins' vehicle af…
21-6295 Jmarreon Mack v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-16 Denied IFP administrative-law appellate-review attempt controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense deference fifth-circuit judicial-deference sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Did the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals err when it deferred to the United States Sentencing Commission's use of commentary in its Guidelines Manual to…
21-6273 Nathan R. Rollins, Jr. v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-sentencing-guidelines booker-standard criminal-conduct criminal-sentencing due-process fifth-amendment preponderance-of-evidence preponderance-of-the-evidence sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment united-states-v-booker Mr. Rollins plead guilty to single charge of possessing a firearm after conviction of a felony. The offense of conviction resulted in an advisory sent…
21-6284 Marc Blane Baccus v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP border-trafficking criminal-sentencing drug-importation drug-trafficking guideline-enhancement importation methamphetamine methamphetamine-offense mexico sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether Appellant's Sentence should have been enhanced for methamphetamine Importation from Mexico under §2D1.1(B)(5) 2. Whether Appellant's Guide…
21-6256 Macario Andrew Gomez, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing jury-determination jury-trial reasonable-doubt sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether facts that affect the minimum or maximum reasonable federal sentence must be proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt?
21-6235 Brandon Marquis Jennings v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-11-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review due-process eighth-amendment life-sentence miller-v-alabama presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE APPELLATE REVIEW FOR REASONABLENESS OF A LIFE SENTENCE LACKS SUFFICIENT SCRUTINY. THE CIRCUIT COURT'S APPLICATION OF PRESUMED REASONABLENE…
21-6210 Tony Bowen v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-11-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver armed-career-criminal-act conviction-counting felon-in-possession sentencing sentencing-enhancement state-law statutory-maximum 1. If a defendant convicted of felon-in-possession charges has three qualifying convictions, the Armed Career Criminal Act ("ACCA") enhances the maxim…
21-6208 Daliang Guo v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP control-over-others criminal-procedure criminal-scheme criminal-sentencing leader-enhancement leadership-role ninth-circuit participant-control role-model sentencing-guidelines Whether a defendant who took part in a criminal scheme with multiple participants is properly subject to the leader/ organizer enhancement at USSG § 3…
21-6185 Rodney Smith v. United States Third Circuit 2021-11-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion downward-departure judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines 1. Was the District Court's decision not to depart downward appropriate?
21-6160 Dennis Dean Smith v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-11-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment civil-rights criminal-justice-reform cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process equal-protection first-step-act prior-convictions retroactive-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-changes 1) Has the Eleventh Amendment barred the federal courts from exercising jurisdiction over this case where the state has been sued in federal court to …
21-6168 Vance L. White v. Bobby Lumpkin, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division Fifth Circuit 2021-11-03 Denied Relisted (2)IFP appellate-review blakely-v-washington constitutional-interpretation constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion self-incrimination sentencing sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
21-6148 Lonnie Earl Parlor v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-11-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing drug-trafficking enhancement-factors firearm-possession firearms relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines specific-offense-characteristics statutory-maximum uncharged-conduct This case presents unsettled and important questions related to the scope and application of "relevant conduct" to prove specific offense characterist…
21-6130 Brett Allan Corrigan, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-10-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review clear-error criminal-procedure drug-offense firearm sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review weapon-enhancement WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT'S FINDING THAT A WEAPON WAS CONNECTED TO THE DRUG OFFENSE UNDER §2D1.1(b)(1) WAS CLEAR ERROR.
21-6118 Kevin Folse v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-10-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-battery bodily-injury circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-law new-mexico sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation unlawful-force violent-crime New Mexico courts have held that the state's aggravated battery statute can be violated by unlawful touching alone. Unlawful touch that results in bod…
21-6121 Luis Enrique Lario-Rios v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-28 Denied IFP commentary crimes-of-violence criminal-enhancement guideline-commentary prior-convictions sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation ussg-4b1.2 Whether the Sentencing Commission can use commentary to expand an unambiguous Guideline that applies to enhancements for prior convictions for crimes …
21-6105 Saul Hernandez-Serrano v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP courts-of-appeals federal-sentencing molina-martinez-v-united-states numerical-range-of-imprisonment presumption-of-prejudice sentencing-guidelines Whether the presumption of prejudice recognized in Molina-Martinez v. United States extends to Federal Sentencing Guideline errors that do not affect …
21-6064 Robert William Knopping v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion downward-departure government-motion sentencing sentencing-guidelines third-level-reduction u.s.s.g. Under what circumstances can the district court at sentencing deny the government's motion for a third-level reduction for acceptance of responsibilit…
21-6087 Maria Vargas-Luna v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-conspiracy fact-finding judicial-fact-finding jury-trial-right reasonable-doubt sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Petitioner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. She admitted to the district court that approxima…
21-6068 Ronald Tingle v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-10-25 Denied IFP 18-usc-3582 district-court drug-offenses extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a district judge is categorically prohibited from considering the First Step Act's amendment to penalties for drug offenses when determining w…
21-6062 Craig Schenvinsky James v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-10-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court-conflict circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing judicial-review sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation I. BECAUSE THERE IS A CONFLICT AMONG THE UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURTS OF APPEAL OVER THIS MATTER, CAN THE SENTENCING COMMISSION'S COMMENTS TAKE PRECED…
21-6049 Aaron Christopher Pena v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law drug-offenses importation knowledge-standard mens-rea methamphetamine offense-level-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation strict-liability Whether an offense level enhancement under the Sentencing Guidelines that applies when "the offense involved the importation of amphetamine or methamp…
21-6020 Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-v-new-jersey circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing due-process sentencing-guidelines specific-intent statutory-interpretation terrorism-enhancement Question 1: This Court should resolve the circuit split that has developed by finding that the twelve-level terrorism enhancement under U.S.S.G. §3A1.…
21-6028 Johnny Jasper Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-20 GVR IFP borden-v-united-states crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-sentencing intervening-development sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation texas-robbery ussg-4b1.2 Whether the Texas offense of simple robbery by injury, Tex. Penal Code §29.02(a)(1) constitutes a "crime of violence" under USSG §4B1.2?
21-5998 In Re Anthony Terry 2021-10-19 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender circuit-precedent circuit-split criminal-procedure elements-clause mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation In a previous holding (Borden v United States, 141 S.Ct. 1817 (2021)), this Court determined that a mens rea element of "knowing and purposeful" is re…
21-5992 Jose Miguel Ramirez-Rodriguez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP COVID-19 criminal-procedure due-process equal-protection felony-convictions judicial-discretion medical-records procedural-error sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines time-served -1-he. Scolcnce 4he Tudge (kiitheia Moo fez) eae d vivre Aan 4-14e Guedelmes Rom mord-)15- 4's on error sloe broke 4-he )sol rules -(4/Jere_ 7) -tkie …
21-5985 DeCarlos Titington v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-10-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP concurrent-sentences constitutional-rights criminal-sentencing discharged-sentences due-process equal-protection relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines undischarged-sentences The federal Sentencing Guidelines treat discharged and undischarged sentences based on conduct relevant to a case before the court for sentencing diff…
21-5961 David K. Horsley v. Ohio Ohio 2021-10-14 Denied Relisted (2)IFP appeal-waiver appellate-procedure constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure due-process garza-v-idaho ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel procedural-rule sixth-amendment state-appellate-procedure To clarify if what the United States Court held in Garza v. Idaho, 586 U.S. 10 (2019) applies to Ohio App. R. 26 (B)(1) which requires a defendant to …
21-5973 Jesus Lopez-Mejia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness I. Whether Petitioner's sentence was substantively unreasonable?
21-5942 Michael Woolen v. California California 2021-10-12 Denied IFP appellate-review appointment-of-counsel civil-rights constitutional-law criminal-procedure dismissal due-process equal-protection judicial-discretion procedural-due-process sentencing-guidelines DEPRIVATIONS OF EQUAL PROTECTION OF LAWS, FAILURE TO APPOINT COUNSEL TO ADA PETITIONER WITH 8TH GRADE COGNITIVE FUNCTION PREDICATED PROCEDURAL DUE PRO…
21-5929 Jean Lynn Lillie v. Iowa Iowa 2021-10-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process free-speech jury-trial repeat-offender sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment standing takings Question not identified.
21-5937 Odilon Martinez-Rojas v. United States Second Circuit 2021-10-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver due-process fifth-amendment plea-agreement sentencing-procedure sixth-amendment Whether a plea agreement's appeal waiver can bar a defendant from challenging the unconstitutionality of a sentencing procedure that deprives the defe…
21-5899 Joseph Vasquez, Jr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-10-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender guidelines individualized-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness substantive-review Whether a below guidelines sentence can still result in a substantively unreasonable sentence?
21-5867 James Dean Kendrick v. United States Second Circuit 2021-10-04 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP aiding-abetting aiding-and-abetting-liability criminal-jurisdiction criminal-procedure indian-reservation indian-reservations sentencing-guidelines title-21-usc title-21-usc-section-841(b)(1)(A) title-21-usc-section-848(e)(1)(A) title-21-usc-section-848(g)-(p) 1. Can the Government's alleged motive for the murder of a non-Indian committed by another non-Indian, which occurred on the Cattaraugus Indian Reserv…
21-5872 Antonio Donnel Johnson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-10-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense guideline-commentary inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses precursor-offense precursor-offenses sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1) Whether the United States Sentencing Commission exceeded its authority by adding inchoate and precursor offenses to the definition of "controlled …
21-5879 Dheadry Powell v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-10-04 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion first-step-act guidelines justification money-laundering resentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. UNDER THE FIRST STEP ACT, DID THE DISTRICT COURT FAIL TO PROVIDE A SUFFICIENTLY COMPELLING JUSTIFICATION THAT THOROUGHLY EXPLAINS IT'S ABOVE THE GU…
21-496 Martez L. Smith v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-10-04 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) categorical-approach conspiracy criminal-law criminal-procedure guideline-interpretation overt-act sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the categorical approach for generic offenses applies to the offense of conspiring under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 Application Note 1 and requires a…
21-5805 Jean Leonard Teganya v. United States First Circuit 2021-09-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure false-statements obstruction-of-justice perjury sentencing-guidelines significant-further-obstruction 1. The United States Sentencing Guidelines permit a two-point increase in offense level if the defendant obstructed or impeded the administration of j…
21-5825 Raqib Abdul Al-Amin v. South Carolina South Carolina 2021-09-29 Denied IFP compulsory-process constitutional-law constitutional-rights criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment drug-offense due-process eighth-amendment evidence expert-witness mandatory-minimum sentencing-guidelines Whether the South Carolina Supreme Court error to akfirm the trial Coust's suling where the trial Court was convinced by the Sthte's 'thired-party gui…
21-5776 Bobby John Kobito v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-09-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-intent criminal-procedure due-process federal-crime sentencing-guidelines silencer silencer-possession terrorism terrorism-enhancement trial-court-discretion Whether the trial court erred in finding that the defendant's possession of a silencer was intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism, pursuant …
21-5731 Sheridan Sisk v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-09-22 Denied IFP circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines federal-statute sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The Guideline applicable to a felon in possession, U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1, increase s a defendant's base offense level if a defendant has prior "controlled …
21-5747 Juan Carlos Osorto v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-09-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history due-process equal-protection federal-agencies immigration-law noncitizen-rights noncitizens sentencing-guidelines In 2016, the United States Sentencing Commission promulgated United States Sentencing Guideline (USSG) § 2L1.2(b)(3), which applies exclusively to non…
21-5714 Jayren Jakar Wynn v. United States Second Circuit 2021-09-21 Denied Amici (2)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP agency-deference agency-interpretation circuit-precedent controlled-substance-offense guideline-commentary inchoate-offenses kisor-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines Whether a circuit court may properly rely on circuit precedent predating Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400 (2019), to hold, contrary to Kisor, that the…
21-5712 George Ferrer Sanchez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process judicial-review plea-agreement plea-bargaining prosecutorial-discretion right-to-appeal sentencing Across all federal circuits, the courts of appeals have held that, as part of a plea agreement with the government, a criminal defendant can waive his…
21-5725 Sergio Amaya-Martinez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-u.s.c.s.-991(b) 5th-circuit circuit-court-interpretation criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing role-adjustment sentencing-fairness sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-3b1.2 1. Whether the 5th Circuit Court has qualified the minor and minimal role adjustment commentary under U.S.S.G. §3 B1.2 such that the sentences in cons…
21-5633 Roland J. McLain v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-09-10 Denied IFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-law due-process federal-guidelines federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Does the phrase "controlled substance" in U.S.S.G. § 4Bl.2(b) , including as it is incorporated into U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1, include substances that are …
21-5634 Michael D. Forbes v. United States Third Circuit 2021-09-09 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing first-step-act guideline-range reasonableness-standard section-404 sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review Appellate court s review criminal sentence s for reasonableness . And major variances or departures from the advisory guideline range must be supporte…
21-5639 Siliaivaoese Fuimaona v. D. Hudson, Warden Tenth Circuit 2021-09-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP concurrent-sentences criminal-appeal custody federal-bureau-of-prisons federal-procedure habeas-corpus judicial-review ninth-circuit parole sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation k)kje.-rkfiA +VUL U'5- CouA-t-o-f. Appeals, 44 a +VuL 4 C>N:ai^ cPf>Mio^ ;as u>eN at> -vW ©p<* '<M ©44U£ . ftfe-tNc-*' CcuM- -VW btetXcto4 ^av\SGS Qj…
21-5615 Carlos Mora v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-09-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-preservation criminal-justice due-process importation mens-rea methamphetamine-importation plain-error plain-error-review sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines 1. Where counsel raised an issue in written Objections to the Addendum to the Presentence Report filed with the district court, and never withdrew or …
21-5572 Kamau Alan Israel v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-09-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP competency competency-hearing ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel insanity-defense mental-illness plea-bargain sentencing sentencing-guidelines strickland-standard strickland-v-washington Trial counsel in this case failed to investigate Mr. Israel's mental illness before his case was adjudicated. But Mr. Israel has been mentally ill for…
21-5548 Brent Anderson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-09-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure double-counting firearm-possession plain-error reckless-endangerment sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines vehicular-flight I. Did the district court plainly err when it applied a 2-level enhancement for "reckless endangerment during flight" after already applying a 4-level…
21-5532 Guy Harvey Spruhan, IV v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-08-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP equal-protection non-delegation-doctrine retroactive-relief retroactive-sentence-reduction sentence-reduction sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act separation-of-powers 1. Is the limitation in U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10, which prohibits proportional sentence reductions for defendants who have previously received variances or d…
21-5513 Christopher Seckington v. Mark S. Inch, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2021-08-30 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP chapman-v-united-states constitutional-law cruel-and-unusual-punishment drug-trafficking eighth-amendment ineffective-assistance sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment urine-testing Question 1: What must a Defendant show in order to demonstrate an Eighth Amendment violation where Petitioner was sentenced to in essence life for pos…
21-5518 John Perez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-08-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP atascosa-county base-offense-level criminal-procedure drug-distribution drug-quantity mass-marketing relevant-conduct sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines traffic-stop I. Was it improper for the Court to find the base offense level was 34 because Mr. Perez should only have been held accountable for the 15 pounds of "…
21-5530 Luis Gomez-Castro v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-08-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process judicial-findings obstruction-of-justice perjury plain-error-review sentencing-guidelines I. Sentencing Guideline §3C1.1 provides a 2-level enhancement for obstruction of justice and applies if a defendant testifies untruthfully about a mat…
21-5504 Eric Worley v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-08-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level burden-of-proof confrontation-clause criminal-procedure drug-quantity evidence preponderance-of-evidence presentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines The Appellant's Appeal was denied on June 1, 2021 by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. In this case, the Appellant raised one (1) issue for determin…
21-5480 Charles Bryant v. United States Second Circuit 2021-08-25 GVR Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP circuit-split crack-cocaine fair-sentencing-act first-step-act judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 increased the threshold amounts of crack cocaine – from 5 and 50 grams to 28 and 280 grams – needed to trigger two man…
21-256 Bilal Hamid Love v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-08-23 Denied Response Waived criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines strickland-standard Is defense counsel required, in order to provide effective assistance of counsel, to give the defendant an estimate of the potential guideline sentenc…
21-5418 Sergio Bucio v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-08-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-law criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion mitigating-role money-laundering role-adjustment sentencing sentencing-guidelines ussg-3b1.2 I. Whether the district court erred in calculating the amount of laundered funds attributable to Mr. Bucio. II. Whether the district court erred by f…
21-5413 Antoine L. Wallace v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-08-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law statutory-interpretation United States Sentencing Guidelines enhance the sentence for drug offenders and gun offenders, if, among other things, they have prior "felony convict…
21-5397 Jesse Carey v. United States Third Circuit 2021-08-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence criminal-law enumerated-offense generic-robbery legal-interpretation robbery-definition sentencing-guidelines third-circuit third-degree-robbery Whether the Third Circuit misapplied the law and rendered a decision in conflict with other federal courts of appeals by holding that Petitioner's thi…
21-5400 Maria Gonzalez Maldonado v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-08-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof conspiracy criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-conspiracy drug-trafficking federal-sentencing methamphetamine-possession minor-participant sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Did Maria Gonzalez Maldonado conspire to possess and/or actually and knowingly possess between 5kg-15kg kilograms of methamphetamine pursuant to U.…
21-5386 Michael Kenneth Young v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-08-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal criminal-classification district-court drug-offense fourth-circuit fourth-circuit-appeal prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines serious-drug-offenses Did the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal err in reversing the decision of the District Court which had determined that Petitioner Michael Young was not …
21-5340 Gerald Allen Hiler v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-08-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure district-court factual-basis federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure guilty-plea plea-agreement sentencing Does a federal criminal defendant's valid waiver of appeal in a plea agreement bar the defendant from an appeal that challenges the sufficiency of the…
21-5307 Millard Jerome Strickland, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-08-05 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (4)IFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-conviction federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law Can a prior conviction involving a substance that is not a controlled substance for the purposes of federal law render a federal defendant a "career o…
21-143 Raymond Rodriguez-Rivera v. United States First Circuit 2021-08-03 Denied Amici (3)Response Waived agreement circuit-split conspiracy controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law overt-act sentencing-guidelines The United States Sentencing Guidelines define a "controlled substance offense" as one that includes "the offense[] of * * * conspiring * * * to commi…
21-5271 Paul Surine v. United States Third Circuit 2021-08-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP crack-cocaine drug-conviction drug-quantity first-step-act judicial-interpretation recidivism-probability retroactivity sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines The most important question to be resolve by the US Supreme Court is if Petitioner Paul Surine and others in his own situation should be given a reduc…
21-5272 Gary Todd Smith v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-08-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing fraud fraudulent-investment-scheme investment-scheme loss-amount loss-calculation loss-to-losing-victims sentencing-guidelines uniformity 1. When determining the United States Sentencing Guidelines loss amount attributable to a defendant in a case involving a fraudulent investment scheme…
21-5250 Adalberto Martinez-Ramirez v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-07-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP §3Bl.1(a)-standard buyer-relationship circuit-court-review criminal-leadership criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing evidence precedent precedent-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation U.S.-v.-Miller Whether this Court should grant Certiorari because the Eighth Circuit opinion overlooked the binding precedent set forth in U.S. v. Miller when determ…
21-5196 Shalen Stoltz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-07-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-waiver criminal-appeal due-process liberty-interest plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines The Ninth Circuit dismissed Ms. Stoltz' criminal appeal due to an appellate waiver in the plea agreement. Ms. Stoltz argues that the appellate waiver …
21-5173 Vernon Montrell Webster v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-07-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP application-note attempt-offense auer-deference circuit-split controlled-substance-offense kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether this Court should resolve a Circuit Split and decide if a District Court's use of Application note 1 to U. S.S.G. § 4B1.2 is an improper ex…
21-5186 Mihran Melkonyan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-07-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law auer-deference circuit-split deference federal-courts judicial-interpretation regulatory-interpretation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1.) Whether, as the Courts of Appeals for the Third' and Sixth² Circuits have held, in conflict with the decision below³ and decisions of the Fifth* a…
21-5149 Leobardo Barraza v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-07-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP eighth-amendment irreparable-corruption juvenile-sentencing miller-v-alabama plain-error sentencing-guidelines In view of the foregoing, this petition presents this issue: Whether a federal court commits plain error by anchoring a sentence for a juvenile's cri…
21-5163 Gregory Scott Stephen v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-07-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography criminal-procedure eighth-circuit fourth-amendment government-agent private-citizen search-and-seizure search-warrant sentencing-guidelines standing 1. Was the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit's conclusion that a private citizen can never be established as a government agent ab…
21-75 Ojin Kim v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-07-21 Denied Response Waived appellate-review criminal-procedure deprivation-of-liberty due-process liberty-deprivation methodology-challenge restitution restitution-order sentencing-guidelines 1. In cases where the methodology to calculate the guidelines range for sentencing mirrors the methodology to calculate the restitution amount, if a c…
21-5144 Tye Lanford Sarratt v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-07-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 circuit-split collateral-review due-process johnson-claim johnson-v-united-states post-conviction-motion retroactivity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does a post-conviction motion asserting the following claim—that a sentence violates due process under Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015…
21-5146 Antonio Dewayne Adams v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-07-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment preponderance-of-the-evidence preponderance-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum The Tenth Circuit's decision is in conflict with decisions from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's us…
21-68 Brendon Janis v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-07-19 Denied constitutional-delegation delegation-of-authority due-process probation-officer risk-notification sentencing-guidelines supervised-release vagueness vagueness-doctrine 1. Does Standard Condition 12 unconstitutionally delegate authority to the probation officer? 2. Is Standard Condition 12 unconstitutionally vague?
21-5092 Dawn J. Bennett v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-07-15 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-sentencing district-court due-process fourth-circuit judicial-discretion presumption-of-reasonableness presumptive-reasonableness procedural-error sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review summary-reversal Does a district court at sentencing apply an impermissible presumption of reasonableness to the Sentencing Guidelines range if it refers to the range …
21-5098 Hal Herring Brown, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-07-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure fourth-circuit ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel money-laundering plea-agreement plea-bargaining securities-fraud WHETHER THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT ERRED IN DISMISSING THE PETITIONER'S MERITORIOUS APPEAL OF HIS CONVICTION FOR SECURI…
21-5110 Junior Jean Baptiste v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-07-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-U.S.C.-3553(a) advisory-guidelines appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion reasoned-decision sentencing sentencing-guidelines The district court, on remand for resentencing after failing or iginally to permit allocution by petitioner, reimposed the original sentence witho ut …
21-5111 Joenell L. Rice v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-07-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion post-conviction-relief sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit time-served Question not identified.
21-5122 Juan Angel Velasquez-Canales v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-07-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion felony-enhancement guideline-interpretation immigration prior-conviction prior-convictions sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the district court erred in applying a six-level enhancement under Section 2L1.2(b)(2)(C) of the Sentencing Guidelines where Mr. Velasquez-Can…
21-5099 Thomas Javion Guerrant v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-07-14 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (4)IFP career-offender controlled-substance drug-trafficking federal-law predicate-offense sentencing-guidelines state-conviction Does a state conviction for distribution of a substance not defined as a "controlled substance" by federal law qualify as a career offender predicate …
21-5104 John G. Tomes, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-07-14 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3582 compassionate-release criminal-justice criminal-procedure due-process extraordinary-circumstances judicial-discretion sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation Whether "Extraordinary and Compelling Reasons" to Reduce a Defendant's Sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) may be based on any Factor a Court …
21-5077 Herbert Jonathan Castillo Juarez and Paola Valenzuela Arevalo v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-07-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-crimes drug-type knowledge-requirement mens-rea rehaif-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation ussg-2d1.1 Whether the government is required to prove a defendant's mens rea and knowledge with respect to the requisite drug type for penalties under Title 21 …
21-5071 Gigi Fairchild Littlefield v. California California 2021-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment civil-rights constitutional-rights covid-19 criminal-procedure due-process judicial-interpretation prison-reform prosecutorial-discretion sentencing-guidelines standing systemic-injustice Question not identified.
21-5044 Ncholeion Kashana Hollie v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-07-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP abduction abduction-definition change-in-location circuit-split criminal-procedure federal-sentencing robbery robbery-enhancement sentencing-guidelines ussg-2b3.1 Under Section 2B3.1 (b)(4)(A) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines ("USSG"), courts apply a four-level increase to the offense level for Robbery…
21-5046 Ira Lee Wilkins v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-07-08 GVR IFP crime-of-violence criminal-law reckless-conduct reckless-force sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent supreme-court-review tenth-circuit violent-crime Should this Court grant this petition, vacate the judgment below, and remand in order to allow the Tenth Circuit to determine in the first instance wh…
21-5011 Anthony Farmer v. United States First Circuit 2021-07-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 abuse-of-discretion criminal-justice criminal-law federal-sentencing judicial-discretion public-confidence racial-disparities racial-disparity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether, under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(6), a district court can or should consider the need to avoid unwarranted racial disparities in sentencing among de…
21-5014 John Bruce Fifield, Jr. v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-07-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-history criminal-procedure judicial-notice plain-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether a court of appeals may consider judicially noticeable facts presented for the first time on appeal in deciding whether an error is plain?
20-8469 Lamont Benedict Nelson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-07-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-1951 borden-standard borden-v-united-states crime-of-violence grant-vacate-remand hobbs-act sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court-review Whether the Court should grant, vacate, and remand this case to permit the lower court to consider whether a conviction for Hobbs Act robbery under 18…
20-8452 Keith Lamar Lott, aka Kevin Moore v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-1951 borden-standard borden-v-united-states crime-of-violence grant-vacate-remand hobbs-act sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court-review Whether the Court should grant, vacate, and remand this case to permit the lower court to consider whether a conviction for Hobbs Act robbery under 18…
20-8439 Francisco Coto-Mendoza v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court district-court-review guideline-range judicial-discretion objection plain-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-arguments Whether, after Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, __U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), a party may obtain appellate relief when the district court fails t…
20-1807 Dontour D. Drakes v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-28 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) 18-usc-3582 18-usc-3582c2 amendment-782 career-offender criminal-sentencing retroactive-amendment sentencing-guidelines substantial-assistance united-states-v-hughes 1. WHETHER A CAREER OFFENDER WHO PROVIDED SUBSTANTIAL ASSISTANCE WHOSE SENTENCING JUDGE-VARIED FROM THE INITIAL INTRODUCED CAREER OFFENDERS IS THE JUD…
20-1808 Adam E. Billings v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-06-28 Denied Response Waived circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process eighth-circuit kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent united-states-v-booker united-states-v-roach 1. Whether the Sentencing Guidelines §2D1.1 Application Note 4 violates procedural due process. 2. Whether the Eighth Circuit's decision in United St…
20-8415 Demario Deshawn Simpson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-06-25 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP count-specific-plea criminal-indictment criminal-procedure due-process federal-rules-criminal-procedure jurisdiction partial-guilty-plea plea-bargaining plea-entry sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether a defendant has a right under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to enter a partial guilty plea (without a plea agreement or any plea bar…
20-8416 Raul Ramos v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause crawford-v-washington criminal-procedure cross-examination due-process hearsay-evidence sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment united-states-v-haymond Whether the district court's reliance on hearsay evidence to impose a guideline sentence of life violates Ramos's right to confront and cross-examine …
20-8422 Wayne Porter v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review conspiracy-conviction criminal-enterprise criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supervisory-power Whether the Fourt Circuit Court of Appeal's sanctioning of the district court's refusal to correct errors and omissions of facts from the Fourth Circu…
20-8431 Brandon Kendale Dudley v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process evidence-standard judicial-discretion preponderance-of-evidence sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the use of the preponderance of the evidence standard at sentencing to substantially enhance a criminal defendant's advisory guideline range c…
20-8395 Luis Bernal-Villareal v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-06-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP average-participant criminal-procedure drug-importation lower-courts minor-role sentencing-guidelines ussg-3b1.2 ussg-analysis Whether, in a drug importation offense, managers and supervisors of the offense should be considered "average participants" for purposes of a USSG § 3…
20-8402 Daniel Chica-Gutierrez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP affirmative-defense collateral-attack criminal-procedure custis-rule federal-statutory-provision sentencing sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines state-court-conviction statutory-interpretation Whether a federal court is permitted to consider an argument that a prior state-court conviction does not satisfy a relevant federal statutory provisi…
20-8354 Lewis Wesley Hickman, III v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process evidence-challenge felony-conviction judicial-review mandatory-minimum plea-bargaining sentencing-disparities sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines why was my 3 points for accepting responsibility taken for a fight in jail. I Know I didnt say} "Cooperator"; I didnt Know him at all. why was I give…
20-8383 Franklin Antonio Rios v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history criminal-history-category drug-conspiracy firearm-charges first-step-act fourth-amendment mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentences offense-level sentencing-guidelines I. WHETHER, AFTER THE PETITIONER PLED GUILTY TO A DRUG CONSPIRACY AND TWO FIREARM CHARGES UNDER 18 U.S.C. § 924(0), RESULTING IN MANDATORY MINIMUM SEN…
20-8388 Jonathan Aaron Leal v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review due-process federal-sentencing illegal-sentence plea-agreement post-conviction-relief Should an appeal waiver provision in a plea agreement bar appellate or post-conviction relief from an illegal federal sentence?
20-8346 Juan Anibal Patrone v. United States First Circuit 2021-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-922 criminal-procedure due-process harmless-error immigration-status rehaif rehaif-standard sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation First, whether the district court's violation of Rehaif v. United States, 139 S. Ct. 2191 (2019) — when it omitted the knowledge of immigration status…
20-1732 Thomas Bryant, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-06-15 Denied Amici (3) circuit-split compassionate-release criminal-procedure district-court first-step-act policy-statement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Section 1B1.13 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines is an "applicable" policy statement that binds a district court in considering a def…
20-8282 Anthony Herman Lucio v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure drug-quantity due-process factual-findings findings judicial-discretion presentence-report sentencing-guidelines WAS PRESENTENCE REPORT'S CALCULATIONS ON QUANTITY O'F DRUGS UNDER U.S. SENTENCING GUIDELINES MANUAL § 2D1.1 ATTRIBUTED TO DEFENDANT PROPER BASED ON FA…
20-1728 Rico Sanders v. Dylon Radtke, Warden Seventh Circuit 2021-06-14 Denied Response Waived criminal-procedure eighth-amendment juvenile-sentencing juvenile-status life-sentence mitigating-factor parole sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether this Court's Eighth Amendment precedent clearly establishes that a sentencing court must consider a defendant's juvenile status as a mitigatin…
20-8238 Martavis Hollis Samuel v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-06-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP acca controlled-substance-offense criminal-law elonis florida-drug-statute mcfadden mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is a post-2002 conviction for sale of marijuana or cocaine or for possession of cocaine with intent to sell in violation of Fla. Stat. § 893.13 a "con…
20-8211 Christian M. Allmendinger v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment judicial-fact-finding jury-trial reasonable-doubt sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment witte-v-united-states 1. Alleyne v. United States, 570 U.S. 99, 133 S. Ct. 2151 (2013), expressly overruled Harris v. United States, 536 U.S. 545 (2002), and at least impli…
20-8213 James Atwood v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-06-03 Denied Relisted (4)IFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law Does the undefined term "controlled substance" in the federal Sentencing Guidelines mean substances controlled by federal law, the federal Controlled …
20-8215 Aaron Walton v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-06-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-law eighth-circuit guidelines inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals incorrectly found that an inchoate offense such as an attempt is included in the definition of a "controll…
20-8197 Samuel Earl Smith v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure defendant-role fifth-circuit leader-organizer leadership-enhancement sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines The Fifth Circuit's holding in finding that Mr. Smith was a leader or organizer under the United States Sentencing Guidelines evidences a circuit spli…
20-8202 Otis Hill v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-06-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split controlled-substance-offense crime-of-violence criminal-law eighth-circuit inchoate-offenses sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g-4b1.2 Whether the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals incorrectly found that inchoate offenses such as attempts and conspiracy are included in the definition of…
20-8181 Linwood Earl Stephens v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals appellate-jurisdiction clearly-erroneous-fact criminal-procedure due-process fact-finding fourth-circuit judicial-review jurisdiction sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals below erred in holding it did not have jurisdiction to review a decision to deny a departure under the Uni…
20-8182 Gilbert Sanchez v. Texas Texas 2021-06-01 Denied IFP constitutional-rights due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jury-instructions reasonable-doubt sentencing sentencing-guidelines QUESTION NUMBER ONE The trial court judge in this case states unequivocally that she misdirected the jury as to the law in this case that changed Peti…
20-8146 Edward Lee Smith v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-05-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP compulsory district-court district-court-interpretation judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-booker Whether the District Court committed significant procedureal error when it mistakenly interpreted section 7B1.3(f) of the United States Sentencing Gui…
20-8111 Taariq Kaaleeq Jackson-Bey v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-05-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights due-process evidentiary-hearing felon-in-possession guilty-plea henderson-v-united-states judicial-review liberty-review notice post-conviction-relief Question not identified.
20-8084 Gregory Brown v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-05-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law federal-courts federal-procedure mens-rea sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether 28 U.S.C. § 994(h)(2)(B) and the definition of a "controlled substance offense" in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) require that a defendant's prior offens…
20-8077 Kavoris Clayton v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-05-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law drug-offense mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the drug conduct in the "controlled substance offense" definition in U.S. Sentencing Guideline § 4B1.2(b) requires knowledge of the illicit na…
20-8047 Cornelius R. Caple v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-05-17 Denied IFP acca assault career-offender controlled-substance criminal-law elements-clause mens-rea sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the drug conduct in the "controlled substance offense" definition in U.S. Sentencing Guideline § 4B1.2(b) requires knowledge of the illicit…
20-8019 Roberto Torner v. United States Third Circuit 2021-05-13 Denied IFP aggravated-assault crime-of-violence criminal-law due-process equal-protection new-jersey-statute sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a New Jersey conviction for Aggravated Assault, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b)(1), is a crime of violence for sentencing guideline purposes.
20-8020 Charleston Pierre Wiggins v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-05-13 Denied IFP categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance-offense drug-distribution guideline-commentary sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation USSG-4B1.2(b) I Whether an offense-matching categorical approach applies to the determination of a "controlled substance offense" under the USSG § 4B1.2(b)? II Whe…
20-8021 Jason Scott Pedro v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-05-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure federal-sentencing guidelines harmless-error procedural-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review statutory-maximum Can a significant procedural error be deemed harmless when the sentencing judge uses the statutory maximum as the baseline for imposition of sentence?
20-7972 Gregory L. Roberson, Charles Matthews, and Dorothy Robinson v. United States Third Circuit 2021-05-11 Denied IFP circuit-split crack-cocaine fair-sentencing-act first-step-act retroactivity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-penalties Does the term "covered offense" in the First Step Act include violations of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) involving crack cocaine to which apply the penalties in…
20-7973 Zavion Nunley v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-05-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split data-availability judicial-discretion nationwide-statistics reasonableness-of-sentence sentencing-disparities sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines statistical-analysis unwarranted-disparities Whether statistics demonstrating that judges in the sentencing district impose above-guideline-range sentences much more frequently than their peers i…
20-1565 Michael Ryan Mitchan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-05-11 Denied Response Waived confrontation-clause criminal-procedure due-process hearsay hearsay-evidence relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines 1. Should defendants in criminal cases be permitted to confront witnesses against them at sentencing when their uncorroborated hearsay statements are …
20-7961 Antonio Olmeda v. United States Second Circuit 2021-05-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP consecutive-sentences consecutive-sentencing criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process firearm-possession jury-determination jury-trial multiplicitous-conviction sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a Judgment and Conviction oh two counts, § 2K2.1.(a)., for unlawful "receipt", of a firearm and "Possession" of that firearm is multiplicitou…
20-7936 Jose Oribel Ponce-Ulloa v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-05-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-courts federal-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines temporal-connection ussg-2d1.1 weapon-possession The question presented which has divided federal courts of appeal is whether a sentencing court can add two offense levels for possession of a weapon …
20-7912 Jorge Gomez-Gomez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-05-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Whether the court of appeals erred by concluding that Petitioner's 99-month sentence was substantively reasonable.
20-7878 Maci Denon Davis and Joe L. Franklin v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-04-28 Denied Relisted (2)IFP congress congressional-intent discretion district-court eighth-circuit first-step-act sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines unwarranted-disparities Whether the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals incorrectly found that the district court was permitted to tether itself to the United States Sentencing G…
20-7856 Dennis Ayala v. United States First Circuit 2021-04-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review court-of-appeals district-court drug-quantity harmless-error judicial-discretion molina-martinez preponderance-standard sentencing-guidelines Whether the Court of Appeals erred when it held, contrary to this Court's holding in Molina-Martinez, that any error in the District Court's choice be…
20-7797 Jorge Luis Rosa-Hernandez v. United States Third Circuit 2021-04-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-decision due-process equal-protection sentencing sentencing-guidelines third-circuit unrelated-misconduct Whether the Third Circuit Court of Appeals erred in affirming the District Court's Decision in allowing the Government to use unrelated, uncharged mis…
20-7803 Jonathan S. Hall v. Delaware Delaware 2021-04-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2nd-amendment civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process eighth-amendment judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines standing supreme-court-review takings All Federal and State laws are predicated on the Constitution. If laws are unconstitutional or illegal they are void. If sentenced under said law is s…
20-7742 Deandre Joseph Warren v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-04-14 Denied IFP administrative-law controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense guideline-commentary inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses precursor-offense precursor-offenses sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1) Whether the United States Sentencing Commission exceeded its authority by adding inchoate and precursor offenses to the definition of "controlled …
20-7715 In Re Richard DeCaro 2021-04-12 Dismissed Relisted (2)IFP double-jeopardy ex-post-facto federal-statute first-degree-murder ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel mandatory-life second-degree-murder sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Whether the Ex Post Facto Clause is violated where petitioner was sentenced to the amended statute, first degree murder, mandatory life, rather tha…
20-7702 Covia Dzell Smith v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-procedure due-process evidentiary-errors fair-trial fourth-circuit-review ineffective-assistance right-to-present-defense sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Whether trial counsel's ineffective assistance deprived Mr. Smith of the right to offer evidence in his defense. II. Whether the district court's …
20-7705 Marco Antonio Serrano v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-waiver career-offender district-court-error due-process mandatory-application plea-agreement sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Can a plea agreement that includes an appellate waiver lawfully deprive a defendant of his right to appeal a sentence that was based on the distric…
20-7708 Jose Noe Castro Orellana v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-sentencing due-process fact-finding plain-error-review procedural-error sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Mr. Castro Orellana could not show an effect on his substantial rights on plain-error review even though …
20-7656 James Robert Monson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-04-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights due-process fundamental-rights intentional-misconduct prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing united-states-attorney 1. Whether the United States Attorney Offices' standard appeal waiver violates due process of law where, subsequent to the defendant signing the waive…
20-7667 Troy Kendrick, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-04-06 Denied IFP 5th-circuit falsified-evidence franks-standard franks-v-delaware judicial-review law-enforcement-misconduct probable-cause sentencing-guidelines wiretap wiretap-evidence (1) When a law enforcement agent falsifies and misrepresents wiretap evidence to establish probable cause for a second wiretap, can a reviewing court …
20-7655 Lisa Bershan v. United States Second Circuit 2021-04-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure downward-departure judicial-discretion reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines variances Should this Court should grant certiorari in order to resolve the following conflict among the circuits: Is a sentencing judge required specifically t…
20-7580 Trinidad Jesus Garcia v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-03-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review civil-procedure criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing individualized-circumstances judicial-discretion plain-error reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines whether Formal objection after pronouncement of Sentence is necessary to invoke appellate review of Sentence (Ground Four) and Sentence Prejudice the …
20-7547 Saloman Martinez v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-03-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause constitutional-interpretation criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process evidence judicial-discretion kentucky-law sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment standard-of-proof supreme-court-precedent "VVvc G?ccoA * DecetuVi-er 11, Z02 -0 •\Vv£. uvu-V^A sAaFtS C^sAcnIcA' GoOfAr Qa^ senA-e/vc-e\A} WArWfC q^aOoa. roVi»Mj -\ o cx^<^■c \W, £ajz>\rec<\ O…
20-7543 Victor Real-Alomar, aka Toston v. United States First Circuit 2021-03-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver burden-of-proof constitutional-rights criminal-procedure first-amendment ninth-amendment plea-agreement plea-bargaining pretrial-detainee waiver A. Whether a criminal defendant must raise the issue of nonapplicability of a waiver of appeal in his opening brief or whether it falls upon the gover…
20-7522 Joshua R. Jones v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-03-23 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender criminal-sentencing johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
20-7533 Preston James v. United States Second Circuit 2021-03-23 Denied IFP career-offender career-offender-guideline controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense guideline-commentary inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether it is a misapplication of the Sentencing Guidelines for a sentencing court to defer to guideline commentary that expands the definition of a c…
20-7492 Justice Towan Roundtree v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-03-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP alternative-sentence appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure district-court-discretion guidelines harmless-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a Guidelines error is harmless when the district judge issues an alternative sentence by stating that she would impose the same sentence even …
20-7473 Ivan Dario Obregon v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-03-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-law criminal-sentencing due-process federal-jurisdiction federal-procedure judicial-discretion plain-error plea-agreement sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines Are unforeseeable sentencing mistakes beyond the scope of federal appeal waivers?
20-7474 Ezralee J. Kelley v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-03-17 Denied Amici (3)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP as four circuits hold as three circuits hold or whether a resentencing court must correct a Gu career-offender circuit-split fair-sentencing-act first-step-act judicial-interpretation resentencing sentencing-guidelines Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018 permits district courts to "impose a reduced sentence" on defendants who committed offenses for which the…
20-7475 Corry Jessie v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-03-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP conviction enhancement extraneous-offense felony relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines I. Did the district court err when it applied a 4- level enhancement for "in connection with another felony offense" based on a finding that a prior, …
20-7465 Johnny Andres Asuncion, III v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-03-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP carachuri-rosendo-v-holder criminal-sentencing felony-drug-offense mandatory-minimum ninth-circuit-precedent predicate-offense recidivism sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The District Court Judge sentenced the Petitioner to life in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine , 21 U.S.C. Sect. 841(a)(…
20-7439 Michael Luis Suarez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924(c) actual-innocence categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-procedure due-process plea-bargaining predicate-offense procedural-default sentencing-guidelines statutory-enhancement Whether a defendant may be enhanced under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) where he entered a plea of guilty to an offense that no longer qualifies as a predicate o…
20-7446 Juan Luis Rivera Arreola v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split co-defendant-liability criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-offense federal-sentencing-guidelines firearm-enhancement reasonable-foreseeability sentencing-guidelines tools-of-the-trade U.S.S.G.-2D1.1(b)(1) In order to warra nt a two-level enhance ment for possession of a fir earm, pursuant to U.S .S.G. § 2D1.1 (b)(1), is it suffic ient to simply label fi…
20-7387 Vaughn Lewis v. United States First Circuit 2021-03-09 Denied Relisted (2)IFP agency-deference career-offender controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense deference inchoate-offenses sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation When "controlled substance offense" is defined in the text of the Career Offender Guideline, U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b), whether the commentary can add consp…
20-7327 Timothy A. Ward v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-03-05 Denied IFP career-offender categorical-approach controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law federal-guidelines federal-law sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-drug-schedules state-law Under the provisions of the career offender enhancement in the United States Sentencing Guidelines, guideline ranges are dramatically increased for pe…
20-7277 Niles O'Neil v. United States Second Circuit 2021-03-03 Denied Relisted (2)IFP appellate-review controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in holding that the U.S. Sentencing Commission acted within its authority by its commentary to $ U.S. Sentencing…
20-7296 Dane Schrank v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-03-02 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP appellate-procedure due-process federal-rules-of-appellate-procedure judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum oral-argument reasoned-decision sentencing-guidelines standing I. Must Circuit Courts provide reasoned decisions to deny parties oral argument under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34(a)(2)? II. Does a policy…
20-7276 Russell Lawayne Montague v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-03-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-procedure due-process protective-order sentencing-disparities sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review supervised-release 1) Whether the district court ordered an unreasonably long 114-month prison sentence. 2) Whether the district court erred by finding Mr. Montague gui…
20-7285 Cedric Durand Collins v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-03-01 Denied IFP controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law drug-offense due-process knowledge-requirement mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the drug conduct in the "controlled substance offense" definition in U.S. Sentencing Guideline § 4B1.2(b) requires knowledge of the illicit na…
20-7287 Viguens Cius v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-03-01 Denied IFP controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law drug-offense due-process knowledge-requirement mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the drug conduct in the "controlled substance offense" definition in U.S. Sentencing Guideline § 4B1.2(b) requires knowledge of the illicit na…
20-7246 Renaldo Demarquis Metcalf v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-02-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-history judicial-doctrine legal-departure sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-process Does the use of the "de facto career offender" doctrine distort the sentencing process and lead to unwarranted sentencing disparity?
20-1187 Leon Carmichael, Sr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-02-25 Denied Response Waived constitutional-rights contemporaneous-evidence criminal-procedure due-process hill-v-lockhart ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargaining prejudice-test sentencing-guidelines Question One: What additional objective and evidentiary evidence is required to satisfy "the prejudice test" that this Court articulated in "Missouri …
20-7215 Sunni Askari Newell v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-02-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing due-process eighth-amendment eighth-circuit federal-sentencing firearms firearms-possession sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation WHETHER THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT HAS MISCONSTRUED U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B), CONTRARY TO EVERY OTHER CIRCUIT, RESULTING IN DEFENDANTS CONVICTED OF FIREARMS …
20-7218 Crystal Zuniga v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-02-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-856 congressional-intent double-counting drug-involved-premise drug-sentencing fair-sentencing-act precedent sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Congress intended The Fair Sentencing Act to more severely punish persons sentenced under 21 U.S.C. §856 in what is a departure from over 20 y…
20-7190 Erik Sanchez v. Terry Jacques, Warden Tenth Circuit 2021-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause consecutive-sentences constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process federal-review judicial-discretion plea-bargaining post-conviction-relief sentencing sentencing-guidelines IN ORCDER FOR THE SENTENCING COURT TO DEPART FROM THE CONCURCENT SENTENCES REQUIREMENT IN .R.S. S18-1-HOB(3) DOES COOVECNMENT MUST ENTER FACTUAL BASIS…
20-7206 Pedro Gonzalez-Mendoza v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2015-amendment criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion extraneous-factors mitigating-role sentencing-adjustment sentencing-guidelines u-s-sentencing-commission unrelated-cases DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR BY FINDING THAT MR. GONZALEZ-MENDOZA WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A MITIGATING ROLE ADJUSTMENT PURSUANT TO U.S.S.G. §3B1.2? DID TH…
20-7168 Loren Joel McReynolds v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-02-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review base-offense-level criminal-procedure firearms-offense reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review ussg-2k2.1 I. Whether The Court's Calculation Of McReynolds' Base Offense Level Was Erroneous? II. Whether The Court Erred In Denying A Reduction In The Offense…
20-7186 Brian Dale Lee v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-02-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5k2.1-motion appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court fourth-circuit judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the Fourth Circuit court erred in finding that the district court's consideration of conduct raised in a 5k2.1 motion was appropriate?
20-7172 Dakota Manucy Constantin v. Florida Florida 2021-02-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment uncharged-conduct WAS CONSTANTIN DENIED DUE PROCESS WHEN THE SENTENCING COURT RELIED UPON UNCHARGED CONDUCT IN IMPOSING A SENTENCE IN EXCESS OF THAT RECOMMENDED BY THE …
20-7138 Patrick Begay v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-02-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 aggravated-assault criminal-procedure federal-sentencing guidelines judicial-discretion native-american native-american-defendants sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-commission In carrying out the mandate of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) to impose a sentence that is "sufficient but not greater than necessary on a defendant," may a dist…
20-7121 Georges Michel v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-02-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey drug-quantity due-process jury-trial sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-maximum Whether the Court of Appeals erred, reversibly, in affirming the district court's decision—making a drug quantity determination, after the Remand—wher…
20-7099 Brandon Lamonte Sorenson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-02-10 Denied Relisted (2)IFP constitutional-interpretation controlled-substance-offense inchoate-offenses promulgation-of-guidelines sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction Whether enabling the commentary to U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) to expand the guideline definition of "controlled substance offense" to add inchoate offenses n…
20-7101 Anthony Jerome Billings, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-02-10 Denied IFP appellate-review circuit-split controlled-substance-offense crime-of-violence Eleventh-Circuit florida-statute mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. Is a conviction for sale of cocaine in violation of Fla. Stat. § 893.13 a "controlled substance offense" as defined in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) if, acco…
20-7109 Raul Flores-Villalvaso v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-02-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process illegal-reentry mens-rea sentencing sentencing-guidelines specific-intent Whether the 8 U.S.C. § 1326 Attempted Illegal Reentry mens rea element of "specific intent" can be restated as simply "a conscious desire" with no ref…
20-1095 Darius Wayne Haws v. Idaho Idaho 2021-02-10 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) appeal-waiver appellate-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment guilty-plea plea-agreement Whether a criminal defendant's purported waiver of the right to appeal in a plea agreement is knowing, intelligent, and voluntary—as required by the D…
20-7069 Martell Roberts v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-02-08 Denied Relisted (2)IFP administrative-law controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense guideline-commentary inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses precursor-offense precursor-offenses sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1) Whether the United States Sentencing Commission exceeded its authority by adding inchoate and precursor offenses to the definition of "controlled …
20-7085 Thomas Hoey, Jr. v. United States Second Circuit 2021-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP attorney-client-privilege conflict-of-interest constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process harsher-punishment plain-text precedents sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines 1-Should lower courts be permitted to interpret the plain text and meaning of sentencing commission's provisions to inflict harsher punishment upon pe…
20-7037 Elias Junior Rodriguez v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-02-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5K1.1-motion appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing downward-variance government-motion judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines U.S.S.G.-5K1.1 1. DOES A COURT VIOLATE THIS COURT'S HOLDING IN GALL v. UNITED STATES, 552 U.S. 38 (2007) BY FAILING TO ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN TO WHAT EXTENT THE COURT'S …
20-1062 Chad Bennett v. Washington Washington 2021-02-04 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) 14th-amendment aggravating-factors constitutional-challenge due-process fourteenth-amendment jury-finding jury-findings sentencing-guidelines vagueness In a state with mandatory sentencing guidelines, where a judge may not sentence a defendant above the guidelines range unless the jury finds an aggrav…
20-7018 Lawrence Westbrook, III v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-02-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion enhancement firearm-enhancement firearms sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the district court erred by applying a six-level enhancement pursuant to USSG § 2K2.1(b)(1)(C). II. Whether the district court erred by ap…
20-7020 Richie Wheeler v. United States Third Circuit 2021-02-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP bodily-injury criminal-law criminal-statute deadly-weapon intent jury-finding law-enforcement reckless-driving sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether to be guilty of a violation of 18 U.S.C. §111(b), which requires the use of a deadly weapon while forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing,…
20-7032 Salvador Delrio v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-02-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP courier courier-status criminal-procedure due-process mitigating-role sentencing sentencing-guidelines speculative-inference speculative-inferences u.s.s.g.-3b1.2 1. What weight should a court give to a defendant's essential role as a mere courier when determining a mitigating-role adjustment? 2. Does a distric…
20-7033 Otto Edward Christofferson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-02-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing drug-offenses evidence judicial-review mandatory-minimums sentencing-guidelines Whether the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ("Fifth Circuit")–which affirmed the significant increase of the base…
20-7010 Israel Santiago-Lugo v. United States First Circuit 2021-02-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP ambiguity amendment-782 criminal-procedure federal-rules forfeiture molina-martinez-v-us peugh-v-us rule-of-lenity sentencing-guidelines 1) WHETHER THE SENTENCE WAS IMPOSED UNDER U.S.S.G. §2Dl.l(c) TO ESTABLISH THE BASE OFFENSE, THE GUIDELINES ARE IN REAL SENSE THE BASIC FOR THE SENTEN…
20-6992 Bobbie Lewis Mayes v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP booker criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process johnson johnson-precedent mandatory-guidelines pre-booker pre-booker-era sentencing-challenge sentencing-guidelines Whether a defendant has a right under Johnson to challenge a sentence ordered pre-Booker, when applying the Sentencing Guidelines was mandatory.
20-7006 Jacquere Doran, aka Jacare Gorman v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level controlled-substance criminal-sentencing district-court-error enhancement felony-conviction felony-enhancement marijuana-conviction prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines Did the District Court err in treating Mr. Doran's prior California conviction for sale of marijuana as a felony conviction and using it to enhance hi…
20-6973 Tommy Demond Fannin v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP assault criminal-procedure cross-reference district-court due-process fifth-circuit firearm-possession sentencing-guidelines I. Did the district court err when it imposed a cross-reference under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 2K2.1(c)(1) without a connection between the…
20-6985 Zongli Chang v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-waiver constitutional-rights due-process fines plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-maximum In a plea agreement that was tied to a fine guideline range, the Petitioner was never told his "maximal possible penalty" in terms of fine and forfeit…
20-6988 Antwone Lamont Creater v. Illinois Illinois 2021-01-28 Denied IFP aggravating-factors appellate-review criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection judicial-discretion mitigating-factors sentencing-guidelines This case presents an excellent vehicle for this Court to resolve a growing conflict in the Illinois Appellate Courts: Whether the seriousness of the …
20-6954 Brenda Yadira Gamez-Castaneda v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP alien-smuggling criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judge-found-facts judicial-fact-finding jury-trial jury-trial-rights sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Petitioner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport aliens within the United States and being found in the United States after a previous deportation…
20-6921 Elier Isai Marquez-Gonzalez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure empirical-basis fifth-circuit illegal-reentry presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines Whether a presumption of reasonableness on appeal does not apply to a sentence produced by the illegal reentry guideline, §2L1.2, because that guideli…
20-6931 Christopher Shawn Landreneau v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-26 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP burden-of-proof circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process evidence fifth-amendment presentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court may, consistent with the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment and Rule 32 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, re…
20-6933 Seledonio Martinez v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion reasonableness reasonableness-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-standard totality-of-the-circumstances Where the totality of the circumstances of this case do not support a top-of-the-Guidelines sentence, whether the 46-month sentence is reasonable.
20-6953 Dwyne Byron Deruise, aka Duke v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-01-26 Denied IFP career-offender circuit-split criminal-justice-reform discretion discretionary-review first-step-act resentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a district court that chooses to conduct a resentencing under § 404 of the First Step Act is prohibited from considering a defendant's current…
20-6910 El-Asad Alsaedi v. Florida Florida 2021-01-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process equal-protection federal-jurisdiction judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum sentencing-authority sentencing-guidelines standing statutory-interpretation Question not identified.
20-6894 Macho Joe Williams v. David Shinn, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, et al. Ninth Circuit 2021-01-14 Denied IFP appellate-review civil-rights conflict-of-interest constitutional-interpretation criminal-appeal criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines DiD The Trial court Abuse Its Disctetion when He Denied Apellant's Motions To Sever a. Dig The Trial couwst commit Reversible Ervor when He faile To …
20-6854 Jose Armando Bazan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing fact-question plain-error-review role-adjustment sentencing-guidelines Whether the Fifth Circuit properly applied plain error review in rejecting Petitioner's argument that he should have received a minor or mitigating ro…
20-6870 Antonio Harris v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-01-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP crack-cocaine criminal-justice-reform first-step-act judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums retroactive-sentencing sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines Can federal judges ignore the current United States Sentencing Guidelines calculation when considering whether to reduce a sentence for a "covered off…
20-6837 Jacob Ray Owens v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-12 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-procedure drug-crimes fact-finding judicial-fact-finding methamphetamine-distribution plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Petitioner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He admitted to the district court only to possession of …
20-6832 Shannon Keith Harris v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-11 Denied IFP cocaine-sentencing criminal-sentencing drug-trafficking fair-sentencing-act first-step-act mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums resentencing retroactivity sentencing-guidelines When deciding whether to impose a reduced sentence under Section 404 of the First Step Act, are district courts required to apply the current, legally…
20-6811 Jesus Eder Moreno Ornelas v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-01-08 Denied Relisted (2)IFP attempted-murder due-process felon-in-possession firearms jury plain-error-review rehaif-standard sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment A. The government failed to overcome the presumption of innocence when the jury could not reach a verdict on an attempted murder count. Did it violate…
20-6789 Lilia Abril Olmedo-Perez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice appellate-review criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-law fifth-circuit minor-role sentencing-guidelines Whether the Fifth Circuit violated federal law when it conducted a cursory review of the facts related to a warranted two-level adjustment under U.S.S…
20-6807 Jamal Clinton, aka Moreless v. United States Second Circuit 2021-01-08 Denied Relisted (2)IFP bostock-precedent bostock-v-clayton-county career-offender career-offender-guideline controlled-substance-offense drug-conspiracy fair-and-not-arbitrary sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation title-18-usc-3553a6 1. Whether sentencing courts are required by Title 18, United States Code section 3553(a)(6) and Supreme Court precedent interpreting unambiguous stat…
20-6777 James Baxton v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-01-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP conspiracy criminal-evidence criminal-law criminal-procedure district-court due-process evidence fourth-circuit rico rico-conspiracy sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the Government produced sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Petitioner's actions were part of a Rico Conspiracy…
20-6783 Jaelon David Harris v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP abduction administration-of-justice circuit-split federal-criminal-procedure federal-sentencing-guidelines location-definition room-or-area sentencing-guidelines victim-movement I. Whether the forced movement of victims from one room or area to another room or area within the same building constitutes an abduction for purposes…
20-6754 Alford Donta Tarpley v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-04 Denied IFP borden-v-united-states burris-v-united-states crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-sentencing precedent robbery sentencing sentencing-guidelines texas-law ussg-4b1.2 Whether the Texas offense of robbery by injury constitutes a "crime of violence" under USSG §4B1.2?
20-6759 Bernard Weiters, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-01-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3582(c)(2) criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing first-step-act resentencing section-404(b) sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-mandatory-minimum statutory-maximum Whether the Court Committed error by declining to resentence the petitioner under Section 3582 of the First Step Act, when the Court earlier reduced t…
20-6745 Demetrius Elishakim Jefferson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-12-31 Denied Relisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3742 404b-evidence attempt-offenses auer-deference circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-procedure expert-testimony sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether this Court should resolve a Split among the Circuit s and find a District Court's use of Application note 1 to U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2, which purp…
20-6724 Kaseem Alexander v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-12-30 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 4th-amendment abuse-of-discretion civil-rights criminal-procedure downward-variance due-process gun-range property-rights search-and-seizure sentencing-guidelines standing target-shooting Issue 1: Whether the appellate court erred in affirming the District Court's abuse of discretion in overruling petitioner's objection to the Presenten…
20-6726 Jamie Betances v. United States First Circuit 2020-12-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure factual-objections guilty-plea legal-arguments plea-agreement sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Did the lower court err in denying Jamie Betances acceptance of responsibility, under U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1, after Mr. Betances pleaded guilty, accepted th…
20-6702 Tomas Moreno-Turrubiates v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 appellate-review mitigation-arguments plain-error-review procedural-reasonableness procedural-unreasonableness sentence-explanation sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights 1. Whether, when a defendant presents nonfrivolous mitigation arguments in favor of a lower sentence, a district court must address those arguments as…
20-836 Marcus Broadway v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-12-22 Denied Amici (1)Relisted (2) agency-deference due-process judicial-interpretation kisor-v-wilkie rule-of-lenity sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines stinson-deference (1) Do courts owe deference to the Sentencing Commission's commentary when it expands the scope of the Sentencing Guidelines? (2) Do the rule of leni…
20-830 Washington v. Said Omer Ali Washington 2020-12-21 Denied Amici (3) 8th-amendment criminal-procedure eighth-amendment graham-v-florida individual-proportionality juvenile-offenders juvenile-sentencing life-without-parole miller-v-alabama proportionality-determination sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent Whether Graham and Miller require an individual proportionality determination before imposing any sentence on a juvenile offender convicted in adult c…
20-831 Washington v. Endy Domingo-Cornelio Washington 2020-12-21 Denied Amici (3) 8th-amendment constitutional-law criminal-procedure eighth-amendment graham-v-florida individual-proportionality juvenile-offenders juvenile-sentencing life-without-parole miller-v-alabama proportionality-review sentencing-guidelines Whether Graham and Miller require an individual proportionality determination before imposing any sentence on a juvenile offender convicted in adult c…
20-833 William Todd Coontz v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-12-21 Denied Response Waived criminal-procedure criminal-tax-prosecution expert-testimony expert-witness-exclusion foundation sentencing-guidelines state-of-mind tax-knowledge tax-prosecution willfulness willfulness-standard witness-testimony Was it reversable error for the trial court to exclude the Petitioner's/ Coontz's key witness – the CPA expert – from testifying in a criminal tax pro…
20-6668 Christopher Zamarripa v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-21 Denied IFP ambiguity appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure district-court due-process judicial-interpretation plea-bargaining plea-colloquy procedural-ambiguity Does a district court's mischaracterization, during the plea colloquy, of an appeal waiver create an ambiguity that must be construed against the gove…
20-6674 Tony Chevallier v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-12-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-acts criminal-procedure drug-trafficking due-process judicial-discretion jury-conviction sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines statutory-range uncharged-conduct I. When are trial judges prohibited from considering as sentencing factors criminal acts that a defendant was neither charged nor convicted of? And in…
20-6657 Ezer Rosembel Barrientos-Osorio v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutes plain error affecting substantial rig for a defendant likely to be deported criminal-procedure deportation plain-error sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights supervised-release Where a district court commits plain error by failing to follow Section 5D1.1(c) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines by imposing, without expla…
20-6631 Aaron Sebastian Redmond v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-sentencing constitutional-law district-court-discretion due-process federal-sentencing fifth-circuit guidelines-error harmless-error sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines The Fifth Circuit agreed with Mr. Redmond that the district court erred when it applied the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which resulted in a higher adv…
20-6596 Kevin S. Abney v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-12-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal due-process legislative-history rule-of-lenity sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Whether the legislative history dealing with 18 USC § 924(e)(1) supports all the lower courts' rulings concerning offenses committed on different occa…
20-6590 Jimmy Pike v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review clear-error conspiracy criminal-procedure drug-conspiracy methamphetamine mitigating-role sentencing-guidelines A district court's guidelines calculatio ns are reviewed for clear error. Did the court of appeals err in holding that the district court's guidelines…
20-6571 Antonio W. Smith v. M. Brecken, Warden Fourth Circuit 2020-12-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender habeas-corpus judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum miscarriage-of-justice sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Did the Fourth Circuit Appeals Court err by not hearing Petitioner's 28 U.S.C. §2241 petition on the merits where his misclassification as a career of…
20-6517 Elvis Basic v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-12-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof circuit-split criminal-procedure drug-quantity federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review 1. Whether a federal district court must use the "err on the side of caution" principle when approximating the drug quantity?
20-6516 Eric Dynell McGadney v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure eleventh-circuit judicial-discretion molina-martinez per-se-rule prejudice prejudicial-error sentencing-error sentencing-framework sentencing-guidelines Whether a sentencing court's statement that it would have imposed the same sentence regardless of the Guidelines creates a per se rule that a miscalcu…
20-6521 Hector Valdez v. United States First Circuit 2020-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review criminal-procedure first-step-act retroactivity sentencing statutory-interpretation waiver-of-rights If a defendant waives the right to appeal a sentence and the waiver takes place before the passage of the First Step Act and the defendant is sentence…
20-6529 Wesley Wayne Wakeford v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2d1.1(b)(5) circuit-split criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense drug-offenses methamphetamine-importation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation This Court should grant this petition to interpret Sentencing Guide-lines section 2D1.1(b)(5). What an "offense that involved the importa-tion" of met…
20-6508 Jesse Harris v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law drug-offense methamphetamine scienter sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Section 2D1.1(b)(5) of the United State s Sentencing Guidelines provides that "[i]f (A) the offense involve d the importation of ... metham phetam ine…
20-6478 Barry Addison Gray v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-11-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-U.S.C.-§-2255 career-offender career-offender-sentencing-guideline due-process johnson-ruling Johnson-v-United-States residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines vagueness I. Are 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motions raising due process vagueness challenges to fixed sentences imposed through application of the pre-2005 mandatory care…
20-6465 Damontaze Montrell Tillery v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-11-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP convicted-felon criminal-evidence criminal-procedure drug-trafficking due-process firearm-possession motion-for-acquittal sentencing sentencing-guidelines sufficiency-of-evidence Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the District Court's decision to overrule Petitioner's motion for acquittal when the evidence at trial…
20-6436 Daniel Lovato v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-11-25 Denied Amici (2)Relisted (2)IFP administrative-law commission-commentary crime-of-violence guideline-interpretation judicial-deference kisor-v-wilkie seminole-rock-deference sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation 1. Whether courts may defer to Sentencing Commission commentary without first determining that the underlying Guideline is genuinely ambiguous. 2. Wh…
20-6437 Tommy Pena v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-11-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review circuit-split criminal-sentencing reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review upward-variance Mr. Peña's 360-month sentence was an upward variance of 222 months, or 160%, from the high end of the total advisory guideline range of 123-138 months…
20-6409 Hugo Humberto Perez Rangel v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-24 Denied IFP advisory-opinions appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-sentencing guideline-error harmless-error incentive-to-object judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines Whether Guideline error is necessarily harmless if the district court is presented with the Guideline range later vindicated on appeal and disclaims a…
20-6412 Robert St. Hilaire v. United States Second Circuit 2020-11-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing firearm-possession sentencing-guidelines serial-number serial-number-alteration statutory-interpretation Whether the Second Circuit, which noted it was deepening a split over the meaning of U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(4)(B), properly construed that Guideline's 4-…
20-6426 Jose Farias-Valdovinos v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-11-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure factual-basis mens-rea plea-bargaining plea-colloquy rule-11 specific-intent specific-intent-crime Whether the district court's omission of an independent inquiry into a defendant's mens rea during the Rule 11 plea colloquy for a specific intent cri…
20-6402 Eric Treantos v. United States First Circuit 2020-11-23 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review booker-standard booker-v-united-states criminal-appeal criminal-sentencing first-circuit-court-of-appeals gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-eric-treantos 1. Does the First Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in petitioner's case conflict with this Court's decisions in Booker v. United States, 543 U.S. 22…
20-6399 Duwayne Jones v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-11-20 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP career-offender controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense eleventh-circuit fifth-circuit florida-statute-§-893.13 mens-rea second-circuit sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-§-4b1.2(b) Is a post-2002 conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to deliver or sell, in violation of Fla. Stat. § 893.13, a "controlled substance offen…
20-6382 Randall Allen Eplion, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process federal-criminal-practice plea-agreement sentencing standing waiver Whether a provision in a plea agreement which bars the defendant from appealing "the right to seek appellate review of . . . any sentence of imprisonm…
20-6376 Sean Jason Harstine v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP age-of-defendant appeal breaking-and-entering criminal-history due-process juvenile-offender juvenile-offenses point-calculation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. WHETHER IT WAS ERROR TO COUNT CRIMINAL HISTORY POINTS FOR FOUR 2004 BREAKING AND ENTERING (B&E) CONVITIONS WHEN THE DEFENDANT WAS ONLY 17 YEARS OLD…
20-6330 Benjamin Macias v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-11-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-defense criminal-procedure defendant-autonomy due-process mccoy-v-louisiana reckless-endangerment sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment speedy-trial 1. In McCoy v. Louisiana , 138 S.Ct. 1500, 1511, 200 L.Ed. 821 (2018) the court held that the Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the righ…
20-6356 Ryan Dennis v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-17 Denied IFP acca criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process habeas-corpus physical-force reckless-injury residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines subject-matter-jurisdiction 1. Whether an offense that can be committed by recklessly causing serious injury has "the use of physical force against the person of another" as an e…
20-6335 Duane Allen Sikes v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-11-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing due-process fifth-amendment preponderance-of-evidence sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment uncharged-conduct The question presented by this case is whether the Fifth and Sixth Amendments preclude a district court from increasing a defendant's sentence based o…
20-6336 Eric Troy Snell v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-11-16 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing fourth-circuit gall-standard gall-v-united-states harmless-error harmlessness-standard sentencing-guidelines 1. Does the Fourth Circuit's practice of not addressing erroneous Sentencing Guidelines calculations but affirming a sentence under "assumed error har…
20-6281 Kevin Lamar Ratliff v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-11-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-782 career-offender criminal-law criminal-procedure discretion federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines guideline-amendment judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines Lower Courts have discretion to reduce Whether the Petitioner's sentence under U.S.S. Guideline Amendment 782, regardless of Petitioner's career offen…
20-6282 Darius Tirrell Thomas v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-11-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit statutory-interpretation u.s.-code Whether, the Trial Court Erred in Finding the Defendant to Be a "Career Offender" and Sentencing Him Accordingly?
20-6290 Orlando Sanchez v. United States Third Circuit 2020-11-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 armed-career-criminal-act career-offender constitutional-vagueness johnson-v-united-states postconviction-motion residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a postconviction motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, challenging a sentence imposed under the pre-2005 mandatory version of the Sentencing Guidelin…
20-6291 Christopher Stacy v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-11-12 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-law criminal-procedure felon-in-possession firearm-statute guilty-plea mens-rea plain-error plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a defendant who pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a), is automatically entitle…
20-6274 Fernando Juarez, aka Fernando Perez-Juarez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a appellate-review criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing judicial-discretion overarching-goal presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness-standard rita-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the presumption of reasonableness for within-guidelines sentences approved in Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338 (2007) has proved incompatib…
20-6255 John Dubor v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit-review loss-calculation medicare-fraud restitution restitution-award sentencing-guidelines Did the Fifth Circuit's cursory review of the district court's record lead to an illegal, unreasonable sentence. Because the application of the senten…
20-6240 Kyle Brandon Richards v. Kristopher Taskila, Warden Sixth Circuit 2020-11-06 Denied IFP aspergers-syndrome cruel-and-unusual-punishment cruel-unusual-punishment due-process mental-health self-representation sentencing-guidelines sentencing-proportionality (1) MR RICHARDS WAS DEPRIVED OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO SELF REPRESENTATION BY THE TRIAL COURTS SUMMARY DENIAL OF HIS TIMELY REQUEST TO GO PRO SE…
20-6246 Adam Joseph Bogema v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 advisory-guidelines appellate-review criminal-sentencing mental-illness sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness unwarranted-disparity Whether this Court should provide some guidance to the appellate courts on the proper evaluation of a within guidelines sentence vis-a-vis 18 U.S.C. §…
20-6221 Miguel Nunez v. United States Second Circuit 2020-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 armed-career-criminal-act circuit-split constitutional-challenge federal-law johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines Whether a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 challenging the constitutionality of the residual clause of the mandatory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines is timely…
20-579 Zimmian Tabb v. United States Second Circuit 2020-11-02 Denied Amici (3)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) administrative-law agency-deference criminal-law guidelines-commentary judicial-interpretation regulatory-ambiguity sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation 1. Whether courts may defer to Sentencing Guidelines commentary without first determining that the underlying Guideline is genuinely ambiguous. 2. Wh…
20-6180 Naquan Reyes v. United States Second Circuit 2020-11-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 court-of-appeals criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court federal-sentencing procedural-reasonableness procedural-unreasonableness sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court I. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in rejecting Reyes's contention that the sentence was procedurally unreasonable based on the district court's fa…
20-6147 Shane Anthony Roberts v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-10-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review court-of-appeals criminal-procedure plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing statutory-interpretation statutory-right waiver Whether the Court of Appeals improperly denied Mr. Roberts of the statutory right to appeal his 70-month sentence by summarily granting a government m…
20-6155 Jordan Sandoval v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-10-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split congress-intent judicial-discretion proportional-sentencing reasonableness-standard reckless-conduct sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act substantive-reasonableness (1) Currently, the circuits are split in defining the role of appellate courts in conducting a meaningful substantive reasonableness review of a Defen…
20-6134 Adam Alfredo Flores v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment criminal-history cruel-and-unusual-punishment disproportionate-sentence eighth-amendment felon-in-possession sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Was a maximum ten year sentence above the guidelines of 70 to 87 months' imprisonment for Felon in Possession of a Firearm substantively unreasonable,…
20-6124 Jose Maria Loaiza-Gaspar v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process guideline-sentence ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel motion-to-withdraw reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines My Sentence of LIFE imprisonment was imposed without the trial court addressing my non-frivolous argument for a lower sentence. On appeal, the Court o…
20-535 Drew Samuel Bates v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-10-22 Denied circuit-split criminal-procedure first-step-act judicial-discretion resentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a district court that chooses to conduct a resentencing under § 404 of the First Step Act is prohibited from considering a defendant's current…
20-6074 Timothy Jarred Paige v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-10-20 Denied Relisted (2)IFP civil-rights criminal-charge criminal-procedure district-court-jurisdiction due-process plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines standing statutory-interpretation WHEN CHARGED WITH VIOLATING 18.U.S.C § 922(9)(1) COUPLED WITH § 924(a)(2) DOES THE DISTRICT COURT RETAIN JURISDICTION TO CHARGE AN OFFENSE THAT ISN'T …
20-6075 Deshawn McCarter v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP california-robbery crime-of-violence criminal-statute generic-extortion generic-robbery property-threat sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does the California robbery statute criminalize a broader swath of conduct than generic robbery or generic extortion in light of the fact that Califor…
20-6085 Celso Yanez v. California California 2020-10-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP cruel-and-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment first-time-offender mandatory-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines sexual-abuse Whether a mandatory sentence of 45 years to life, imposed on a 56-year-old first-time offender in a sexual abuse case involving no violence, no force,…
20-6058 Lacey Renee Baxter Moore, aka Lacey Kittrell v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment criminal-procedure due-process liberty-deprivation probation probation-condition sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-purposes supervised-release 1) Is a standard condition of supervised release which requires a person to "permit a probation officer to visit [her] at any time athome or elsewhere…
20-5983 Omar Sierre Folk v. United States Third Circuit 2020-10-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines career-offender criminal-procedure guidelines habeas-corpus pre-beckles section-2255 sentencing sentencing-guidelines statute-of-limitations third-circuit 1. Whether the Third Circuit's erred in not addressing Erroneous Career Offender Designation under the 5, 2016.
20-6001 Antranette Canady v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3583(d)(2) civil-rights criminal-procedure liberty-deprivation probation probation-condition sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-purposes supervised-release 1) Is a standard condition of supervised release which requires a person to "permit a probation officer to visit [her] at any time athome or elsewhere…
20-466 Larry Williams v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-10-09 Denied Response Waived booker-decision departure-or-variance discretionary-guidelines First-Step-Act judicial-discretion rational-basis sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction U.S.-v.-Booker What are the scope and limits of a District Court's discretion in denying an unopposed motion for sentence reduction under the First Step Act?
20-5976 Dean Reynolds v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-10-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-sentencing obstruction-of-justice procedural-unreasonableness profit-calculation remand resentencing sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure IS DEFENDANT'S SENTENCE PROCEDURALLY UNREASONABLE BECAUSE THE DISTRICTCOURT INCORRECTLY SCORED THESENTENCING GUIDELINES, ERRONEOUSLYCALCULATING THE PR…
20-5985 Derrick Kennedy Crumpton v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-10-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP bad-faith-review circuit-court-split criminal-procedure government-discretion government-motion judicial-review plea-agreement proffer-agreement sentencing sentencing-guidelines What is the scope of judicial review when the defendant and the government have entered in a Plea Agreement and/or a Proffer Agreement in which the go…
20-5948 Christopher Michael Sevier v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault borden-precedent crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-sentencing guidelines remand sentencing sentencing-guidelines supreme-court texas-law violent-crime Whether the Texas offense of aggravated assault by threat constitutes a "crime of violence" under USSG §4B1.2? Subsidiary question: whether the decis…
20-5951 Joshua Scott Richards v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-10-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness u.s.-sentencing-commission u.s.s.g.-§-2g2.2 Whether a sentence imposed pursuant to the United States Sentencing Guidelines covering the crimes of accessing or possessing child pornography, U.S.S…
20-5936 Mark Phillip Carter, II v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-10-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-conflict circuit-split factual-objections judicial-discretion presentence-report sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure undue-influence (1) Whether the undue influence enhancement in USSG §2G1.3(b)(2)(B) should be expanded, indirect conflict with precedent from the Sixth, Eighth, and N…
20-5937 Rosa Enedia Pazos Cingari v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-10-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law authority commentary federal-sentencing guideline-commentary inconsistency judicial-interpretation legal-authority sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Whether United States Sentencing Guideline Commentary which adds to a sentencing guideline is necessarily inconsistent with the guideline such that th…
20-5945 Shelby Clarmont v. Willis Chapman, Warden Sixth Circuit 2020-10-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines constitutional-violation criminal-procedure due-process people-v-lockridge people-v-milbourn proportionality resentencing sentencing-guidelines Is The Imposing Of A Sentence Which Was Based On Incorrectly Scored Sentencing Guidelines And Was A Departure From Applicable Advisory Guidelines Wher…
20-5927 Gene Michael Diulio v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-10-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 circuit-split due-process federal-procedure habeas-corpus johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states mandatory-sentencing mandatory-sentencing-guidelines residual-clause sentencing-guidelines vagueness I. Are 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motions filed within one year of Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), raising due process vagueness challenges to…
20-5928 Rick Lee Archer v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-10-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 circuit-split due-process habeas-corpus johnson-decision johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause sentencing-guidelines vagueness I. Are 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitions filed within one year of Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), raising due process vagueness challenges …
20-5929 Tommy Lee Jones v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-10-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2g2.2(b)(5) burden-of-proof criminal-procedure offense-conduct police-report restitution sentencing-guidelines shepard-standard shepard-v-united-states unreliable-evidence Can the government utilize an unreliable nearly thirty (30) year old police report to satisfy its burden the sentencing guideline five (5) level enhan…
20-5930 Diego Palacios-Villalon v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review burden-of-proof criminal-procedure culpability drug-trafficking judicial-discretion mitigating-role sentencing-guidelines "does a defendant have the sole obligation in the establishment of these elements or does the trial judge have a duty to inquire into them".
20-5903 Christopher Younger v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process federal-sentencing-law prison-sentence reasonableness-review sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Whether the district court ordered an unreasonable 120-month prison sentence under the facts of this case, and considering the recommended Sentencing …
20-5909 David Conerly v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-10-05 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court evidence evidence-review judicial-review ninth-circuit sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Did the Ninth Circuit err by mining the district record to uphold an upward adjustment to petitioner's offense level under the Sentencing Guidelines? …
20-5894 Jorge Eduardo Nava v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-10-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-liability criminal-sentencing due-process fifth-amendment preponderance-of-evidence relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines standard-of-proof unrelated-offense Nava's federal Guideline sentencing range for his cocaine convictions was increased by 11 to 16 years' imprisonment based on the judge's finding by on…
20-5868 Manuel Acosta-Lopez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-10-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP in a run-of-the-mill drug smuggling case between is a participant who had a managerial role in the criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-smuggling drug-trafficking managerial-role mexico-united-states-border mexico-us-relations minor-role participant-classification role-adjustment role-in-offense sentencing-guidelines Whether, in a run-of-the-mill drug smuggling case between Mexico and the United States, is a participant who had a managerial role in the offense excl…
20-5853 Ubaldo Gabriel Acosta-Leyva v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-guidelines drug-offense due-process empirical-basis fifth-circuit presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines Whether a sentence produced by the drug guideline, §2D1.1, is not entitled to a presumption of reasonableness on appeal.
20-5862 Markey Antonio Goldston v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-09-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-rights constitutional-law constitutional-rights criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process government-overreach plea-agreement plea-bargaining 1. IS A DEFEDANT'S RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS OF LAW VIOLATED WHEN THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES AN APPEAL WAIVER AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT?
20-5805 Ian Resnick v. United States Third Circuit 2020-09-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause crawford-v-washington criminal-procedure due-process fraud-loss overview-testimony sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment testimonial-statements 1) Whether the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment permits, under the guise of "overview testimony", the admission against a criminal defenda…
20-5812 Jason Andrew Dunlap v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-09-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure defendant-responsibility federal-sentencing guilty-plea offense-level plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines Do the sentencing Guidelines limit the maximum offense level to 43, so that, from that highest level, there is a reduction when a defendant accepts re…
20-5771 Taveon Nixon v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver due-process miscarriage-of-justice procedural-reasonableness sentencing statutory-maximum substantive-reasonableness WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT'S OVERT CONSIDERATION OF THE EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF AN APPEAL WAIVER PRIOR TO VARYING UPWARD TO THE STATUTORY MAXIMUM SENTENC…
20-5791 Anthony Moreno v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2nd-amendment civil-rights due-process firearms-possession home-defense interest-balancing risk-assessment second-amendment sentencing-guidelines standing 1. Does the use of an interest-balancing test to evaluate the Second Amendment rights of a person to keep and bear arms in his home (or vehicle where …
20-5799 Lorenzo Davis v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct constitutional-law criminal-law criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a criminal defendant's sentence should be based upon acquitted conduct.
20-5770 David A. Bridgewater v. United States Seventh Circuit 2020-09-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule dismissed-conduct due-process fifth-amendment judicial-fact-finding sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment substantive-reasonableness Whether the Fifth and Sixth Amendments prohibit a court from relying solely on dismissed conduct to impose an otherwise substantively unreasonable sen…
20-5753 Kunta Kenta Redd v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-09-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP crack-cocaine-sentencing due-process first-step-act retroactive-sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-retroactivity Whether we, the Petitioner, is entitled to Belief from denial 404 motion at the District Court level in light of the First Step Act, December 21st, 20…
20-5758 Damon Woodard v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-09-18 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-924c1c congressional-amendment congressional-amendments first-time-offender first-time-offenders mandatory-minimum-sentences recidivism sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether this Court should revisit and recede from its decision in Deal v. United States, 508 U.S. 129 (1993), which permits the "stacking" of mandator…
20-5759 Charles C. Williamson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-09-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP accomplice-liability criminal-procedure drug-quantity drug-weight judicial-interpretation relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review statutory-interpretation WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT AND CIRCUIT COURT MISINTERPRETED AND MISAPPLIED THE "RELEVANT CONDUCT" PROVISIONS OF UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION, G…
20-5740 Edward Mahan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-3553a appeal criminal-procedure downward-adjustment drug-offense due-process government-misconduct plea-agreement safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR BY ALLOWING THE GOVERNMENT TO VIOLATE THE PLEA AGREEMENT? DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR BY DENYING MR. MAHAN'S OBJECTION TO T…
20-5715 Martin Rogelio Longoria v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-16 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP at sentencing may withhold a motion for a third-level reduction acceptance-of-responsibility circuit-split criminal-procedure government-discretion motion-to-suppress plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines Whether the government, at sentencing, may withhold a motion for a third-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility under USSG § 3E1.1(b) on the…
20-5704 Leonard Borden v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof co-conspirator-testimony criminal-procedure due-process factual-statements guideline-application preponderance-of-evidence presentence-report sentencing-guidelines sentencing-hearing does a defendant have an obligation to prove the facts in the PSR are inaccurate or untrue after the defendant objects to the factual statements and t…
20-5709 Rickey Cole v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP and proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt? placed in the indictment burden-of-proof constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing grand-jury indictment jury-trial sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Whether facts that affect the minimum or maximum reasonable federal sentence must be found by a grand jury, placed in the indictment, and proven to…
20-5666 Cristian Mendoza v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility advisory-sentencing criminal-procedure due-process guilty-plea plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-range 1. A defendant who enters a guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement that includes a purported inducement that he will receive an acceptance of respon…
20-5670 Henry Horace Givins v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-09-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender-enhancement circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-law eleventh-circuit mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is a post-2002 conviction for sale of cocaine or possession with intent to sell cocaine, in violation of Fla. Stat. § 893.13, a "controlled substance …
20-5648 Damien Guidry v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines imprisonment-aggregation probation-modification probation-revocation rule-of-lenity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the Federal Sentencing Guidelines permit the aggregation of a prior sentence of imprisonment with a subsequent probation modification imposed …
20-5612 Anthony Roy Brown v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment charging-instrument criminal-procedure due-process felony-sentencing intervening-arrest prior-sentences same-charging-instrument sentencing-guidelines Is the Court prohibited from calculating a sentences which were imposed on the same day or in the same charging instrument as separate sentences in ac…
20-5596 Kevin Dean Green v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-09-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP beckles-v-united-states constitutional-challenge criminal-statute due-process judicial-review legal-interpretation sentencing-guideline sentencing-guidelines vagueness-challenge vagueness-doctrine void-for-vagueness Does Beckles U. United States, U.S. —, 137 S. Ct. 886 (2017) foreclose a vagueness challenge to a sentencing guideline when the operative term in that…
20-5586 Jose Zamudio-Silva v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-09-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure federal-sentencing sentencing-departures sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness When considering guidelines rulings, should appellate courts review the decision to depart from the guideline range in the same way as other guideline…
20-5576 Sarina Ann Williams v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-09-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split congressional-intent conspiracy federal-law sentencing-guidelines sex-trafficking Whether the crime of Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c), carries a base offens…
20-5577 Malik Timbers v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-09-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process guilty-plea minor-role-reduction plea-bargaining sentence-appeal-waiver sentencing sentencing-guidelines violence-enhancement weapon-enhancement I. WHETHER CERTIORARI REVIEW SHOULD BE GRANTED WHERE THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ERRED IN FINDING THAT TIMBERS' GUILTY PLEA WAS VOLUNTARY AND THE SENTENCE-AP…
20-5458 Fidel Alain Martin-Sosa v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review clear-error criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-conspiracy methamphetamine mitigating-role role-adjustment sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review A district court's guidelines calculations are reviewed for clear error. Did the court of appeals err in holding that the district court's guidelines …
20-5513 Timothy Allen McWilliams v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-08-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split conspiracy controlled-substance due-process methamphetamine sentencing-guidelines Whether the courts must give deference to the commentary to United States Sentencing Guidelines (U.S.S.G.) § 4B1.1(b)(2) in determining whether a defe…
20-5533 Gayle McNamara v. United States First Circuit 2020-08-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review criminal-history district-court-error downward-variance judicial-discretion offense-level sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review A defendant who has shown that the district court mistakenly deemed applicable an incorrect, higher Guidelines range has demonstrated a reasonable pro…
20-5535 Randy Platt v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-08-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender common-law common-law-definition elements-clause physical-force robbery robbery-statute sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-commission In Stokeling v. United States, 139 S.Ct. 544 (2029), this Court reviewed whether Florida's robbery statute required a level of force necessary to qual…
20-5507 Laci Landers v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure discretionary-review drug-offense guidelines judicial-review reasonableness reasonableness-standard revocation-sentence sentencing sentencing-guidelines totality-of-circumstances Whether the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ("Fifth Circuit") has so far departed from the accepted and usual cou…
20-221 Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas v. United States Second Circuit 2020-08-25 Denied Response Waived aircraft-transportation conscious-avoidance controlled-substances criminal-defendant criminal-intent deliberate-steps evidence jury-instruction knowledge sentencing-guidelines 1. Can a jury be instructed that it may convict based on a criminal defendant's conscious avoidance of knowledge of a necessary fact, without needing …
20-5489 Rodney Lavalais v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-25 Denied Relisted (3)IFP 2k2.1(b)(4)(a) appellate-review due-process guilty-plea plain-error-review plea-voluntariness prejudice sentencing-guidelines stolen structural-error 1. When it is undisputed that a defendant's plea was not knowingly and intelligently made in violation of the Due Process Clause, is automatic reversa…
20-5467 Carlos Michael Lopez v. Texas Texas 2020-08-24 Denied IFP adversarial-process appeal appeal-waiver appellate-procedure constitutional-rights due-process garza-v-idaho inherent-powers sua-sponte-dismissal waiver Garza v. Idaho, 139 S. Ct. 738, 749-50 (2019), holds that a defense attorney offends the Constitution by failing to file a notice of appeal upon the c…
20-5424 Alfred Lee Hanzy, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-08-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing fourth-circuit gall-precedent gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether the Fourth Circuit's decision is in conflict with the Court's decision in Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38 (2007).
20-5434 Treshun Devonte Bates v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-20 GVR Relisted (2)IFP borden-case borden-v-united-states crime-of-violence grant-vacate-remand reckless-conduct sentencing-guidelines supreme-court use-of-force Can reckless conduct constitute a "crime of violence" by satisfying the "use of force" clause in the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual's definition of…
20-5436 Christy Santiago v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-08-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process jury-trial sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Does the Sixth Amendment's right to a jury trial prohibit courts from using acquitted conduct to vary significantly upward from a Sentencing Guideline…
20-5408 Robert Richard Jodoin v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-08-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process eighth-amendment federal-sentencing military-veteran non-violent-offense reasonableness-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines veteran-status WHETHER A ONE HUNDRED THIRTY MONTH PRISON SENTENCE FOR A NON-VIOLENT, DRUG DEALING, FIFTY (50) YEAR OLD, MILITARY VETERAN IS UNREASONABLE.
20-5409 Johnathan Scott Keen v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-08-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender constitutional-law criminal-law drug-offenses due-process felony-enhancement mens-rea sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether, as preserved, the District Court erred as a matter of (Constitutional) Law in finding Mr. Keen's prior Florida drug convictions qualified as …
20-5388 Michael J. Buck v. Texas Texas 2020-08-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP adversarial-process appeal appeal-waiver appellate-procedure constitutional-rights due-process inherent-powers sua-sponte sua-sponte-dismissal waiver 1. Does due process require courts to "treat at least some claims as unwaiveable" on appeal? See Garza, 139 S. Ct. at 145. 2. Does due process guaran…
20-5373 Don Nell Hawkins v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-08-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 16-usc-3582 18-usc-3582 criminal-sentencing first-step-act sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 0 Wh-tkh<_r iht District Cour t Erred /oy On Uu. Sinctvun of n u^s.c. I 36^(060 ^Ad U$S{?. Dppjos-td lo iZS^XCoCOC^ 'Wh-tA JTt Uu/ckel CL Motion Un…
20-5380 Antonio Deshawn Pitt v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-08-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP bank-robbery criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process judicial-discretion mental-health proportionality proportionality-principle sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a district court's statutory obligation to consider the "history and circumstances" of a criminal defendant and to refrain from imposing a sen…
20-5348 Chazdin Miller v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-08-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-law ploseny-case sentencing sentencing-guidelines taylor-decision Whether an offense-matching categorical approach applies to the determination of a "controlled substance offense" under the Sentencing Guidelines?
20-5356 Jabarr Ryeheine Rudolph v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-08-14 Dismissed Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility appeal cocaine-base criminal-appeal criminal-procedure drug-weight due-process obstruction-of-justice sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review I. WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ERRED IN THE ASSESSMENT OF A TWO POINT ENHANCEMENT AGAINST THE APPELLANT JABARR RUDOLPH FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUS…
20-5359 Brandon Shane Eustice v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history diversionary-disposition due-process imprisonment judicial-procedure probation-revocation revocation sentencing-calculation sentencing-guidelines that a diversionary disposition resulting from a finding or admission of guilt in a judicial proceeding is counted as a sentence under § 4A1.1 (c) and…
20-5361 Luis Torres-Marquez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-08-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-sentencing discretion gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review For purposes of applying the abuse of discretion standard and presumption of reasonableness on appellate review of a within guidelines sentence, does …
20-5349 In Re Daryl L. Zimmer 2020-08-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-counsel due-process equal-protection ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel mandatory-minimum plea-agreement plea-bargain sentencing-guidelines THE TRIAL COURT DENIED PETITIONER DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAW RIGHTS WHEN THE TRIAL COURT HAVING FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT PETITIONER PLED G…
20-5326 Jose Alonso Garcia v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-08-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 14th-amendment 5th-amendment career-offender categorical-approach due-process fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment plain-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines Were Mr. Garcia Due Process Rights violated under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment when he was: A.) Incorrectly sentenced under U.S.S.G. 4Bl-2(c) Te…
20-5335 Dustin Johnson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-08-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment methamphetamine methamphetamine-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Issue I Whether the District Court erred in sentencing the Defendant based on ice ("actual" methamphetamine) rather than a mixture and substance cont…
20-143 Michael Harrison Lowman, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-08-12 Denied Response Waived appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure disparate-treatment due-process judicial-discretion sentencing unreliable-facts SHOULD AN APPEAL WAIVER THAT DID NOT EXPRESSLY WAIVE A DUE PROCESS CHALLENGE BE ENFORCED WHERE THE SENTENCING COURT BASED ITS SENTENCE ON UNRELIABLE F…
20-133 Joseph Michael Diaz v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-08-07 Denied Response Waived child-pornography criminal-appeal eleventh-circuit evidentiary-hearing ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel notice-of-appeal relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines sexual-contact Whether the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals erred in holding that counsel was not ineffective assistance for failing to object to the application of…
20-5302 Edwin Daniel Gongora-Baltan v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-08-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-interpretation criminal-law due-process extraterritorial-application judicial-construction rule-of-lenity sentencing-guidelines statutory-analysis statutory-interpretation In the interpretation of a sentencing guideline enhancement pro vision to determine whether it applies to extraterritorial or merely domestic criminal…
20-5267 Kolongi Richardson v. United States Second Circuit 2020-08-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-sentencing federal-conspiracy inchoate-offenses sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the inclusion of inchoate offenses within the commentary is inconsistent with the text of U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2, rendering the commentary not le…
20-5284 Tony Lam v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law constitutional-authority controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law drug-conspiracy sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does the U.S. Sentencing Commission's use of the Sentencing Guideline commentary in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 to capture drug conspiracy offenses within the me…
20-5293 Stanley P. Bates v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion circuit-split criminal-sentencing position-of-trust position-of-trust-enhancement procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review When reviewing the interpretation of the "position of trust" enhancement under Sentencing Guideline §3B1.3, does a court of appeals apply a de novo st…
20-5280 Rahim Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure cross-reference district-court error federal-jurisdiction homicide sentencing-guidelines u-s-sentencing-commission u.s.s.g.-§-2k2.1(c)(1)(b) Whether the district court erred by applying the Sentencing Guidelines cross reference under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(c)(1)(B).
20-5248 Robert Bernal, Jr. v. United States Third Circuit 2020-08-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure plea-agreement restitution restitution-order sentencing statutory-interpretation statutory-limits unlawful-sentence Whether a defendant's waiver of the right to appeal which explicitly permits appeal of a sentence that "exceeds the applicable statutory limits set fo…
20-5253 Douglas Farrar, Sr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-08-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process false-testimony findings judicial-findings obstruction-of-justice perjury presentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the generic adoption of a Presentence Report is sufficient to discharge the court's duties to make express and independent findings for an obs…
20-5244 David Lopez v. United States First Circuit 2020-08-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP application-note base-offense-level criminal-procedure judicial-discretion leadership-enhancement rico rico-violation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Did the district court and the First Circuit err by declining to apply Application Note One as written?
20-5225 Dion Alexander v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-07-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver clearly-erroneous coram-nobis garza-v-idaho plea-agreement type-c-plea Attorneys and judges often misunderstand Type-C plea agreements. When the parties agree to a sentence under Rule 11(c)(1)(C), their agreement is not e…
20-5227 Jesus Hernandez-Medrano v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-07-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review due-process empirical-basis fifth-circuit illegal-reentry presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness sentencing-guidelines Whether a presumption of reasonableness on appeal does not apply to a sentence produced by the illegal reentry guideline, §2L1.2, because that guideli…
20-5202 Jerome Collins v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-07-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP attempted-assault categorical-approach circuit-split crime-of-violence federal-prisoners mental-state plea-bargaining plea-of-guilty reckless-endangerment sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether the New York offense of attempt to commit a crime qualifies as a crime of violence, and whether varying conclusions from different circuits…
20-5170 William Russell Williams v. Michigan Michigan 2020-07-24 Denied IFP actus-reus criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance jury-instructions mens-rea mitigation mitigation-instruction prosecutorial-misconduct right-to-present-defense sentencing-guidelines I. Was William Williams denied his right to due process, to present a defense, and to a properly instructed jury where the trial court refused to prov…
20-5172 Darrell Henry Williams v. Joe Coakley, Warden Fourth Circuit 2020-07-24 Denied IFP career-offender criminal-statutes due-process federal-procedure mandatory-minimums physical-force reckless-conduct sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Do criminal statutes satisfied by reckless conduct resulting in injury require as an element "the use ... of physical force against the person of a…
20-71 Stephen P. Brown v. United States Second Circuit 2020-07-24 Denied Response Waived appeal-waiver certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment ineffective-assistance section-2255 sentencing sentencing-review sixth-amendment Should this Court vacate and remand the Februar y 12, 2020 Order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denying a certificate of appealab…
20-5153 Jamiell Sims v. United States Third Circuit 2020-07-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-1594 conspiracy criminal-conspiracy criminal-law federal-jurisdiction federal-statute force-fraud-coercion offense-level sentencing sentencing-guidelines sex-trafficking What is the base offense level for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1594(c)?
20-51 Pedro Pete Benevides v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-07-22 Denied Response Waived criminal-forfeiture eighth-amendment excessive-fine forfeiture ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines 1. Does the forfeiture of over $44 million constitute an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment, where the forfeiture amount is more than 44 times …
20-5108 Salvador Ojeda-Amarillas v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-07-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure firearms-enhancement leadership-role necessity necessity-requirement sentencing-enhancement sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines waiver wiretap wiretap-application 1. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in finding the July 2006 wiretap application met the necessity requirements and whether it erred in holding Mr. …
20-5090 Ronald Lynn Thomas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-07-16 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review constitutional-interpretation constitutional-law district-court-discretion due-process federal-sentencing guidelines harmless-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether Guideline error is necessarily harmless if the district court is presented with the Guideline range later vindicated on appeal and disclaims a…
20-5093 Dion Clayborn v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-07-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender congressional-intent deference-to-agency drug-trafficking guideline-commentary recidivism sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Title 28 U.S.C. § 994(h) authorized the Sentencing Commission to promulgate guidelines that, based on legislative history, were intended harshly punis…
20-5053 Deandre Lornell Brown v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-07-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines appellate-review criminal-sentencing departure judicial-discretion presumptively-reasonable procedural-error sentencing-guidelines variance variance-standard Whether the district court's decision when imposing sentence that a defendant failed to sufficiently justify a "reduction" from the Sentencing Guideli…
20-5042 Julian Silva-Aguilar v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-07-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process factual-basis guilty-plea ninth-circuit plea-agreement plea-bargaining supreme-court-precedent In deciding that the defendant's guilty plea was supported by an adequate factual basis, and was therefore knowing and intelligent and subject to the …
20-5031 Artemio Ramirez-Arroyo v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-07-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582(c)(2) due-process equal-protection hughes-v-united-states retroactive-amendment retroactive-guideline-amendments sentence-reduction sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation In 2011, the Sentencing Commission changed its policy statement in U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10 to disqualify defendants who received sentences below the Guideli…
20-5006 Manuel Olivas-Guevara v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP abduction appeal appeal-timeliness base-offense-level civil-procedure dismissal district-court jurisdiction robbery sentencing-guidelines standing timeliness 1) DID THE PANEL ERR BY DISMISSING THE APPEAL FOR TIMELINESS? 2) DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR BY AFFIRMING THE DISTRICT COURT'S DECISION TO INCREASE MI…
19-8923 Bryant Okeff Leggett v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-07-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review burden-of-proof criminal-procedure drug-activity drug-house evidence judicial-discretion sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines trial-court-error I. The district court applied a two-level enhancement for maintaining a drug house. This was applied despite no evidence being presented that Mr. Legg…
19-8924 William R. Jenkins v. United States Third Circuit 2020-07-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act constitutional-vagueness due-process liberty post-conviction-motion residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness The question presented is whether a postconviction motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, challenging a sentence imposed under the pre-2005 mandatory version …
19-8912 Giezi Arce-Calderon v. United States First Circuit 2020-07-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process guideline-range guideline-sentence judicial-discretion plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness A. Whether the sentence imposed on Mr. Arce is substantively unreasonable, despite being a guideline sentence of six months, where the parties agreed …
19-8893 Darryl Henry v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-rights appeal-waiver circuit-split collateral-relief criminal-sentencing involuntary-waiver judicial-integrity judicial-process plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing-rights statutory-entitlement Are broad waivers of appellate rights lawful and, if so, what are the limits on their validity and enforcement?
19-1453 Michigan v. Gerald Raynard Fuller Michigan 2020-07-02 Denied acquittal acquittal-consideration acquitted-conduct conflict-of-authority criminal-procedure due-process federal-circuits judicial-discretion preponderance-of-evidence sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-standards state-courts The federal circuit courts have uniformly held that a sentencing judge may consider conduct for which the defendant has been acquitted, and this Court…
19-8885 Juan Leonardo Cadenas-Urena v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-07-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-procedure drug-manufacturing due-process evidence evidence-sufficiency jury-verdict premises-liability sentencing-guidelines sufficiency-of-evidence 1) DID THE PANEL ERR BY HOLDING THAT THE EVIDENCE IS SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN THE JURY'S GUILTY VERDICT? 2) DID THE PANEL ERR BY UPHOLDING THE APPLICATI…
19-8868 Rodrecas Tims v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-06-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing judicial-discretion prison-sentence reasonableness-review sentencing-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-range sentencing-reasonableness Whether the district court ordered an unreasonable 108-month prison sentence under the facts of this case, and under the recommended Sentencing Guidel…
19-8830 Justin Michael Oxendine v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-06-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review circuit-court criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion legal-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines upward-variance Whether the district court abused its discretion by varying upward when an applicable guideline provision addressed conduct that formed part of the ra…
19-8820 Cesar Velazquez v. United States Third Circuit 2020-06-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender constitutional-vagueness due-process liberty post-conviction-relief residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness The question presented is whether a postconviction motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, challenging a sentence imposed under the pre-2005 mandatory version …
19-1407 Mercy O. Ainabe v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-06-24 Denied Response Waived corporate-entities health-care-claims health-care-fraud loss-calculation medicare medicare-fraud relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines victim-definition (1) Whether the Medicare beneficiaries whose health care treatments form the basis of fraudulent Medicare claims fit the definition of "victims" for p…
19-8771 Michael A. Risenhoover v. William Muniz, Warden Ninth Circuit 2020-06-22 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 28-years-to-life criminal-procedure due-process first-degree-murder first-time-offender judicial-discretion murder prior-criminal-history proportionality public-message sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1) Does SENTENCING A FIRST TIME OFFENDER WITHOUT HAS NO PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORY TO 28 YEARS TO LIFE SEND A DANGEROUS MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC AND FUTURE O…
19-8744 April Castro v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-06-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing dissimilar-activities fraud-calculation fraud-offenses intended-loss judicial-discretion loss-amounts loss-determination sentencing-guidelines stolen-checks Where a person is convicted of fraud offenses arising from conduct consisting of two similar, yet distinct types of fraudulent activities that resulte…
19-8745 Bernard Scott, Jr. v. United States Third Circuit 2020-06-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender constitutional-vagueness due-process liberty post-conviction-relief residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness The question presented is whether a postconviction motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, challenging a sentence imposed under the pre-2005 mandatory version …
19-8735 Michael A. Jackson v. United States Third Circuit 2020-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act circuit-split constitutional-vagueness due-process liberty post-conviction-relief residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The question presented is whether a postconviction motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, challenging a sentence imposed under the pre-2005 mandatory version …
19-8702 Billy Edward Sedberry v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-06-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level criminal-procedure drug-quantity judicial-fact-finding jury-trial methamphetamine sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Whether the district court procedurally erred in miscalculating Sedberry's drug quantity base offense level. 2. Alternatively, whether the distric…
19-8703 David Sosa-Baladron, et ux. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-06-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process evidence jury-instructions obstruction-of-justice sentencing-guidelines I. Did a fatal variance occur when the charge was of one conspiracy but the proofs were of two, one of which there was no evidence of Petitioners' inv…
19-8649 Angelo Johnson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-06-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure due-process guidelines guilty-plea plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines u-s-sentencing-commission Should a defendant be denied a three-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility under U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 when the defendant enters a timely guilty…
19-8681 Sung Hong, et ux. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP affinity-fraud aggravating-factors civil-rights constitutional-law due-process establishment-clause free-exercise holguin-hernandez-v-united-states plain-error-review religious-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Is it permissible for courts to consider religion as an aggravating factor in determining sentences, or to favor a religion by sentencing defendant…
19-8683 Edgardo Grande v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a appeal-waiver fairness-integrity-public-reputation judicial-proceedings plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-factors substantial-rights unconscionability unconscionable-contract 1. Whether the waiver of appeal rights contained in the Plea Agreement is unenforceable since the Plea Agreement is invalid because it is an unconscio…
19-8693 Nathan Thomas Trujillo v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-procedure judicial-discretion kimbrough-v-united-states kimbrough-variance policy-grounds sentencing sentencing-guidelines variance A. WHETHER THE COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THE DISTRICT COURT DID NOT ABUSE ITS DISCRETION WITH ITS SENTENCE? B. WHETHER THE COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THE DI…
19-8694 Joseph D. Rouse v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-851 appeal-waiver appellate-review due-process mandatory-minimum notice-requirement plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Does the express language of 21 U.S.C. § 851 requiring prior written notice of the particular conviction the government seeks to use to enhance a mand…
19-1358 Michigan v. William Larenzo Shoulders Michigan 2020-06-11 Denied Response Waived alleyne-v-us criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing indeterminate-sentencing jury-determination jury-trial michigan-law michigan-supreme-court parole parole-eligibility sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment In Michigan's "indeterminate" sentencing scheme, judgments of sentence contain two numbers: the minimum number of years the defendant will have to ser…
19-8640 Paul N. Littles v. United States Third Circuit 2020-06-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-U.S.C-2255 career-offender constitutional-vagueness Johnson-v-United-States mandatory-sentencing-guidelines postconviction-motion residual-clause sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent unconstitutionally-vague The question presented is whether a postconviction motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, challenging a sentence imposed under the pre-2005 mandatory version …
19-8605 Courtland Barnes v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-06-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography criminal-sentencing district-court federal-appeals federal-sentencing-guidelines fourth-circuit mitigating-evidence sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Whether the district court's reliance on the child pornography guideline and the mitigating evidence Petitioner offered to the court require the vacat…
19-8592 Maria Soly Almonte, aka Soly Almonte, aka Soly La Fuerte, aka SoSo, aka SoSo Wavy, aka Soly Montana v. United States Second Circuit 2020-06-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP age-of-consent appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process obstruction-of-justice procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness 1. Whether Almonte's sentence was procedurally unreasonable because the district court failed to determine whether she obstructed justice under Guidel…
19-8586 Roy Ramirez v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-06-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP attempt circuit-split conspiracy controlled-substance criminal-law inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses sentencing-guidelines Whether the United States Sentencing Commission has properly defined a "controlled substance offense" under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 (b) to include the inchoa…
19-8579 Jonathan Frank Davis v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-06-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment guilty-plea plea-bargaining voluntary-plea Does an appeal waiver clause bar a criminal defendant from later appealing their conviction on the ground that the guilty plea was not knowing and vol…
19-8561 Jesus Julian Corona-Perez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-05-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP crime-of-violence criminal-procedure indictment jury-determination jury-trial prior-conviction sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum I. Whether all facts —including the fact of a prior conviction —that increase a defendant's statutory maximum must be pleaded in the indictment and ei…
19-8566 John Charles Thompson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggregate-imprisonment civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process imprisonment plain-error revocation sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Was it plain err for the Western District of North Carolina to not aggregate Mr. Thompson's multiple revocation active imprisonment sentences then red…
19-8558 David Hardman v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-05-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion Anders-review appeal-waiver breach-of-plea-agreement criminal-procedure jurisdiction DID THE CIRCUIT COURT ERR IN REFUSING TO MAKE A DETERMINATION OF THE VALIDITY OF THE APPEAL WAIVER DURING A REVIEW OF THE RECORD, PURSUANT TO ANDERS v…
19-8543 Carl L. Burdick v. United States Second Circuit 2020-05-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 advisory-guidelines criminal-procedure judicial-discretion plea-agreement rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-range united-states-v-booker Whether the District Court, contrary to precedents of this Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, accorded the advisory …
19-8523 Christian James v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-05-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split due-process fifth-circuit government-promise obstruction-of-justice sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-justice united-states-sentencing-guidelines writ-of-certiorari 1. Whether the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion rejecting James's claim that the Government made an implied promise that any obstruction of just…
19-8525 Julio Gabriel Diaz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-05-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substances conversion criminal-defendant drug-conversion due-process fifth-amendment lsd self-incrimination sentencing-guidelines Whether a criminal defendant's Fifth Amendment rights are implicated by the oxycodone-to-marijuana conversion required by U.S. S.G. § 2D1.1.
19-8503 Darieus Malik Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-05-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP administration-of-justice criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court fact-intensive-inquiry federal-criminal-cases fifth-circuit prostitution-enhancement review-standard sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review On Appeal DARIEUS MALIK WILLIAMS challenged the district court's finding that he unduly influenced a minor to engage in prohibited sexual conduct such…
19-8453 John Christopher Dobbs v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-05-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure cross-reference district-court federal-rules firearm-possession judicial-findings presentence-report rule-32 sentencing-guidelines When a defendant disputes that he has committed a Cross Reference crime, does Rule 32(i)(3)(B) require the district court to make specific findings ab…
19-8444 Clarence Zacke v. Mark S. Inch, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections Florida 2020-05-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process federal-court-decisions judicial-precedent legal-exemption plea-agreement plea-bargaining prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing-guidelines state-courts WHETHER THE INTEGRITY OF THE COURT REQUIRES ENFORCEMENT OF RULE 3.171(A) FLA. R. CRIMINAL P. WHERE THE STATE HAS KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY VIOLATED …
19-1282 Avery Terry v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-05-12 Denied Response Waived 18-usc-924c appeal-waiver constitutional-vagueness crime-of-violence criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-appeal-waiver due-process force-clause hobbs-act hobbs-act-robbery residual-clause sentencing statutory-interpretation unconstitutional-vagueness vagueness-doctrine violent-crime WHETHER THE COURT OF APPEALS ERRED IN DISMISSING THE APPEAL PURSUANT TO AN INVALID APPEAL WAIVER, AFTER MAKING ERRONEOUS FINDINGS, OVERLOOKING AND MIS…
19-8412 Lenroy McLean v. United States Second Circuit 2020-05-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court criminal-procedure discretion discretionary-review forfeiture plain-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights QUESTION I Should the Second Circuit Court of Appeals exercise it's discretion to correct the forfeited error of Petitioner's miscalculated guideline…
19-8414 Ashford James Simmons v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-05-07 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach controlled-substance-offense fourth-circuit prior-conviction prior-convictions sentencing-guidelines serious-drug-offense Since 1990, this Court has required the lower courts to use the "categorical approach" in courts' evaluation of a criminal defendant's prior convictio…
19-8385 Enrique Lopez Quintero v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-05-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-procedure federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure hughes-v-united-states plea-agreement sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines type-c-agreement l.Is a sentence imposed pursuant to a Type-C agreement, Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(c)(1)(C), is based on the defendant's United States Sentencing Guidelines …
19-1260 Andrew Demma v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-04-30 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) 18-usc-3553a appeals-court child-pornography circuit-split discretion gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion kimbrough-v-united-states policy-disagreement sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness (1) Whether the discretion recognized under Kimbrough v. United States for a district court to vary based on a policy disagreement applies to the chil…
19-8333 Nekhent Supreme Ali, aka William Sean Perry, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 criminal-procedure criminal-statute currency-conversion drug-proceeds drug-weight due-process sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether in the conversion of currency drug proceeds into drug weight for purposes of sentencing criminal violations of 21 U.S.C. § 841, federal courts…
19-8339 Juan M. Santiago v. United States First Circuit 2020-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver booker booker-error criminal-procedure federal-sentencing mandatory-guidelines miscarriage-of-justice sentencing sentencing-guidelines waiver WHETHER AN ESTABLISHED BOOKER ERROR (MANDATORY APPLICATION OF THE USSG) CAN BE CONSIDERED PER SE A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE EXCEPTION THAT IS NOT WAIVED…
19-8340 Christopher Scruggs v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law distribution distribution-intent file-sharing knowledge knowledge-standard mens-rea sentencing sentencing-guidelines The Sentencing Commission promulgated Amendment 801, amending to only apply when a defendant 2G2.2(b) (3) (F) enhancement "knowingly engaged in distri…
19-8325 Qais Hussein v. United States Seventh Circuit 2020-04-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining section-2255 sentencing sentencing-guidelines Is it reasonably debatable that Qais Hussein was deprived the effective assistance of counsel where his defense attorney failed to object to any insin…
19-8303 Wadress Metoyer, Jr. v. Delynn Fudge, in Her Individual and Official Capacity as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, et al. Tenth Circuit 2020-04-19 Denied IFP civil-rights constitutional-rights due-process liberty-interest parole parole-eligibility sentencing-guidelines sentencing-range truth-in-sentencing Did the 1997 Oklahoma Legislature mandate in its statutory language, phrases provisions, design, purpose and intent in House Bill 1213 effective date …
19-8273 Deonday Evans v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-04-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-922 18-usc-924 commerce-clause commerce-nexus criminal-procedure exclusionary-rule federalism federalism-principles fourth-amendment search-warrant sentencing-guidelines standing 1. Whether federalism principles require reinterpretation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and 18 U.S.C. § 924 to require a more meaningful commerce nexus! 2. W…
19-8263 Larry Wesley Brown v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-possession drug-trafficking felony-enhancement guidelines gun-possession sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ("Fifth Circuit")-which held Mr. Brown was involved with drug traffic…
19-8235 Justin K. Eaton v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP beckles-v-us braxton-v-us constitutional-challenge dillon-v-us judicial-review retroactive-effect sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation (1). Since the Sentencing Commission is to serve a similar function to interpreting guidelines as this Court does in interpreting statutes under Braxt…
19-8215 Victor Rivera-Munoz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-04-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court-interpretation criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing manager-enhancement sanctions sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines subordinate-authority subordinates supervisor-enhancement supervisor-role 1. In the a bsence of a definiti on of the terms, can a defendant receive a mana ger, or sup ervisor enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3B1. 1 when t he evi…
19-8221 Feuu Fagatele v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-04-08 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP categorical-approach circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-law due-process risk-of-injury sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a statute that criminalizes creating a risk of injury categorically satisfies the definition of a crime of violence?
19-8199 Dwight Bullard v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-04-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 advisory-guidelines career-offender collateral-attack collateral-review criminal-sentencing due-process federal-sentencing section-2255 sentencing-guidelines Whether a defendant erroneously sentenced as a career offender under the advisory Guidelines can collaterally attack his enhanced sentence under 28 U.…
19-8187 Kahwahnas Nucumbhi Potts v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-04-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-1028a circuit-split consecutive-sentencing criminal-law criminal-sentencing district-court federal-procedure inter-circuit-conflict sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether this honorable Court should grant certiorari to resolve inter-Circuit disharmony regarding a District Court's consideration of consecutive sen…
19-8193 John Purifoy v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-04-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-jurisdiction appellate-review booker booker-decision criminal-procedure downward-departure jurisdiction sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-assistance The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has held that an appellate court does not have the jurisdiction to review the denial of a dow…
19-8158 Lucas Heindenstrom v. United States First Circuit 2020-04-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 causation causation-standard fentanyl fentanyl-death harmless-error sentencing-guidelines statutory-sentencing upward-departure Is applying the wrong causation standard when upwardly departing under the sentencing guidelines or upwardly varying under the statutory sentencing fa…
19-8137 Rafael Posadas-Gonzalez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing procedural-reasonableness sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness upward-departure Whether the District Court and Court of Appeals misapplied the law under U.S.S.G § 4A1.3 and 18 U.S.C. § 3553 (a) sentencing factors in granting an up…
19-8100 Jorge Rodriguez-Luca v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-03-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness-doctrine void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-8065 Reinaldo Vasquez-Rivera v. United States First Circuit 2020-03-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review district-court-discretion guidelines-range procedural-reasonableness sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness supervised-release Question not identified.
19-8071 Curtis Dion Earley v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-03-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law constitutional-violation criminal-law due-process mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation stolen-firearm Does the commentary at U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1, Application Note 8, which does not require a mens rea to impose the stolen firearm enhancement at U.S.S.G. § …
19-8041 Stanley Edward Jamison, Jr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-03-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 habeas-corpus johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity section-2255 sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-right timely-motion Whether Mr. Jamison's § 2255 motion filed within one year of Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), claiming that Johnson invalidates the p…
19-8044 Brian Vidrine v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-03-19 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP 924(c) career-offender criminal-conviction criminal-law due-process johnson-decision johnson-v-united-states mandatory-enhancement section-924c sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Are Vidrine's § 924(c) convictions invalid in light of this Court's decision in Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), and its progeny? …
19-8016 Jaime Vega, aka Jimmy Johnson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-03-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeals criminal-procedure district-court due-process revocation-sentence sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supervised-release To what extent does 18 U.S.C. § 3553 require a district court to specifically state the reasons for imposing a revocation sentence above the guideline…
19-8027 Javier Gomez-Carrasquillo v. United States First Circuit 2020-03-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) circuit-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing individualized-assessment plea-agreement procedural-reasonableness puerto-rico-crime sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness Question not identified.
19-8038 Jermaine James v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-03-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP attempt circuit-split commentary conspiracy controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law inchoate-offense inchoate-offenses sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the United States Sentencing Commission has properly defined a "controlled substance offense" under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 (b) to include the inchoa…
19-8013 Keith Alexander v. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 2020-03-17 Denied IFP criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-ineffective-assistance-of-couns criminal-sentencing due-process federal-appellate-review firearms ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-interpretation mandatory-minimum mental-capacity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction Question not identified.
19-8019 Efrain Sifuentes v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP resulting in an unreasonable sentence appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court fifth-circuit sentencing-guidelines unreasonable-sentence 1. Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit improperly condone the District Court's error in applying the United States Sentencing…
19-7998 Paul Anthony Montanez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court due-process judicial-discretion reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Did the district court impose a plainly unreasonable sentence upon Mr. Montanez?
19-1133 Melvin Hodges, Jr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-03-16 Denied Response Waived 28-usc-2255 armed-career-criminal-act due-process johnson-decision johnson-v-united-states post-conviction-relief sentencing-guidelines vague-laws vagueness vagueness-doctrine Whether a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion filed within one year of Johnson can assert a timely, valid claim that the residual clause of the mandatory Guidelin…
19-7984 Danny Pereda v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-03-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 6th-amendment civil-rights constitutional-law criminal-law due-process government-discretion government-procedures jury-trial sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
19-7972 Javier Brown v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4b1.1 career-offender categorical-approach drug-offense fourth-circuit modified-categorical-approach predicate-drug-offense prior-conviction records-of-conviction sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-4b1.1 south-carolina-code Pursuant to Section 4B1.1 of the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines, following a conviction for a narcotics offense, an offender who has a…
19-7981 Marcos Robert Castaneda v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-guideline criminal-law criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-28-usc-2255 johnson-v-united-states mandatory-sentencing-guidelines ninth-circuit residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines timeliness void-for-vagueness 1. Whether a § 2255 motion filed within one year of Johnson v. United States, claiming that Johnson invalidates the residual clause of the pre Booker …
19-7965 Cedric Edney v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach controlled-substance-offense controlled-substances criminal-law fifth-circuit-interpretation mathis-standard mathis-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation taylor-precedent taylor-v-united-states u-s-s-g-section-4b1-2-b Did the Fifth Circuit Err in deciding as an issue of first impression, that Texas offenses of Distribution of controlled substances and possession wit…
19-7918 Patrick Harris v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a child-pornography criminal-sentencing district-court enhancement-factors excessive-sentence sentencing-discretion sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines statutory-considerations I. DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR WHEN IT FOUND ENHANCEMENT FACTORS LISTED IN U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(2), (b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(6) AND (b)(7)(D) APPROPRIATE IN …
19-7931 Nancy Arlene Lopez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-appeal criminal-procedure-sentencing due-process fifth-amendment fifth-circuit government-misconduct methamphetamine-conspiracy miranda-rights sentencing-guidelines substantial-assistance supreme-court unconstitutional-motive Petitioner, NANCY ARLENE LOPEZ, appealed her ten-year statutory minimum sentence imposed after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import 500 or more …
19-7869 Raymond David Wilson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-03-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender common-scheme criminal-scheme criminal-sentencing felony-disposition judicial-discretion misdemeanor-conviction misrepresentation-of-felony prior-conviction prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Why Did The DiStRiCt CouRt ERRONeouSLY CLASSIFEd MR.WiLSON AS A CAREER OFFENdER WhEN IN FACT BOth PRiORS AN INtERVeNiNg ARRESt. LSO WAS The DiStRICt C…
19-7876 Aaron Richardson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-03-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment constitutional-rights criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process equal-protection judicial-bias judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Did an unconstitutional "objective risk of bias," Williams v. Pennsylvania, 136 S. Ct. 1899, 1905 (2016), or "probability of actual bias on the par…
19-7838 Anthony Shockey v. United States Seventh Circuit 2020-03-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP addiction-treatment criminal-justice criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-addiction drug-test due-process parole probation sentencing-guidelines supervised-release violation-classification 1.When an addict on supervised release fails a drug test should the failure be treated as crime, a grade B violation under Sentencing Guideline § 7B1.…
19-7839 Christopher Sanchez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deterrence due-process imprisonment plain-error-review policy-statement policy-statement-range sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines I. Is a single-sentence explanation of "I believe this addresses the issues of adequate deterrence and protection of the public" procedurally reasonab…
19-7854 Howronda Overstreet v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-03-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-procedure Did Ms. Overstreet's waiver of appeal unenforceabl Did the district court commit plain error when it due-process guidelines guidelines-calculation plain-error plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines waiver QUESTION 1: DID MS. OVERSTREET PRESERVE HER RIGHT TO APPEAL THE DISTRICT COURT'S INAPPLICABLE GUIDELINES CALCULATION ? QUESTION 2: WAS MS. OVERSTR…
19-7855 Jeremy T. Walker v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP certiorari criminal-procedure district-court-discretion federal-jurisdiction firearm-possession material-facts obstruction offense-level-enhancement sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines serial-number serial-number-obliteration Whether the district court erred at sentencing by increasing Mr. Walker's Sentencing Guidelines offense level for possessing a gun with an obliterated…
19-7863 Delores L. Knight v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-03-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 35-usc-101 civil-procedure civil-rights criminal-statute due-process federal-appellate-review judicial-review ninth-circuit patent sentencing-guidelines standing statutory-interpretation takings Question not identified.
19-7815 Robert Grimsley v. Oregon, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-03-02 Denied IFP civil-rights contractual-leniency custody due-process fraud fraud-in-the-facts habeas-corpus prison prison-contracts prisoner-rights sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-court state-court-judgment statutory-interpretation takings Can a state commit the crimes of fraud in the facta of its own Sentencing guidelines to renege on prison contracts How can there be Habas Corpus reli…
19-7812 Lajbar Lajaward Khan v. United States Second Circuit 2020-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP clearly-erroneous criminal-procedure declaration district-court drug-quantity drug-weight fatico-hearing objections probation-office role-enhancement sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether the District Court's findings as to drug weight and role were clearly erroneous.
19-7820 Marcus Derby v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split conspiracy conspiracy-involvement criminal-procedure drug-trafficking essential-participant minor-participant minor-role reduction sentencing-guidelines supplier In 2015, the United States Sentencing Guidelines were amended to clarify that defendants are entitled to the "minor role" reduction, even if they are …
19-7811 Marcus Scott Crum v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP aiding-and-abetting attempt conspiracy controlled-substance-offense inchoate-offenses judicial-deference sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u-s-sentencing-commission Whether the Sentencing Commission's commentary to its definition of "controlled substance offense" in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) to include inchoate offenses…
19-7755 Scott Michael Patrick v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-02-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender criminal-sentencing johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states mandatory-sentencing-guidelines residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines void-for-vagueness Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the right initially recognized in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory G…
19-7780 Frank Harper v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-02-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-USC-924(c) 18-usc-924c carjacking-by-intimidation collateral-review consecutive-sentences criminal-procedure dean-v-united-states ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel Predicate-Offense retroactivity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. A. Should certiorari be granted to determine whether Harper was denied the effective assistance of counsel for the failure to challenge on appeal a…
19-7764 Michael Tyrone Simpson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-02-25 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (4)IFP 18-usc-924(c) bank-robbery carter-v-united-states crime-of-violence criminal-intent federal-bank-robbery force-clause general-intent-crime sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation void-for-vagueness Is federal bank robbery a crime of violence under the force clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), in light of this Court's holding in Carter v. United States,…
19-7646 Davion Fitzgerald v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-02-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach criminal-law due-deference federalism federalism-principles judicial-deference judicial-interpretation judicial-subjectivity sentencing-guidelines state-court-deference state-courts state-criminal-statutes state-statute statutory-interpretation May a federal court dismiss state precedent interpreting the state's own criminal statute as an "odd hypothetical" based on "legal imagination" to sub…
19-7706 Tommy Adams, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-02-19 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP career-offender career-offender-guideline controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense controlled-substances criminal-law fourth-circuit modified-categorical-approach sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation taylor-descamps-mathis-precedent taylor-v-united-states DID THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS INCORRECTLY APPLY THE LINE OF AUTHORITY FROM THIS COURT BEGINNING WITH TAYLOR V. UNITED STATES, 495 U.S. 575 (…
19-7707 Elijah Loren Arthur v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-02-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey criminal-fines criminal-restitution due-process jury-determination jury-trial sentencing-guidelines southern-union-co-v-united-states statutory-maximum This Court held in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490 (2000), that "[o]ther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the pe…
19-7681 Howard Aron Washington, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-02-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines appellate-review criminal-sentencing gall-v-new-jersey guideline-departure procedural-error procedural-reasonableness reasonableness rosales-mireles Rosales-Mireles-v-United-States sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review THE DECISION OF THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT IN UNITED STATES V. WASHINGTON IS INCONSISTENT WITH THIS COURT'S DECISION IN…
19-7695 Arturo Delacruz v. United States Third Circuit 2020-02-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP brandishing criminal-procedure group-one-robbery ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel otherwise-used plea-negotiation robbery-offense sentencing-guidelines weapon-enhancement Because Petitioner did not explicitly admit to facts that would support an "otherwise used" weapon enhancement, as opposed to a "brandishing" weapon e…
19-1020 Florence Bikundi v. United States District of Columbia 2020-02-14 Denied Response Waived burden-of-proof continuance district-court-discretion due-process ends-of-justice ends-of-justice-continuance forfeiture fraud fraud-conduct restitution sentencing sentencing-guidelines speedy-trial-act 1. Whether a district court granting an ends-ofjustice continuance under the Speedy Trial Act of 1974, 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A), violates the require…
19-7625 Robert L. Swinton, Jr. v. Florida Florida 2020-02-12 Rehearing Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appeal constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-appeal due-process ineffective-assistance-of-counsel right-to-counsel sentencing sentencing-errors sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment structural-error (1) Is it structural error when sentencing errors were corrected by appeals court on direct appeal without defense counsel, and a constitutional denia…
19-7654 Jean Roussel Eloi v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-02-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-process appeal-stages closing-arguments conviction defenses government-misconduct ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jury-selection relationship-evidence sealed-records sentencing-guidelines I.) Whether counsel was ineffective for not pursuing all the way through the appeal stages, the government's statement during closing arguments that…
19-7638 Rodrigo Cruz Perez v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-02-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility circuit-split constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment split-among-circuits Under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, a defendant who accepts responsibility for an offense receives a two-point reduction on the offense level. U.S.S…
19-7622 Samuel Elliott v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-02-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment appellate-review child-pornography criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness substantive-unreasonableness Whether a sentence imposed pursuant to the United States Sentencing Guidelines covering child pornography offenses, U.S.S.G. §S 2G2.1 and 2G2.2, is su…
19-7598 Ramon Valencia-Cruz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 appellate-review circuit-split closer-review judicial-review kimbrough-discretion kimbrough-v-united-states policy-disagreement policy-statement sentencing-guidelines When conducting "closer review" of a sentencing decision that was based on the district court's decision to vary from the United States Sentencing Gui…
19-7604 Richard Allen Lumpkin v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender criminal-sentencing johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-7561 Ramiro D. Ramirez, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-02-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP application-note-3(c) application-note-3c court-of-appeals criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-sentencing criminal-sentencing district-court federal-sentencing-guidelines mitigating-role mitigating-role-adjustment paid-tasks proprietary-interest sentencing-guidelines supervisory-authority united-states-sentencing-guidelines ussg-3b1.2 Whether the Court of Appeals inappropriately affirmed the district court's denial of a mitigating role adjustment which contravened the factors and th…
19-7516 Mary Mosley v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct alleyne-v-united-states criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-acquitted-conduct double-jeopardy due-process fifth-circuit jury-verdict nelson-v-colorado sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines 1) DID THE PANEL ERR BY UPHOLDING THE APPLICATION OF AN ENHANCEMENT FOR BRANDISHING OR POSSESSING A FIREARM WHEN MISS MOSLEY WAS ACQUITTED BY A JURY O…
19-7479 Brian Price v. United States First Circuit 2020-01-29 Denied IFP acquitted-conduct constitutional-rights criminal-conspiracy criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process federal-courts federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether a defendant's constitutional rights are abridged when a district court bases its sentence solely on acquitted conduct. Whether a criminal con…
19-7454 Kenneth James Barfield v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-rule-32 due-process federal-rules federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure fifth-circuit gall-v-united-states guidelines preponderance-of-evidence presentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-watts According to Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38 (2007), every federal criminal sentencing must begin with a correctly calculated Guidelines range. Sen…
19-7446 Enrique A. Echeverria-Benitez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure double-jeopardy fifth-circuit illegal-reentry plain-error retribution sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release On direct appeal, Mr. Echeverria-Benitez argued his twenty-seven month sentence for illegal reentry after removal was unreasonable. Mr. Echeverria-Ben…
19-7404 Joseph James Roe v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process enhancement-factors essential-factor guideline-interpretation guidelines judicial-discretion leadership-role lower-court-guidance sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation ussg-3b1.1(a) Whether a district court may impose a sentence enhancement under USSG § 3B1.1(a) for leadership role based on a factor not mentioned in the Sentencing…
19-7412 Alford D. Embry, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender criminal-sentencing habeas-corpus johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause sentencing-guidelines vagueness void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-7382 Tyrone Jemane Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-23 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP aggravated-assault criminal-law federal-jurisdiction force-clause mens-rea sentencing-guidelines uniformity I. Whether a generic aggravated assault as defined in United States Sentencing Guidelines § 4B1.2 requires a mens rea greater than mere recklessness, …
19-920 Boulder Young, aka Boulder Daniel McManigal v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-01-23 Denied Response Waived appeal appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process harmless-error judicial-discretion plea-bargaining plea-hearing sentencing waiver Whether the waiver of a right to appeal a judgment of conviction is controlled by the defendant's written waiver or the oral pronouncement of the cour…
19-7350 Billy Battenfield v. Oklahoma Oklahoma 2020-01-21 Denied IFP aedpa appeal-waiver criminal-procedure critical-stage garza-v-idaho ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining post-sentencing retroactivity statute-of-limitations 1. Whether Garza v. Idaho, — U.S. 139 S.Ct. 738, 203 L.Ed.2d 77 (2019) adopts a new watershed rule of procedure that applies retroactively on state co…
19-7352 Alfredo Godoy-Machuca v. United States Ninth Circuit 2020-01-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver collateral-consequences criminal-procedure defense-counsel ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining voluntary-and-knowing voluntary-plea A. Whether the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals erred in, at least implicitly, concluding that material affirmative misdavice given by defense counsel t…
19-7331 Lavorice Dondrell Cunningham v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion legal-standard pending-resolution remand sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness 1. What is the appropriate standard for the determination of substantive reasonableness claim? SUB SIDIARY QUESTI ON: Whether the Court should hold t…
19-7337 Kinney Lee Palmer v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-17 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP aggravated-assault assault crime-of-violence criminal-law due-process federal-criminal-law federal-sentencing guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation texas-law threat 1. Whether the Texas offense of aggravated assault by threat is a "crime of violence" under USSG §4B 1.2?
19-7338 David P. Moran v. Florida Florida 2020-01-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP concurrent-sentences consecutive-sentences criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process judicial-interpretation prosecutorial-charging same-conduct same-victim sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines 1. Should two charges for the same episode of conduct and the same victim with no temporal break whatsoever be sentenced to consecutive prison terms e…
19-7305 William James Springer v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-01-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-possession constructive-possession criminal-procedure drug-trafficking firearm-possession foreseeability jointly-undertaken-activity sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Whether a defendant's sentence can be enhanced under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1) for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense …
19-7289 Willis Shane Gordon v. Sam Cline, Warden Tenth Circuit 2020-01-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-v-new-jersey apprendi-violation brady-evidence Brady-Violation burden-of-proof criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing double-jeopardy doyle-violation due-process exculpatory-evidence ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jury-trial kansas-sentencing-guidelines post-arrest-silence prior-convictions procedural-bar prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing-guidelines Whether the Kansas courts violated petitioner's Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel, his Fifth Amendment right against self-incri…
19-7248 Christopher Omar Hinton v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP attempted-robbery crime-of-violence dangerous-weapon federal-sentencing north-carolina north-carolina-law sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-commission united-states-sentencing-guidelines Whether North Carolina attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon qualifies as a crime of violence under Section 4B1.2 of the United States Sentencing …
19-7253 Fabrizio DeFrancisci v. United States Second Circuit 2020-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-rule-60(b)(6) due-process post-conviction-relief rule-60b-motion second-circuit sentencing sentencing-guidelines ussg I. WAS THE DISTRICT COURT AND APPEALS COURT WRONG TO DENY THE RULE 60(b) MOTION AND CERTIFICATE OF APPEALABILITY, REPSECTIVELY, WHEN THIS COURT HAS …
19-7207 Mohamed Elshinawy, aka Mojoe, aka Mo Jo v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-01-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP aedpa due-process rule-of-lenity sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-construction statutory-interpretation vcclea Did the Courts-violate the Separation of Powers and Due Process when the enhancement § 3Al.4 was applied without examining Congress' explicit directiv…
19-7182 Cirilo Mancilla Lopez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-06 Denied IFP appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process legal-objection preservation-of-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-unreasonableness 1. Whether claims of substantive unreasonableness must be preserved by specific objection? SUB SIDIARY QUESTI ON: Whether the Court should hold the c…
19-7146 David Rapoport v. Robert Gilmore, Superintendent, State Correctional Institution at Greene, et al. Third Circuit 2020-01-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-ineffective-assistance-of-couns death-penalty due-process guilty-plea ineffective-assistance life-without-parole plea-bargaining sentencing waiver-of-appeal-rights 1. Was the petitioner's counsel ineffective in pre-trial stages? 2. Was the petitioner's counsel ineffective during the plea-bargaining process? 3. …
19-7117 Vance Edward Ingram, III v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-procedure constitutional-law constitutional-rights criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process government-power plea-agreement plea-bargaining waiver IS A DEFEDANT'S RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS OF LAW VIOLATED WHEN THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES AN APPEAL WAIVER AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT?
19-7118 Calvin Buffington v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-12-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure drug-quantity due-process judicial-fact-finding section-3582 section-3582(c)(2) sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-3582(c)(2) statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the district court's failure to find a drug quantity when adopting PSR in its entirety authorized it to select a new quantity as a basis f…
19-7130 Fabio Morel v. United States Second Circuit 2019-12-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review case-law circuit-court-interpretation criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing judicial-precedent plea-agreement plea-bargaining precedent retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent I. WHETHER THE LOWER COURT'S DECISION IS IN CONFLICT WITH FREEMAN V. UNITED STATES, 564 U.S. 522 (2011); AND HUGHES V. UNITED STATES, 138 S. Ct. 1765 …
19-7083 Leroy L. Perdue v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 851-enhancement criminal-procedure due-process enhancement federal-statute notice role-adjustment sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-compliance statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the sentence should be vacated for failure comply with the requirements of 21 U.S.C. § 851(b). 2. Whether the court erred in assessing a f…
19-7103 Edward Merritt v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-12-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law controlled-substance-offense criminal-law deference guideline-commentary inchoate-offenses judicial-deference sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Is the definition of "controlled substance offense" in U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b) genuinely ambiguous such that the guideline commentary can be used to re…
19-7105 Miguel Jilberto Vazquez-Chavarria v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-12-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion remand sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness 1. Whether substantive reasonableness review requires or permits the courts of appeals to "reweigh the [18 U.S.C. §3553(a)] factors"? SUBSIDIARY QUES…
19-7107 Joseph Thor Perkins v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-12-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a 3553(a)-factors abuse-of-discretion booker-v-united-states criminal-sentencing downward-variance federal-sentencing-procedure gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a sentencing court can abuse its discretion by not varying downward further based on this Court's decisions mandating that a sentencing court …
19-7059 John Kenneth Schiefer v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-12-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-law criminal-procedure district-court due-process judicial-discretion legal-reasoning plain-error procedural-error respect-for-law sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure Did the district court plainly procedurally err when it selected and imposed sentence based on its desire to promote the defendant's respect for the l…
19-7051 Adan Reyes-Martinez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-12-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver criminal-procedure fifth-circuit plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing waiver waiver-of-rights Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by ruling that Mr. Reyes-Martinez waived the right to appeal his sentence because of the Waiver of Appeal provision in…
19-7034 Charley Joe, Jr. v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split constitutional-vagueness eighth-amendment sentencing-guidelines unusual-vulnerability vagueness victim-exploitation victim-vulnerability vulnerable-victim Section 3A1.1(b) of the Sentencing Guidelines provides for a two-level increase where, "the defendant knew or should have known that a victim of the o…
19-7038 Angela Maxine Lee v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-922 18-usc-924 3553-a-factors 3553a-factors appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether the above-Guidelines 84-month sentence ordered by the district court is substantively unreasonable under the § 3553(a) factors.
19-7042 Christian Rosado v. United States Third Circuit 2019-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-law guidelines judicial-interpretation judicial-opinions sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines state-law state-law-offense statutory-interpretation use-of-force The question presented is whether, as the court of appeals in this case held, a state-law offense qualifies as a "crime of violence" for purposes of t…
19-7044 Darmarcus Fisher v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process fifth-circuit procedural-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether the district court imposed a substantively unreasonable sentence and erred by imposing a 4-level enhancement for aggravated assault.
19-791 Anderson Law Offices, et al. v. Common Benefit Fee and Cost Committee Fourth Circuit 2019-12-20 Denied appeal-rights appeal-waiver appellate-review civil-procedure common-benefit-fund court-review due-process equitable-relief federal-courts federal-jurisdiction federal-procedure judicial-discretion judicial-responsibilities standing waiver Whether federal district courts possess the authority to require appeal rights to be waived as a condition for receiving an award available under law.…
19-7007 Bryshun Genard Furlow v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-19 GVR Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach collateral-challenge controlled-substance-offense due-process fourth-circuit prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines serious-drug-offense state-conviction u.s.s.g.-4b1.1 I. Whether the Fourth Circuit should be required to use the categorical approach, applying the parameters set by this Court, to its determination that…
19-6948 Michael Eugene Spry v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-3553 criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process federal-courts federal-jurisdiction federal-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness supervised-release I. WHETHER THE APPELLANT MICHAEL EUGENE SPRY'S SENTENCE WAS UNREASONABLE AS IT WAS GREATER THAN NECESSARY AND AS SUCH, FAILS TO COMPLY WITH TITLE 18, …
19-6953 Donovan G. Davis, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-12-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-proceeding critical-stage direct-appeal new-trial new-trial-motion right-to-counsel sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure The Constitution guarantees the assistance and choice of counsel for a critical-stage in a criminal proceeding. Ancient statute guarantees every indiv…
19-6939 Anthony Scott Hunt v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-13 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP base-offense-level categorical-approach controlled-substance-offense divisibility drug-statute modified-categorical-approach predicate-offense sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g-§-4b1.2(b) u.s.s.g.-§-2k2.1(a)(4)(a) u.s.s.g.-§-4b1.2(b) WHETHER A STATE DRUG STATUTE, THAT IS EITHER COMPLETELY INDIVISIBLE OR AT MOST ONLY DIVISIBLE INTO NO MORE THAN THREE GENERALLY SEPARATE OFFENSES, ALL…
19-6926 Roger William Campbell, II, aka Roger William Campbell v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-12-12 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP concurrent-sentences consecutive-sentences criminal-procedure federal-sentencing revocation sentence-revocation sentencing-guidelines supervised-release united-states-sentencing-commission Is the "stacking" of multiple consecutive sentences, upon revocation of multiple concurrent terms of supervised release, consistent with the United St…
19-6864 Cedis R. Martin v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-12-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach categorical-review crime-of-violence criminal-procedure due-process offense-of-violence sentencing-guidelines sentencing-predicate state-court-conviction statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-§4a1.1(e) vagueness vagueness-analysis vagueness-doctrine Does a state court conviction qualify as an "offense of violence" for the purpose of the sentencing predicate pursuant to U.S.S.G.§4A1.1(e), if the st…
19-6838 Joshua Smith v. Sandra Butler, Warden Sixth Circuit 2019-12-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2241 28-usc-2255 appellate-review caselaw federal-procedure guideline-range habeas-corpus incorrect-guideline-range mandatory-guidelines savings-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the Courts of Appeals have incorrectly interpreted the 'savings clause', found in 28 USC 2255(e), to require that a defendant be sentenced und…
19-6806 Anthony J. Stokes v. Florida Florida 2019-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal civil-rights constitutional-review criminal-procedure criminal-prosecution double-jeopardy due-process felony jurisdictional-conflict military-law predicate-felony sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation trial-modification I. WHETHER A CONVICTION ON A CHARGE CONTAINING AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT NOT CHARGED IN THE INFORMATION IS A "DUE PROCESS" VIOLATION. II. WHETHER THE DOUB…
19-6818 John D. Ward v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-12-03 Denied IFP criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states residual-clause retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness void-for-vagueness Johnson v. United States, 135 S.Ct. 2551 (2015), applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidelines, USSG § 4B1.2(a)(2)? II. Whethe…
19-6828 Reginald Jerry Shaw v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review application-notes certificate-of-appealability commentary district-court-discretion ineffective-assistance legal-interpretation sentencing-guidelines strickland-standard strickland-v-washington 1. Are the commentary and application notes in the Sentencing Guideline manual authoritative or left to the District Court's discretion. 2. Can the i…
19-6830 Don Emmery Wilson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 6th-amendment ambiguous-plea constitutional-rights criminal-matter cruel-and-unusual-punishment cruel-unusual-punishment due-process habeas-corpus hearsay illegal-sentence ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel obstruction-of-justice plea-bargaining post-conviction-relief profiling sentencing-guidelines Was petitioner subjective to ineffective or deficient assistance of counsel in a criminal matter?1) Was petitioner subjective to cruel and unusual p…
19-6832 James Henry Lacy, Jr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-12-03 Denied IFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-924 bank-robbery career-offender career-offender-guideline categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-law elements-clause federal-bank-robbery habeas-corpus johnson-v-united-states residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines timeliness 1. Whether a § 2255 motion filed within one year of Johnson v. United States, claiming that Johnson invalidates the residual clause of the pre-Booker …
19-6793 Quentin Herndon v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-12-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence criminal-law criminal-statute federal-court federal-courts physical-force sentencing-guidelines state-court state-court-interpretation state-courts statutory-interpretation USSG-4B1.2(a) Whether a federal court must defer to a state court's interpretation of the elements of a state criminal statute to determine if that offense requires…
19-6774 Albert Allen, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-11-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-appeal due-process fair-sentencing-act ineffective-assistance-of-counsel mandatory-minimum mens-rea prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the Court of Appeals Erred in Denying Petitioner's Application for a Certificate of Appealability to Appeal the District Court's Denial of His…
19-6775 James Marione Butchee v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-11-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender controlled-substance criminal-history due-process federal-sentencing ineffective-counsel sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation violent-felony The Federal Minimum Mandatory sentence for Career offender clause [21 USC 841(b)] is at question in this petition, Do having one violent felony and on…
19-6791 Bryan Lamon Burnett v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-11-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP 6th-circuit 8th-circuit appellate-review circuit-court-conflict circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing felon-in-possession firearm-possession firearms sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-guidelines SHOULD THE COURT GRANT CERTIORARI TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT BETWEEN CIRCUIT COURTS OF APPEAL IN THE APPLICATION OF UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINE SE…
19-6748 Steven A. Adams v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-11-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP aiding-and-abetting ambiguity attempt conspiracy controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law deference deference-doctrine sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-manual-4b1.2b statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the term "controlled substance offense" defined by UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINES MANUAL § 4B1.2(b) to mean "an offense under federal …
19-6755 Frederick Garcia-Cruz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-11-26 Denied IFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure debatable-among-jurists-of-reason due-process habeas-corpus jurists-of-reason mandatory-sentencing ninth-circuit residual-clause sentencing-guidelines vagueness void-for-vagueness 1. Whether the Ninth Circuit misapplied this Court's "debatable among jurists of reason" standard for a certificate of appealability. 2. Whether the …
19-6759 James A. Lackey v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-11-26 Denied IFP appellate-procedure certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure due-process habeas-corpus judicial-deference jurists-of-reason mandatory-sentencing-guidelines ninth-circuit residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review vagueness void-for-vagueness 1. Whether the Ninth Circuit misapplied this Court's "debatable among jurists of reason" standard for a certificate of appealability. 2. Whether the …
19-6769 Steven Hicks v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-11-26 Denied IFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure debatable-among-jurists-of-reason johnson-v-united-states jurists-of-reason mandatory-guidelines mandatory-sentencing ninth-circuit sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g.-4b1.2(a)(2) vagueness void-for-vagueness Whether the Ninth Circuit misapplied this Court's "debatable among jurists of reason" standard for a certificate of appealability. Whether the residu…
19-6704 JB Foster McAfee v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court circuit-court-rejection civil-procedure-mail-box-rule due-process federal-rules-appellate-procedure federal-rules-of-appellate-procedure habeas-corpus houston-v-lack mail-box-rule obstruction-of-justice prison-mail prisoner-appeals prisoner-petition sentencing-guidelines timeliness timely-filing Whether a prisoner's petition for rehearing of his appeal decision that is due in 14 days, is considered timely filed under the "mail box rule" and Ho…
19-6675 Michael Ray Bishop v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-11-20 Denied Relisted (2)IFP armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance-offense enumerated-offense-clause sentencing-guidelines serious-drug-offense statutory-interpretation Whether an offense-matching categorical approach applies to the determination of a "controlled substance offense" under the Sentencing Guidelines?
19-6692 Kenneth Robert Simpson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-11-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-interpretation constitutional-rights double-jeopardy due-process fifth-amendment habeas-corpus judicial-discretion parole revocation sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction supervised-release Question not identified.
19-6670 Michael Bridge v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-11-19 Denied IFP 28-usc-2255 appellate-procedure brief-formatting career-offender constitutional-rights due-process johnson-v-united-states judicial-discretion mandatory-guidelines procedural-fairness residual-clause sentencing-guidelines timeliness Whether Pennsylvania Superior Court can dismiss an 1. Whether a § 2255 motion filed within one year of Johnson v. United States, claiming that Johnson invalidates the residual clause of the pre-Booker …
19-6656 Fernando Quintela-Galindo v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review chapter-7-policy chapter-7-policy-statements criminal-procedure due-process presumption-of-reasonableness revocation-sentence sentencing-guidelines Whether a presumption of reasonableness should be applied to a revocation sentence produced by Chapter 7 policy statements.
19-6647 Michael J. Baxter v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-11-15 Denied IFP acquitted-conduct batson-challenge batson-v-kentucky criminal-procedure due-process equal-protection jury-selection racial-discrimination reasonable-doubt sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment united-states-v-watts 1. Whether the striking of two out of three black veniremembers demonstrates a "pattern of discrimination" as necessary to satisfy the first step of t…
19-6650 Fidel Rios, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a 8th-circuit criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court downward-variance guidelines judicial-discretion life-circumstances sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines u-s-code Whether the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals and District Court for the Southern District of Iowa failed to adequately consider the sentencing factors set…
19-6652 Douglas Akira Hirano v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-11-15 Denied IFP booker-decision circuit-split criminal-law criminal-procedure johnson-doctrine johnson-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-booker vagueness-doctrine void-for-vagueness The Seventh Circuit holds that the void-for-vagueness doctrine and Johnson v. United States, 135 S.Ct. 2551 (2015), apply to the mandatory, pre-United…
19-6632 Samier Patrick Clark v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP adam-walsh-act civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process ineffective-assistance ineffective-counsel prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing-guidelines Was petitioner subjective to violations of his Constitutional rights throughout the course of his criminal prosecution? Was petitioner subjective to …
19-6634 Kathryn Woodin Markle v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review burden-of-production burden-of-proof criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process evidence government-burden pre-sentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-objection Does the defendant bear the burden of production to rebut information found in a pre-sentence report after objecting to that information, or instead, …
19-6589 Alicia Norman, Kendra Brantley, and Deenvaughn Rowe v. United States District of Columbia 2019-11-13 Denied IFP attorney-client-relationship criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-rule-11 due-process federal-rules judicial-interference plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review KENDRA BRANTLEY: I. Was the D.C. Circuit's affirmance of Petitioner Brantley's convictions erroneous and in conflict with other federal jurisdictions …
19-6606 Ryan T. Root v. United States Second Circuit 2019-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-violation criminal-procedure cumulative-errors double-prosecution due-process ineffective-counsel law-and-fact merger-doctrine miscarriage-of-justice money-laundering plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review I. WHETHER CUMULATIVE ERRORS OF LAW AND FACT LED TO A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE AND A CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATION? II. WHETHER A DEFENDANT MAY BE CONVICTED…
19-6619 Genesis Lee Whitted v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level criminal-procedure drug-quantity drug-weight fourth-circuit indictment relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-1b1.3 time-interval WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT IMPROPERLY EXPANDED GUIDELINE § 1B1.3 BY INCLUDING DRUG AMOUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH CONDUCT OCCURRING SIGNIFICANTLY OUTSIDE THE…
19-6620 John Kevin Waldrip v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-procedure federal-law federal-sentencing-guidelines federal-statute fifth-circuit judicial-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines special-assessments statutory-interpretation supervised-release I. In a consolidated Appeal JOHN KEVIN WALDRIP argued that the district court erroneously applied 18 U.S.C. § 3014 when it imposed a total of $15,000 …
19-6551 Neil Timothy Aho v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-11-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure discovery guilty-plea ineffective-assistance-of-counsel obstruction-of-justice plea-bargaining plea-withdrawal sentencing-guidelines withdrawal-of-plea Issue 1: Whether the appellate court erred in not finding that the district court abused its discretion by denying Petitioner's motion to withdraw his…
19-6557 Steven Nygren v. United States First Circuit 2019-11-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP cognitive-impairment competency-to-stand-trial forensic-evaluation malingering material-evidence obstruction-of-justice rehabilitation sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g-3c1.1 u.s.s.g.-3c1.1 A defendant with a medically documented cognitive impairment, which defendant was engaged in rehabilitation, was progressing positively in said rehabi…
19-6497 David Morillo-Cruz v. United States Third Circuit 2019-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the sentence imposed by the Court was reasonable?
19-6510 Timothy L. Douglas v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-11-06 Denied IFP 28-usc-2255f3 career-offender criminal-law criminal-sentencing-guidelines-4b1.1-4b1.2 due-process guidelines johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity section-2255 sentencing sentencing-guidelines vagueness void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-6521 Marcus T. Simmons v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-11-06 Denied IFP career-offender criminal-justice criminal-procedure-28-usc-2255 guidelines johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines vagueness void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-6527 Ruben Patrick Valdes v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 certificate-of-appealability constitutional-claim criminal-history evidentiary-hearing habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plain-error sentencing-guidelines 1. WAS TRIAL COUNSEL CONSTITUTIONALLY INEFFECTIVE FOR FAILING TO INVESTIGATE, FACT-CHECK, AND OBJECT TO ERRONEOUS INCLUSION OF JUVENILE PRIORS DURING …
19-6496 David Elijah Smith v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-11-05 GVR IFP apprendi-v-new-jersey blakely-v-washington criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process firearm-statute haymond-v-united-states mens-rea sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum (1) DID THE PETITIONER'S SENTENCE FOR 18 U.S.C. 922(g) VIOLATE THE STATUTORY MAXIMUM IN VIOLATION OF BLAKELY V. WASHINGTON, 542 U.S. 296, 304; APPREND…
19-6489 Clifford Gene Wallace v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault aggravated-robbery crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-sentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines texas-criminal-law texas-law threat ussg-4b1.2 1. Whether the Texas offense of aggravated assault by threat is a "crime of violence" under USSG §4B1.2? 2. Whether the Texas offense of aggravated r…
19-6492 Tylan Tremaine Autrey v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-11-04 Denied IFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender career-offender-guideline constitutional-vagueness johnson-retroactivity johnson-v-united-states residual-clause retroactivity section-2255 sentencing-guidelines vagueness Petitioner was convicted of federal kidnapping and sentenced as a career offender in 2000, under the then-mandatory Sentencing Guidelines, when the Gu…
19-6454 Corey Morris v. Steven Johnson, Administrator, New Jersey State Prison, et al. Third Circuit 2019-10-30 Denied IFP 6th-amendment constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process effective-assistance-of-counsel extended-sentences federal-review multiple-indictments plea-bargaining post-conviction-relief sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether defendants have a Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of Counsel when Contemplating Plea offers. Morris was charged at multiple indi…
19-6431 Jose Armando Bazan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-29 GVR Relisted (4)IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure fact-question guidelines plain-error role-adjustment sentencing sentencing-guidelines Petitioner, JOSE ARMANDO BAZAN, was charged with and pleaded guilty to a single count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The District Co…
19-6383 Nelli Kesoyan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-10-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law appellate-review court-of-appeals criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process federal-appeals federal-jurisdiction federal-procedure legal-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Did the Court of Appeals adopt an erroneous interpretation of U.S.S.G. § 2J1.3(b)(3)?
19-6389 Quincy Dennis v. J. A. Terris, Warden Sixth Circuit 2019-10-25 Denied IFP 28-usc-2255 categorical-approach drug-offense federal-procedure habeas-corpus habeas-corpus-relief-28-usc-2241 intervening-change mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentence presidential-commutation presidential-pardon retroactive-application retroactively-applicable-decision sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation QUESTION # ONE: Whether petitioner Dennis is entitled to seek federal habeas corpus relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 on the ground that 28 U.S.C. § 225…
19-6379 Timothy Edward Holz v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-10-24 Denied IFP career-offender collateral-review crime-of-violence johnson-decision johnson-v-united-states mandatory-sentence-enhancement mandatory-sentencing pre-booker pre-booker-mandatory residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-4b1.2a Whether Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), invalidated U.S. Sentencing Guidelines § 4B1.2(a)---the career offender guideline's residual…
19-6332 Walter Glenn v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment consent-to-search criminal-procedure fourth-amendment leadership-role obstruction-of-justice rental-vehicle search-and-seizure sentencing-guidelines standing standing-civil-procedure standing-doctrine traffic-stop 1. In September 2014, did a relief driver of a rental vehicle, driving with permission of the lessee, although contractually unauthorized, have standi…
19-6357 James Alton Turner, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-10-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 acca-interpretation criminal-procedure due-process,criminal-procedure,sentencing,acca,joh elements-clause habeas-relief johnson-retroactivity johnson-v-united-states residual-clause sentencing-court sentencing-guidelines violent-felonies (1) Whether, where the record is unclear, a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitioner residual clause to determine that his prior offenses were violent felonies, be…
19-6336 Eddie Jennings v. United States Third Circuit 2019-10-22 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act collateral-review criminal-law johnson-ruling mandatory-sentencing new-right retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines vagueness vagueness-doctrine 1. Whether this Court's rulings in Johnson and Welch , retroactively invalidating the residual clause of the ACCA because it was unconstitutionally va…
19-6318 Damon Tracy Locke v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-10-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-sentencing drug-statute drug-statutes mathis-precedent mathis-v-united-states plain-error sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is the Eighth Circuit interpretation and application of drug statutes as qualifying offenses for career offender status in opposition to Mathis v. Uni…
19-6308 Ronald Detro Winder v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP acca armed-career-criminal-act crime-of-violence curtis-johnson elements-clause injury injury-definition physical-force sentencing-guidelines Whether a state offense that includes as an element causing injury, but which also defines "injury" broadly to include more than the "physical pain or…
19-6287 Seferino Martinez v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-10-17 Denied IFP 28-usc-2255 armed-career-criminal-act career-offender criminal-sentencing-guidelines johnson-v-united-states residual-clause section-2255 sentencing-guidelines void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the analogous residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-6288 Ron Christopher Whitley v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-10-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-case drug-offense drug-offenses judicial-discretion proportionality-review sentencing-departure sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines Whether the 156-month sentence is greater than necessary to comply with the purposes of sentencing under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) where the district court …
19-6295 Antonio Flores v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appearance-of-partiality circuit-split constitutional-due-process constitutional-review district-court due-process judicial-bias judicial-impartiality miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement sentencing-procedure Does a broad appeal waiver included in a plea agreement between a defendant and the United States preclude appellate review of the district court's fi…
19-6297 Aleisha O. Gray v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP alien-transportation conspiracy criminal-law criminal-procedure evidence immigration immigration-law obstruction-of-justice sentencing-guidelines sufficiency-of-evidence I. Is there insufficient evidence to warrant a finding of guilty for conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens and for transporting undocumented ali…
19-6255 Kunta Kenta Redd v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-10-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP crack-cocaine crack-cocaine-sentencing criminal-justice-reform due-process first-step-act retroactivity section-404 sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform sixth-amendment statutory-interpretation Whether me, the Petitioner, is entitled to Relief from denial 404 motion at the District Court level in light of the First Step Act, December 21st, 20…
19-6164 Marchello Dsaun McCain v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-10-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey due-process false-statement guideline-calculation sentencing-guidelines statutory-maxima statutory-maximum terrorism-enhancement In McCain's false statement involving terrorism prosecution, the district court applied the terrorism enhancement of Guideline Section 3A1.4 and calcu…
19-6132 Christian Joseph Chavez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process judicial-review miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement sentencing The Fifth Circui t Court of Appe als has held that to determine whether an appea l of a sente nce is barred by an appe al wai ver pro vision in a plea…
19-6144 Tom Smith, III v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-10-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP aiding-and-abetting alternative-elements career-offender conspiracy controlled-substance-offense criminal-attempt divisible-statute sentencing-commission sentencing-commission-mandate sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-mandate I. whether the Sentencing Commission via commentary exceeded its statutory mandate under § 994(h) by includiiig/aiding and abetting, conspiracy, and a…
19-6128 Bacari McCarthren v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-10-02 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP aggravated-battery categorical-approach crime-of-violence deadly-weapon descamps descamps-v-united-states mathis physical-force sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation turner The Florida crime of aggravated battery may qualify as a crime of violence under Section 4B1.2 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines only if the …
19-6113 Jose Armando Bazan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-01 GVR Relisted (4)IFP appellate-procedure appellate-review cocaine-conspiracy criminal-appeal criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-sentencing downward-adjustment fact-question guidelines plain-error plain-error-review role-adjustment sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Petitioner, JOSE ARMANDO BAZAN, was charged with and pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. T…
19-6119 Masnik Sainmelus v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-10-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing district-court firearm-possession firearms guideline-enhancement guideline-range sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-2k2.1 1. Whether The District Court Erred When The Court Increased The Appellant's Guideline Range Four Levels By Finding That The Offense Involved Between …
19-6054 John Hemby v. United States Third Circuit 2019-09-25 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act collateral-review constitutional-vagueness criminal-sentencing johnson-ruling mandatory-sentencing new-right retroactivity sentencing-guidelines vagueness vagueness-doctrine welch-precedent 1. Whether this Court's rulings in Johnson and Welch , retroactively invalidating the residual clause of the ACCA because it was unconstitutionally va…
19-6067 Francisco Suarez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-09-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-conflict codefendant-comparison criminal-procedure-error eighth-circuit intra-circuit-conflict legal-standard public-safety sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-darden united-states-v-smith I. WHETHER THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT'S DECISION IN UNITED STATES V. SMITH, AND CONFLICTS WITH THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT COURT IN UNITED STATES V. DARDEN? II. WHE…
19-6033 Christopher Johnson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-09-24 GVR IFP claim-preservation claim-preservation-yee-v-city-of-escondido crime-of-violence federal-rule-criminal-procedure federal-rule-of-criminal-procedure-32 federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure moncrieffe-v-holder ninth-circuit rehaif-standard rehaif-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines yee-v-city-of-escondido I. Did the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals erroneously find Johnson forfeited his sentencing claim, disregarding this Court's claim preservation holdin…
19-6018 Joey Little v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law agency-authority congressional-oversight criminal-law judicial-review magazine-based-enhancement regulatory-interpretation sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-2k2.1 statutory-construction statutory-interpretation u.s-sentencing-commission unlawful-exercise Whether Application Note 2 of the commentary to U.S. Sentencing Guideline § 2K2.1 represents an unlawful exercise of agency authority by the U.S. Sent…
19-6020 Jose Romeu v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 amendment-599 amendment-782 drug-amount presentence-investigation-report sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines Whether the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals committed error in its affirmance of the District Court's denial of Petitioner Jose Romeu's 18 U.S.C. § …
19-6005 Robert L. Malone v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-09-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history drug-quantity due-process jury-instructions mandatory-minimum methamphetamine-distribution prosecutorial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervisory-power 1.) Did the lower courts err when they imposed and affirmed Mr. Malone's sentence based on overreliance on his Criminal History? 2.) Is Mr. Malone's …
19-5987 Ronald Richard Brown v. Washington Washington 2019-09-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-interpretation double-jeopardy due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-vindictiveness north-carolina-v-pearce presumption-of-vindictiveness reversed-convictions sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act state-courts supreme-court washington-state 1. Can the Washington State Courts refuse to adhere to this Courts holding in North Carolina v. Pearce? 2. Since Washington State's Sentencing Reform…
19-5946 Anthony Carl Spence v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-09-17 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-jurisdiction criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process extraterritorial-application extraterritorial-jurisdiction extraterritoriality federal-sentencing foreign-conduct guidelines offense-level sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether, absent a clear indication of extraterritoriality, a federal sentencing court is permitted to enhance a defendant's offense level under the se…
19-5963 Jesus Yugopicio-Rojas v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-09-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-consistency criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing judicial-review molina-martinez non-calculation plain-error sentencing-guidelines Does failure to calculate the applicable Sentencing Guidelines attract the same protocol for plain error as set out in Molina-Martinez v. United State…
19-5982 Alcadio Caballero De La Torre v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-09-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing data-analysis due-process judicial-discretion reasonableness-review sentencing-commission sentencing-data sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness statistical-analysis This Court should grant this petition to address when, if ever, Sentencing Commission statistical data may be used to evaluate the reasonableness of a…
19-5929 Abisai Ramirez-Anguiano v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-09-16 Denied IFP circuit-split criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense drug-offenses mens-rea methamphetamine scienter sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Section 2D1.1(b)(5) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines provides that "[i]f (A) the offense involved the importation of ... methamphetamine or …
19-5926 Refugio Quintanar v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-09-13 Denied IFP burden-of-proof confrontation-clause criminal-procedure due-process presentence-report procedural-unreasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines timely-objection 1. Whether the defendant has the burden to deny and discredit the factual allegations of a Presentence Report that increase his or her sentence? 2. W…
19-5861 Louise K. Saine v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-09-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-denial appeals career-offender court-of-appeal crime-of-violence criminal-procedure drug-law due-process federal-case federal-classification federal-court federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure prior-convictions rehabilitation-programs rule-35 sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act state-officer When can Rule 35 be used error? Can a state case be classified as a federal case if defendant has never been convicted of prior felonies? What is th…
19-5905 Ricky Davis v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-09-11 Denied IFP fairness-integrity federal-sentencing guideline-calculation judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-proportionality sentencing-uniformity statutory-maximum substantial-rights uniformity-proportionality USSG-5G1.1(a) When this Court held in Rosales-Mireles v. United States, 138 S. Ct. 1897 (2018) that a failure to correctly calculate the guideline range, which anch…
19-5871 Patrick Jones v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-09-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP attempt controlled-substance controlled-substances federal-crime federal-law guidelines-interpretation mandatory-minimum offer-to-sell preparatory-action sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation substantial-step tenth-circuit-precedent 1) Did the district court error in increasing Havis base offense level based upon its belief that the Commentary to &4Bli2 appropriately includes atte…
19-5878 Darries Leon Jackson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-09-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-reasonableness criminal-justice criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process equal-protection grand-jury ineffective-assistance-of-counsel racial-bias racial-discrimination sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether sentences imposed upon Petitioner Constitutionally Unreasonable & greater than necessary to satisfy the ends of Justice? 2. Whether Petiti…
19-5877 Damion D. Faulkner v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-09-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process eighth-amendment judicial-discretion proportionality proportionality-review sentencing sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness sex-offense sex-offenses substantive-due-process Is it substantively unreasonable to impose an effective sentence of life on a 30-year-old defendant who committed a "reprehensible" sex offense that c…
19-5856 Amando Villarreal Heredia v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-09-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 18-usc-3582c2 drug-quantity fed-r-crim-p-11 federal-criminal-procedure federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure guidelines-range modification-proceeding plea-agreement sentence-recalculation sentencing-guidelines sentencing-modification QUESTION #1: In a " Modification Proceeding pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2)," as to a retroactively applicable amendment to the U.S. Sentencing Gu…
19-5830 William H. Danielson v. New York New York 2019-09-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process guilty-plea judicial-misconduct prosecutorial-misconduct regulatory-authority standing waiver-of-appeal 1) Should judicial misconduct survive a waiver of appeal and guilty plea? 2) Should prosecutorial misconduct survive a waiver of appeal and guilty pl…
19-5812 Mitchum Pastor v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-09-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2113 bank-robbery crime-of-violence criminal-law criminal-statute elements-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Because 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) defines bank robbery in a way that does not require intentional intimidation, does § 2113(a) bank robbery fail to qualify …
19-5778 Hosam Maher Husein Smadi v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-09-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a constitutional-rights due-process effective-counsel equal-protection manifest-injustice plea-agreement right-to-effective-counsel rule-11 sentencing sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent 1). Whether Smadi in this Case would suffer a manifest injustice and an extreme hardship by serving several extra years in prison absent such relief i…
19-5788 James Nunley, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-09-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-robbery crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-sentencing guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation texas-criminal-law ussg-4b1.2 violent-crime Whether the Texas offense of aggravated robbery constitutes a "crime of violence" under USSG §4B1.2?
19-5789 Jamar Lynn McMillan v. United States Third Circuit 2019-09-03 GVR Relisted (2)IFP career-offender career-offender-enhancement categorical-approach controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense pennsylvania-law predicate-offense rehaif-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines third-circuit 1. Does the categorical approach apply in determining whether an offense qualifies as a predicate for the career-offender enhancement under the Senten…
19-5727 Trayvon Smith v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-08-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (5)IFP against-the-person-of-another crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-court federal-law federal-recidivism intentional-conduct mens-rea negligence recidivism recidivism-enhancement sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-court-interpretation state-law 1) Whether, when determining whether a state offense qualifies as a crime of violence, a federal court is bound by the decision of the state's highest…
19-5738 Carlos Manuel Perez-Crisostomo v. United States First Circuit 2019-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure due-process identity name obstruction-of-justice plea-agreement puerto-rico sentencing sentencing-court sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g.-3c1.1 I.- Whether the Sentencing Court erred in founding Petitioner obstructed justice, pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1, when Petitioner did not correct the …
19-5742 Robert Gene Rand v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion factual-findings ninth-circuit plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-application sentencing-reductions standard-of-review Whether a circuit court errs by affirming a district court's decision regarding the applicability of the United States Sentencing Guidelines based on …
19-5749 Juan Manuel Perez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-08-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (5)IFP against-the-person-of-another crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-court federal-law federal-recidivism intentional-conduct mens-rea negligence recidivism recidivism-enhancement sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-law statutory-interpretation 1) Whether, when determining whether a state offense qualifies as a crime of violence, a federal court is bound by the decision of the state's highest…
19-5754 Charmar Brown v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines collateral-attack constitutional-challenge criminal-procedure cross-reference double-jeopardy due-process habeas-corpus magwood magwood-precedent sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether Magwood extended to challenges to the original undisturbed conviction, following a new judgment? Whether Murder Cross-reference U.S.S.G. 2D1.…
19-5757 Fulvio Flete-Garcia v. United States First Circuit 2019-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-identity-theft conspiracy conversion-of-government-property evidentiary-hearing government-as-victim government-property identity-theft loss-calculation sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-enhancement tax-fraud tax-fraud-conspiracy victim-enhancement 1. Whether, in determining the sentence for a tax-fraud conspiracy where the defendant is charged with conversion of government property and aggravate…
19-5723 Melvin Bernard Thompson v. Mark S. Inch, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections Eleventh Circuit 2019-08-28 Denied IFP Almendarez-Torres Apprendi-v-New-Jersey criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process fourteenth-amendment habeas-corpus judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment stare-decisis 1. Can a Florida Law permit a trial court to exercise judicial discretion to make new findings of fact of an escalating pattern of criminal conduct b…
19-5730 Lawrence Michael Lynde v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-08-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography civil-rights constitutional-law criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process federal-courts federal-sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sex-offender-treatment sixth-circuit-appeal standing statutory-interpretation victim-restitution Question not identified.
19-5718 Alexander Lee Salazar v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility appeal criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion mitigating-factors mitigating-role offense-level role-adjustment sentencing-guidelines L Did the district court err when it declined to grant Mr. Salazar a mitigating role adjustment under the Guidelines? I. Did the district court err w…
19-5681 Raphael Person, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-08-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court-discretion due-process federal-courts harmless-error judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether, when a district court imposes a sentence based on several factors, one of which is improper, the court of appeals should affirm the sentence …
19-5675 Stephen Jason Whitaker v. Jeff Premo, Superintendent, Oregon State Penitentiary Ninth Circuit 2019-08-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability due-process exhaustion-of-state-remedies habeas habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel postconviction-counsel procedural-default sentencing-guidelines state-court-proceedings vasquez-v-hillery Whether a Court of Appeals' denial of a certificate of appealability conflicts with this Court's rulings in Vasquez v. Hillery, 474 U.S. 254, 260 (198…
19-5652 Anthony Wayne Bettcher v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-08-21 GVR Relisted (4)IFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender-guideline circuit-split force-clause reckless-conduct sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Do reckless crimes qualify categorically as crimes of violence under the force clause of these statutes and guidelines?
19-5630 Roosevelt Stolden v. California California 2019-08-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP alleyne-v-united-states apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey consecutive-sentencing criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-fact-finding preponderance-of-evidence sentencing sentencing-guidelines stare-decisis Should the Court reconsider its majority opinion in Oregon v. Ice, 555 U.S. 160, 167-168, 173-177, 129 S.Ct. 711, 172 L.Ed.2d 517 (2009) (Ice) which p…
19-5647 Kenneth Randale Door v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-08-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP aiding-and-abetting crimes-of-violence criminal-statutory-provisions force-clause sentencing-guidelines state-criminal-offenses statutory-interpretation statutory-provisions substantive-criminal-offenses washington Whether a state aiding and abetting statute that is broader than generic aiding and abetting and incorporated within the state's substantive criminal …
19-5636 Roger Garcia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver due-process first-amendment overbreadth-doctrine plea-bargain procedural-bar special-condition special-conditions waiver-of-appeal 1. Does a waiver of appeal, included in a written plea bargain agreement, procedurally bar the Petitioner's appeal to the Fifth Circuit wherein he arg…
19-5641 David Anthony Gordon v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-08-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver due-process government-breach judicial-assignment judicial-procedure mandatory-minimum plea-agreement safety-valve sentencing sentencing-discretion Whether, in reaching the decision to affirm in part and to dismiss in part, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has so far departed from the accepte…
19-5624 Zachary William Hicks v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-08-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process hicks-factors ineffective-assistance judicial-review sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review sixth-amendment trial-court-discretion Whether the Trial Court Imposed an Unreasonable Sentence by Failing to Adequately Consider Hicks' Factors and Whether Trial Counsel Rendered Ineffecti…
19-203 David Greenberg v. United States Second Circuit 2019-08-16 Denied Response Waived appellate-review circuit-court-review cooperation-agreement criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing reasonableness reasonableness-of-sentence reasonableness-standard second-circuit sentence-disparity sentencing sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines unwarranted-disparity Did the Second Circuit err in affirming Petitioner David Greenberg's sentence without addressing (1) the sentencing court's failure to consider the pr…
19-5603 Jonathan Javier Aleman v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-08-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver certificate-of-appealability collateral-review constitutional-counsel criminal-case-defendant-rights criminal-defense evidentiary-hearing ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement right-to-appeal sentencing sentencing-challenge subject-matter-jurisdiction 1. This Court provides that a defense attorney must consult with case defendant concerning the defendant's right to appeal and the of waiving that rig…
19-5574 Anthony Ray Welch v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-13 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-law drug-importation drug-offenses fifth-circuit listed-chemicals mens-rea methamphetamine methamphetamine-offense scienter scienter-requirement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Section 2D1.1(b)(5) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines provides that "[i]f (A) the offense involved the importation of ... methamphetamine or …
19-5575 Antwaine Enta Yarbrough v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-13 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process federal-jurisdiction habeas-corpus precedent sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-provisions supreme-court supreme-court-review Whether this Court should hold the instant petition in light of Shular v. United States, 15-1498, U.S._, _S.Ct. —, 2019 WL 2649851 (June 28, 2019)?
19-5538 Timothy Jamaras Burns v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit habeas-corpus plea-agreement plea-bargaining section-2255 waiver-of-appeal Whether the Fifth Circuit erred by ruling that Mr. Burns § 2255 claims are barred by the Waiver of Appeal provision in his Plea Agreement.
19-5540 Thomas Edward Wright v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-08-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-claims due-process eighth-amendment judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines special-assessment standing statutory-interpretation Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit err in granting the government's motion to dismiss by denying the Petitioner the ability…
19-5505 Jose Hernandez-Carbajal v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-08-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process effective-assistance-of-counsel evidentiary-hearing ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel notice-of-appeal plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment I. Whether Petitioner's Sixth Amendment Rights to the Effective Assistance of Counsel Was Violated in the Follow? a) When Counsel Failed to file a Not…
19-5529 Kendrick Ledelle Dotstry v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-08-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing dismissed-charges district-court-discretion divisible-elements divisible-offenses felony-enhancement felony-offense misdemeanor-elements sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-misdemeanor 1. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT CAN ENHANCE A SENTENCE PURSUANT TO UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINE (U.S.S.G.) PROVISIONS UNDER SECTION 2K2.1(b)(6)(B)…
19-5472 Martin Avalos-Rico, aka Rolando Blanco-Garcia, aka Oscar Cruz-Tulum, aka Alejandro Tamayo v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-08-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split deportable-offender due-process geographic-disparity immigration immigration-sentencing reentry-offense sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act supervised-release 1. Whether a district court that imposes supervised release on a deportable offender must specifically tie it to a need for deterrence or protection, …
19-5478 Wilfredo Roy Madrigal v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-08-06 Denied Relisted (2)IFP acca career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance-offense eleventh-circuit mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is a post-2002 conviction for sale of cocaine or possession with intent to sell cocaine in violation of Fla. Stat. § 893.13 a "controlled substance of…
19-5465 Isela Alejandra Campos v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure district-court district-court-error guideline-range guidelines molina-martinez plain-error plain-error-review prejudice prejudice-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines When the district court fails to calculate the Guideline range at sentencing, whether the defendant may rely on the district court's error alone to sh…
19-5434 Juan Fletcher Gordillo v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-08-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure appellate-review constitutional-law constitutional-requirements constitutional-review criminal-procedure due-process eleventh-circuit first-impression judicial-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether this Court should review the decision of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to determine whether the decision in this case of apparent firs…
19-5425 Damien Riley v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-08-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review career-offender criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process residual-clause sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness united-states-code united-states-v-booker Whether a sentence imposed under the Career Offender Guidelines is reasonable in light of the subsequent 798 Amendment to the Guidelines, in a case wh…
19-5410 Charles Borden, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-07-31 Judgment Issued Amici (7)Relisted (4)IFP armed-career-criminal-act due-process mens-rea recklessness retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation use-of-force 1. Does the "use of force" clause in the Armed Career Criminal Act (the "ACCA"), 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(B)(i) encompass crimes with a mens rea of mere …
19-5412 Jean Claude Phillip McKenzie v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-07-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a 6th-circuit appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court history-and-characteristics judicial-discretion nature-and-circumstances sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance WHETHER THE SIXTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS SUFFICIENTLY DETERMINED THAT THE DISTRICT COURT'S UPWARD VARIANCE IN ITS SENTENCING OF PETITIONER BY 31 MON…
19-5420 Kendrick Terrell v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-07-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-procedure due-process eighth-amendment ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plain-error prior-charges sentence-enhancement sentencing sentencing-calculation sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether the Petitioner's Sixth Amendment Rights were violated by plain error made in calculating Petitioner's sentence, and the numerous ways that Pet…
19-5422 Michael A. Webb v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP adam-walsh-act adam-walsh-child-protection-and-safety-act constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-prosecution double-jeopardy ineffective-assistance plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines Was petitioner, Michael A. Webb, subjective to ineffective assistance of counsel or deficient representation by defense counsel in a prosecution? Was…
19-5350 Stevie Elbert Jones v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP career-offender crime-of-violence federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation stokeling-v-united-states texas-robbery ussg-4b1.1 ussg-4b1.2 Whether, after Stokeling v. United States , __U.S.__, 139 S.Ct. 544 (2019), the Texas offense of robbery satisfies the definition of "crime of violenc…
19-5300 Fremo Santana v. United States Third Circuit 2019-07-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause criminal-procedure cross-examination guideline-range ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-proceedings WHETHER DEFENSE COUNSEL'S PERFORMANCE WAS CONSTITUTIONALLY INEFFECTIVE FOR ERRONEOUSLY MISCALCULATING PETITIONER'S GUIDELINE RANGE WHICH WAS THE DECID…
19-5346 Jose Martinez v. United States Second Circuit 2019-07-25 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP acquitted-conduct burden-of-proof buyer-seller-defense criminal-conviction cross-examination drug-conspiracy due-process jury-instructions jury-trial sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. A writ of certiorari is requested to determine whether this Court's decisions to allow district courts to use acquitted conduct in imposing sentenc…
19-5307 James D. Brigman v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-07-24 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-justice criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process johnson-rule johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the identical residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-5316 Abelee Bronson v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-07-24 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 28-usc-2255 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing criminal-sentencing-guidelines-mandatory habeas-corpus johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing-guidelines sessions-v-dimaya void-for-vagueness I. Whether, for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(3), the new rule announced in Johnson applies to the analogous residual clause in the mandatory guidel…
19-5272 Pereneal Kizzee v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-appeals criminal-procedure-error-correction criminal-sentencing federal-appeals federal-law felony-offense fifth-circuit firearm-possession guidelines-enhancement judicial-discretion judicial-integrity plain-error plain-error-review sentencing-guidelines Whether the Fifth Circuit violated federal law when it refused to exercise its discretion to correct the forfeited error that seriously affected the f…
19-5262 Eulos Ceasar Knight v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-07-22 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act constitutional-error criminal-record due-process guidelines johnson-v-united-states ninth-circuit residual-clause retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-tucker welch-v-united-states Where sentencing is imposed based on misinformation of constitutional magnitude regarding the import of the defendant's criminal record, did the Ninth…
19-5268 Thomas Bois v. United States First Circuit 2019-07-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP assault-with-dangerous-weapon crime-of-violence enumerated-offenses federal-sentencing force-clause massachusetts-assault massachusetts-assault-with-dangerous-weapon massachusetts-law sentence-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Where the Massachusetts offense of "Assault with a Dangerous Weapon," Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 265 § 15B, may be committed merely by means of an offensive …
19-5274 Anthony James Hill v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-07-22 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act collateral-relief constitutional-error criminal-record due-process misinformation ninth-circuit ninth-circuit-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-tucker Where sentencing is imposed based on misinformation of constitutional magnitude regarding the import of the defendant's criminal record, did the Ninth…
19-104 Flavio Tamez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-22 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2) appeal-waiver appellate-procedure certificate-of-appealability collateral-attack constitutional-effectiveness criminal-defendant-waiver due-process immigration-consequences ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jae-lee-v-united-states sentencing-consequences waiver-of-rights 1. The courts of appeals are divided over whether a criminal defendant's generic waiver of his right to appeal or bring a collateral attack can knowin…
19-5251 Thomas Cascio v. United States Second Circuit 2019-07-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP below-guidelines below-guidelines-sentence criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion due-process prison-time rehabilitation rehabilitative-needs sentencing sentencing-guidelines tapia-error tapia-v-united-states 1. Should certiorari be granted to find that a Tapia error occurs anytime a district court considers rehabilitative needs in imposing prison time, eve…
19-5259 Edgar Armand Hernandez-Castillo v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion jury-trial sentencing-determination sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-18-usc-3553 statutory-minimum 1. Whether district courts may determine without the aid of a jury that a sentence above the statutory minimum is "not greater than necessary " to ach…
19-5216 Nicholas Pagliuca v. United States Second Circuit 2019-07-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure guilty-plea plain-error plea-bargaining rule-11 vonn-v-united-states Whether the plain error standard of Vonn/Dominguez Benitez applies in the context of violations of Fed.R.Crim.P. 11(b)(1)(N), where the defendant rais…
19-5219 Bobby G. Pullen v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-07-17 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 28-usc-2255 circuit-split criminal-procedure-28-usc-2255 criminal-sentencing guidelines-interpretation habeas-corpus johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing-guidelines successive-habeas-petitions successive-motion vagueness-doctrine void-for-vagueness I. When a court of appeals grants authorization to file a successive motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255(h)(2), does 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(4) permit a distric…
19-5182 Geovanny Antonio Loyola-Villegas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-16 Denied IFP appellate-review empirical-basis federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure plain-error presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether a formal objection after pronouncement of sentence is necessary to invoke appellate reasonableness review of the length of a defendant's se…
19-5197 Eric T. Roden v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-07-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal article-iii-judge criminal-defendant criminal-procedure defendant-rights due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion ninth-circuit sentencing sentencing-guidelines waiver WHETHER THE NINTH CIRCUIT PANEL CORRECTLY CALCULATED GUIDELINES RANGE FOR USE AT A FEDERAL SENTENCING HEARING.
19-5202 Doroteo Zambrano-Ruiz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-07-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-authority circuit-split federal-sentencing guidelines judicial-review molina-martinez molina-martinez-v-united-states plain-error-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines Should the Court address the division of circuit authority over the Court's application of plain-error review in Molina-Martinez v. United States when…
19-5159 Quinetta Grant v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP should this Court vacate and remand for reconside was Ms Grant denied her rights under U.S.S.G. § 1 binding-authority criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-plain-error-sentencing-right-to criminal-procedure-supervisory-power-conviction-se due-process judicial-discretion mail-fraud plain-error right-to-be-present sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-relevant-conduct-scope-of-cr sentencing-procedure Where Ms Grant's sentence was enhanced by attribut Where multiple additional errors affected petition 1) Where the Court of Appeals failed to consider binding authority holding that a defendant's absence from a material sentencing proceeding constitute…
19-5128 Robert Vincent Salcedo v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-07-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split direct-appeal discretionary-sentencing discretionary-sentencing-authority non-retroactive-amendment nonretroactive-amendment remand-for-resentencing resentencing retroactivity sentencing-guidelines When a non-retroactive amendment to the United States Sentencing Guidelines takes effect after a defendant is sentenced but while his direct appeal is…
19-5096 Nicholas Rivera v. United States Third Circuit 2019-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-enhancement categorical-approach controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law federal-law pennsylvania-law predicate-offense sentencing-guidelines Does the categorical approach apply in determining whether an offense qualifies as a predicate for the career-offender enhancement under the Sentencin…
19-5108 Donald Covington v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-claims due-process eighth-amendment excessive-fines fourth-circuit sentencing sentencing-guidelines special-assessments standing statutory-claims Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit err in granting the government's motion to dismiss by denying the Petitioner the ability…
19-5112 Rafael Jacob Stoffel v. Florida Florida 2019-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law cruel-and-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment juvenile-victim mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentence sentencing sentencing-guidelines sexual-assault sexual-offense sexual-offenses Whether a minimum mandatory sentence of twenty-five years' imprisonment imposed for the offense of touching a minor's breast violates the prohibition …
19-5083 Aaron Clayton McVea v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing empirical-basis fifth-circuit fifth-circuit-vs-second-circuit judicial-review methamphetamine-sentencing presumption-of-reasonableness second-circuit sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Is a sentence imposed under the methamphetamine sentencing guideline –a guideline crafted without benefit of Sentencing Commission expertise or empiri…
19-5089 Clifford B. Gandy, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-07-05 Denied IFP categorical-approach crime-of-violence divisible-offense divisible-statute modified-categorical-approach nolo-contendere physical-force plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines shepard-documents I Where a divisible offense may be committed two ways, one of which satisfies the "crime of violence" element of physical force, and one of which does…
19-5071 Erwin Burley v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-07-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion eleventh-circuit judicial-discretion sentencing-explanation sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines supervisory-power upward-variance Whether this Court should exercise its supervisory power and grant review because the Eleventh Circuit has permitted an upward variance sentence almos…
19-5038 Donald Willems v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-protections contract-law criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement right-to-counsel sixth-amendment speedy-trial 1. Does an Appeal Waiver which is contained within a Plea Agreement toll the filing of a Notice to Appeal under the Sixth Amendments right to a speed…
19-5036 Craig Alan Toaz v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP concurrent-sentences concurrent-sentencing criminal-conduct criminal-procedure federal-convictions habeas-corpus habeas-petition judicial-review procedural-grounds sentencing sentencing-guidelines ussg-5g1.3 I. WHETHER THE DISTRICT AND CIRCUIT COURTS ERRONEOUSLY DISMISSED PETITIONER'S HABEAS PETITION UNDER PROCEDURAL GROUNDS, AND IF SO THEN; II. WHETHER T…
19-5026 Melvin Lewis Andrews v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court crime-of-violence criminal-law guidelines johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervisory-powers 1. Should this Court exercise its supervisory powers where a circuit court of appeals continues to allow trial courts to apply "crime of violence" ana…
19-5032 Tyrone Felder v. United States Second Circuit 2019-07-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP adjudication adult-conviction adult-convictions career-offender criminal-history criminal-procedure federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation youthful-offender Whether New York youthful offender adjudications qualify as adult convictions for purposes of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines career offender provis…
19-5003 Roberto Cruz-Olavarria v. United States First Circuit 2019-06-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process heightened-scrutiny judicial-discretion offense-seriousness sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review statutory-maximum supervised-release 1. Whether there is a need for extensive justification and heightened scrutiny when imposing and reviewing sentences at the statutory maximum. 2. Whe…
18-9803 Salvador Galvan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-06-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a appeal criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process guidelines procedural-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines ussg-2b1.1 victim victim-definition victim-impact Whether, in a case involving embezzlement from a municipality, it is procedural error for a district court to consider every resident of the city a vi…
18-9830 Michael Franklin Einfeldt v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2255-petition burden-of-proof criminal-procedure due-process habeas-corpus johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines violent-felonies violent-felony Whether, where the record is unclear, a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitioner should be required to "affirmatively prove" that the sentencing court relied on th…
18A1368 Ibrahim McCants v. United States Third Circuit 2019-06-27 Presumed Complete controlled-substance crime-of-violence felon-in-possession motion-to-suppress sentencing-guidelines third-circuit Question not identified.
18-1593 Jose Gracia-Cantu v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-27 Denied Response Waived aggravated-felony circuit-split collateral-consequences crime-of-violence criminal-law-sentencing criminal-sentencing due-process immigration immigration-consequences mootness retroactivity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit erred as a matter of law in holding that Petitioner's conviction for unlawful entry warranted an…
18-9805 Keith Wayne Carver, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-06-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP access-device circuit-split criminal-law legislative-intent loss-amount sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation usability 1. Whether the statutory phrase "can be used" contained in the definition of "access device" at 29 U.S.C. § 1029(e)(1) requires the Government prove u…
18-9807 Robert Wilson, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 28-usc-2255 acca-enumerated-offense-clause acca-statute criminal-procedure-28-usc-2255 due-process habeas-corpus johnson-relief johnson-v-united-states procedural-default residual-clause sentencing sentencing-court sentencing-guidelines violent-felonies violent-felony (1) Whether, where the record is unclear, a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitioner should be required to "affirmatively prove" that the sentencing court relied o…
18-9819 Jose Francisco Rodriguez-Reyes v. United States First Circuit 2019-06-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion arrest-consideration arrests-without-convictions criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion due-process excessive-sentence procedural-error sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-methodology substantive-error substantive-review I. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT'S SENTENCING METHODOLOGY WAS PROCEDURALLY AND SUBSTANTIVELY SOUND AND THAT THE DISTRICT COURT DID NOT ABUSE ITS DISCRETI…
18A1365 Juaquene Solomon v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-06-26 Presumed Complete career-offender controlled-substance judicial-discretion plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit Question not identified.
18-9790 Alexander Monzoni v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-06-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure federal-sentencing guideline-calculation guidelines judicial-review molina-martinez plain-error plain-error-review prejudice prejudice-prong sentencing sentencing-guidelines Should the Court address the division of circuit authority over application of the prejudice prong of plain-error review for Guideline error as set ou…
18-9796 Anthony Bernard Jimerson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-25 Denied Relisted (2)IFP acca career-offender circuit-split controlled-substance-offense mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is a post-2002 conviction for sale of cocaine in violation of Fla. Stat. § 893.13 a "controlled substance offense" as defined in U.S.S8.G. § 4B1.2(b) …
18-9763 Stirling Michael Heaton v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP concurrent-sentences concurrent-sentencing criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing discretion federal-guidelines federal-jurisdiction federal-plea-agreement judicial-discretion modification retroactive-amendment retroactive-guidelines-amendment sentence-concurrency sentencing-guidelines sentencing-modification sentencing-reform-act (1). In § 3582(c)(2) proceedings to modify a federal sentence in light of a retroactive amendment to the United States Sentencing Guidelines, does the…
18-9772 William Jerome Howard, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-24 Denied Relisted (2)IFP 21-usc-841 cocaine-possession controlled-substance-offense criminal-law drug-offenses federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines felony-drug-offense florida florida-drug-law mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation ussg-4b1.2 Drug offenses in Florida are unlike most states insofar as in Florida, the prosecution does not have to prove a defendant knew the illicit nature of a…
18A1355 Richard Johnson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-24 Presumed Complete crack-cocaine drug-distribution eleventh-circuit intent-to-distribute school-zone sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
18-9739 Timothy Paul Malone v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility application-note application-note-2 chapter-5 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing judicial-interpretation offense-level sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. Whether the lower court has misconstrued and misapplied U.S.S.G. Chapter 5, Part A, Application Note 2 by failing to limit the offense level to a l…
18-9742 Mikle Anthony Butler v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-06-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process evidence-evaluation ineffective-assistance-of-counsel ineffective-counsel judicial-discretion mental-health mental-illness sentencing sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
18-9729 Odell Lameche Overby v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-06-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 3553(c) appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court-obligation due-process judicial-discretion judicial-reasoning nonfrivolous-arguments sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the district court fulfilled its obligation under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c) to announce the reasons for its sentencing decision where the court neve…
18-9734 Hector Dominguez-Gabriel, aka Kinko, aka John Richard Bellefleur v. United States Second Circuit 2019-06-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion compassionate-release criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-courts federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentence-modification sentencing-guidelines sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation WHETHER THE LOWER COURT(S) ABUSED ITS DISCRETION WHEN IT DENIED APPELLANT SECTION 3582(c)(2) RELIEF?
18-9735 Carlton Darden v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 criminal-sentencing dillion-v-united-states district-court-authority due-process evidence judicial-discretion judicial-review new-evidence offense-conduct sentencing-guidelines sentencing-modification statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-adams ussg-1b1.10 Does 18 USC 3582(c)(2) after Dillion give a district corut authority to make additional finding as to offense conduct attributable to a defendant base…
18A1332 Norge Manduley v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-19 Presumed Complete constitutional-violation due-process fair-trial lesser-included-offense post-conviction-relief sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
18-9696 Jerry Louis Hughes v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-06-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-924 bank-robbery categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-law elements-clause federal-bank-robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Can federal bank robbery under 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d) be a crime of violence under the elements clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(A) or U.S.S.G. § …
18-9700 Daniel Gatson v. United States Third Circuit 2019-06-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2518 aggrieved-person cell-phone-records criminal-procedure Does the District Court have the authority to sent electronic-interception electronic-surveillance expert-testimony expert-testimony-federal-rule-of-evidence-702-scie fourth-amendment fourth-amendment-cell-phone-records-probable-cause sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-upward-departure-district-co standing standing-aggrieved-person-electronic-interception- Whether acquiring a person's past movements throug Whether an expert's testimony that has never been I. Whether the "target " of an electronic interception, whom voice was heard in intercepted conversations have "standing " as an "aggrieved person " u…
18-9703 Milton Terry Kelton v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level criminal-procedure due-process ex-post-facto federal-rules federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure plain-error sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE HONORABLE JUDGE BRIAN C. WIMES AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY JAMES BOHLING UTILIZE TWO-INAPPLICABLE STATUTORY ENHANCEMENTS ENACTED BY THE UNITED S…
18-9658 Eric Daniel Doyle v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing grouping guidelines judicial-discretion legal-calculation procedural-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum total-punishment Whether due process requires the correct calculation of Doyle's Guidelines sentencing range.
18-9691 Dwayne Lee Stallings v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-rule-32-violations criminal-rule false-statement false-statements federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure obstruction-of-justice plain-error plain-error-analysis sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure standard-of-review structural-error Whether the Court's plain error analysis is properly applied to violations of Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(i)(1)(A), and, if so, whether such violations are st…
18-9692 Jody Lanardo White v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-17 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure judicial-discretion plain-error preservation-of-error reasonableness-of-sentence sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness standard-of-review Whether challenges to the reasonableness of a sentence must be preserved by specific objection?
18-9677 Martin Arreola Zavala v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility contested-cases criminal-procedure drug-quantity due-process evidence evidence-determination federal-courts federal-sentencing legal-sufficiency quantity-determinations sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review sufficiency-of-evidence 1. WHETHER THIS COURT SHOULD GRANT CERTIORARI TO ADDRESS THE PROPER APPLIATION OF LAW TO FACT RELATING TO SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE FOR QUANTITY DET…
18-9684 David Prien-Pinto v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-06-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-challenge criminal-law criminal-law-procedure due-process federal-statute mens-rea sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation stolen-firearm Does the commentary at U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1, Application Note 8, which does not require a mens rea to impose the stolen firearm enhancement at U.S.S.G. § …
18-9638 Jose Luis Barboza, Jr. v. Texas Texas 2019-06-12 Denied IFP civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process evidence-tampering free-speech gang-membership patent prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing-guidelines standing trial-fairness for a new judge in the trial do to the fact that there was no proff ot that Statment from defendant. also defendant was charged in a dubble jeopardy …
18-9639 Dustin E. Ash v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-06-12 GVR Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (5)IFP circuit-split crimes-of-violence criminal-conviction criminal-law-sentencing criminal-sentencing due-process federal-firearms-law federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines reckless-crime reckless-crimes sentencing-guidelines ussg-4b1.2 violent-crimes Whether reckless crimes, like Mr. Ash's Kansas reckless aggravated battery conviction, qualify as crimes of violence under USSG § 4B1.2.
18-9641 Clifford Brigham v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum substantive-reasonableness Whether the imposition of the statutory maximum, 60-month term was substantively unreasonable.
18-9604 Reitilly Fuentes Ramos v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-procedure dangerous-weapon enhancement pellet-gun sentencing-guidelines ussg-2d1.1 Whether the District Court calculated Mr. Fuentes-Ramos's Sentencing Guidelines when it applied a two-level enhancement pursuant to USSG §2D1.1(b)(1) …
18-9578 James Jacob Parrish, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-06-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process firearm-enhancement ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prior-conviction procedural-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-departure sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure sentencing-reasonableness sentencing-variance sixth-amendment substantive-reasonableness Whether Parrish's sentence was procedurally and substantively unreasonable because the district court imposed an unsupported departure and/or variance…
18-9581 Marcus Arenell Evans v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-rights booker booker-remedy booker-v-us constitutional-challenge constitutional-law criminal-procedure guidelines-interpretation plea-agreement plea-bargaining public-policy sentence-appeal-waiver sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines-interpretation I. Does a sentence-appeal waiver that purportedly precludes a challenge to the sufficiency of enhancement evidence and the district court's interpreta…
18-9589 Nicholas Bradley Gilbert v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-07 GVR IFP appellate-review criminal-penalties criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion felon-possession interstate-commerce sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness 1. Whether substantive reasonableness review requires or permits the courts of appeals to "substantively second guess" the district court and/or to "r…
18-9563 Cody Shane Sorrels v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 criminal-procedure due-process federal-courts federal-sentencing judicial-discretion jury-trial sentencing sentencing-determination sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-18-usc-3553 statutory-interpretation statutory-minimum 1. Whether district courts may determine without the aid of a jury that a sentence above the statutory minimum is "not greater than necessary " to ach…
18A1277 Anthony Wayne Bettcher v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-06-06 Presumed Complete circuit-split crime-of-violence force-clause mens-rea reckless-offense sentencing-guidelines Question not identified.
18-9536 Shawn J. Gieswein v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-06-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability crime-of-violence criminal-procedure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel resentencing second-amendment sentencing-guidelines upward-variance witness-tampering Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit erroneously denied Certificate of Appealability in Mr. Gieswein's case. Was Mr. Gies…
18-9549 Mauricio Lucas-Lopez v. Tony Trierweiler, Warden Sixth Circuit 2019-06-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law cruel-and-unusual-punishment disproportionate-sentence eighth-amendment federal-court-decisions federal-courts guidance-needed mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentence proportionality sentencing sentencing-guidelines A. IS PETITIONER'S TWENTY-FIVE YEAR MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCE DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE OFFENSE COMMITTED VIOLATING THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED …
18-9493 Jose Santillan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process judicial-interpretation presentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether (as the D.C., Second, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits hold, see United States U. Price, 409 F.3d 436, 444 (D.C. Cir. 2005; United …
18-9506 Kenyon Raheen Gadsden v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-05-31 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender constitutional-vagueness criminal-procedure due-process johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause section-2255 sentencing sentencing-guidelines vagueness 1. Whether a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, filed within one year of, Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) and claiming that Johnson inval…
18-9432 Joseph Frank Rowe v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-924 bank-robbery categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-law elements-clause federal-bank-robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation violent-crime Can federal bank robbery under 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d) be a crime of violence under the elements clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(A) or U.S.S.G. § …
18-9459 Trinidad Nanez-Rivera v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-common-law mitigating-circumstances sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness tenth-circuit within-guideline-sentences within-range-sentence Have the length of within-guideline sentences become effectively unreviewable in practice, and is Mr. Nanez-Rivera's sentence near the top of the rang…
18-9466 Paulito Govea-San Roman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence criminal-law disability senior-victim sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-2l1.2 statutory-interpretation stokeling-precedent stokeling-v-united-states texas-robbery ussg-2l1.2 Whether, after Stokeling v. United States, _U.S._, 139 S.Ct. 544 (2019), the Texas offense of robbery by inflicting injury against a senior or disable…
18-9467 Koran McKinley Allen v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-2113a-d 18-usc-924 18-usc-924c3a bank-robbery categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-law elements-clause federal-bank-robbery physical-force sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Can federal bank robbery under 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d) be a crime of violence under the elements clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(A) or U.S.S.G.…
18-9469 Paul Melvin Watson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-4a1.2 18-usc-924 bank-robbery categorical-approach crime-of-violence elements-clause federal-bank-robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u-s-s-g-4a1-2 Can federal bank robbery under 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d) be a crime of violence under the elements clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(A) or U.S.S.G. § …
18-1476 Randy Lee Carney v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-05-28 Denied Response Waived alternative-sentence alternative-sentencing appellate-review career-offender circuit-split collateral-consequences criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion guidelines harmless-error judicial-discretion judicial-error legal-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-error united-states-v-vonn When sentencing defendants, some district courts announce that they would impose the same length of imprisonment even if their conclusions of law and …
18-9379 Paul A. Light v. United States Second Circuit 2019-05-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography criminal-sentencing ineffective-assistance-of-counsel ineffective-counsel judicial-bias non-contact-offenders reasonableness recusal second-circuit sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines I. Whether a sentence imposed pursuant to the child pornography Sentencing Guidelines, on a man whose crime was viewing pornography alone in his home,…
18-9354 Donald Reddick v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-05-21 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-2113(a) alamendarez-torres-apprendi apprendi categorical-approach constitutional-rights crime-of-violence criminal-law federal-bank-robbery mathis mathis-doctrine prior-conviction sentencing-guidelines Is federal bank robbery as defined in 18 U.S.C. §2113(a) categorically a crime of violence, where the statute does not require an intentional use, att…
18-9344 Samuel J. Yarber v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-05-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-922g 18-usc-924c 21-usc-841a conviction-grouping criminal-statute federal-courts federal-law grouping judicial-interpretation sentencing-guidelines united-states-code Whether counts of conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) should be grouped under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, U.S.S.G.…
18-9322 Edward Ray Crosby v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-robbery crime-of-violence criminal-law disability judicial-review senior-victim sentencing sentencing-guidelines stokeling-precedent stokeling-v-united-states united-states-sentencing-commission ussg-4b1.2 Whether, after Stokeling v. United States , __U.S .__, 139 S.Ct. 544 (2019), the Texas offense of aggravated robbery by inflicting injury against a se…
18-9336 Saul Elias Camilo v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-05-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 appellate-review district-court due-process fair-administration-of-justice ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargain plea-bargaining section-2255 sentencing-guidelines I Where a plea deal has opposing clauses, is such confusion sufficient to reach the bar for appellate review in a §2255 process when ineffective ass…
18-9300 Devon Waters, aka Devon Jones v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-05-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review career-offender crime-of-violence criminal-defendant-appeal-waiver criminal-procedure drug-distribution drug-distribution-offense sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. DOES A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT'S WAIVER OF HIS RIGHT TO APPEAL A WITHIN GUIDELINE'S SENTENCE BAR APPELLATE REVIEW WHERE THE DISTRICT COURT IMPROPERLY SE…
18-9303 Larry Ray Lincks v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver booker booker-remedy constitutional-challenge constitutional-law criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process guidelines-interpretation plea-agreement plea-bargaining public-policy sentence-appeal-waiver sentencing sentencing-guidelines sufficiency-of-evidence I. Does a sentence-appeal waiver that purportedly precludes a challenge to the sufficiency of enhancement evidence and the district court's interpreta…
18-9306 Shawn Sayer v. United States First Circuit 2019-05-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process maximum-sentence probation-report procedural-error procedural-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness upward-variance I. Whether the district court erred by imposing a sentence without adequate explanation pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c), and the length of which sente…
18-9255 Santosh Ram v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-05-14 Rehearing Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-procedure due-process guilty-plea ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel involuntary-plea mental-competency mental-disease-defect plea-agreement plea-bargaining search-and-seizure sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether there was violation of due process of law by the failure of the trial court to order the mental competency evaluation and/or conduct mental co…
18-9266 Daniel Rodriguez v. United States Third Circuit 2019-05-14 GVR IFP 18-usc-924(c) 18-usc-924(c)(3)(B) categorical-approach conduct-based-approach constitutional-law crime-of-violence criminal-law due-process johnson-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines sessions-v-dimaya statutory-interpretation vagueness-doctrine void-for-vagueness Petitioners were convicted of conspiring to commit Hobbs Act robbery and conspiring to possess a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence. The dis…
18-9245 Martin Paul De-La-Rosa v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-history drug-quantity due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines guideline-calculation judicial-review methamphetamine section-2d1.1 section-4a1.1 section-4a1.2 sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The Court of Appeals erred by not requiring the District Court to correctly apply the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Specifically, the sentencing cour…
18-9233 Michael Perales v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-appeals criminal-procedure district-court-discretion due-process plain-error procedural-reasonableness reasonableness sentencing sentencing-explanation sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure Is a district court's gross failure to explain an above-range sentence or to respond to arguments for a lesser sentence reversible on plain error? Mu…
18-9213 James Paine v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP conviction-analysis criminal-history criminal-procedure judicial-interpretation perceived-seriousness point-calculation sentencing-guidelines seriousness similar-offenses u.s.s.g.-§4a1.2(c) united-states-sentencing-guidelines Should the court analyze whether a conviction is similar to the offenses listed in U.S.S.G. §4A1.2(c) as a group or solely for perceived seriousness w…
18-9216 Klark Deziray Hopkins v. California California 2019-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver constitutional-rights due-process fourteenth-amendment ineffective-assistance liberty plea-agreement presumption-against-waiver property right-to-appeal 1. Do the presumption against waiver of fundamental constitutional rights and the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause's guaranty against deprivati…
18-9217 Kirk Lurton Grummitt, et al. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender-guidelines collateral-review criminal-procedure federal-habeas-corpus johnson-decision johnson-v-united-states residual-clause retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statute-of-limitations (1) Whether the "right" in Johnson, which invalidated the residual clause of the Armed Career Criminal Act, triggers this statute of limitations for a…
18-9168 Melissa Owens v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-05-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights controlled-substances criminal-history drug-trafficking due-process equal-protection plea-agreement racial-discrimination school-desegregation sentencing sentencing-guidelines voting-rights Question not identified.
18-9205 Antonio Ballesteros v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause confrontation-clause-6th-amendment criminal-procedure importation machine-generated-data sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment strict-liability I. Whether GPS Data prepared specifically for an ongoing investigation and culled from several databases is machine generated data that implicates the…
18-9154 Jeffrey William Smith v. Harold W. Clarke, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections Fourth Circuit 2019-05-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure-criminal constitutional-rights criminal-case criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion jury-instructions life-imprisonment life-sentence mitigating-factors sentencing sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation ATEPTED CAPITAL CASE THE INSTRUCTON ANO GIVE IT IN THE PROPER FORM; CITEDIN) "WHALEY V. COMMONDEALh, 214 VA.353 (1973) AND IN " FI5hBACK v. COMMONWEG…
18-9161 Robert Leonard Wood v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-05-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review beckles-precedent beckles-v-united-states criminal-law johnson johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness void-for-vagueness Whether the Court should resolve the question left open by Beckles v. United States, 137 S. Ct. 886 (2017), that continues to divide the courts of app…
18-9180 Cesar Arce-Hernandez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-05-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-justice-act criminal-procedure garza-v-idaho indigent-defendant ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining pretrial-proceedings right-to-counsel sixth-amendment I. Does a Sixth Amendment claim of ineffectiveness of assistance of counsel during pretrial proceedings survive a general waiver of the right to appea…
18-9069 Hector Rengifo v. United States Third Circuit 2019-05-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability circuit-court-split civil-procedure controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense court-of-appeals due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment standing supreme-court-precedent united-states-v-winstead Whether two United States Court of Appeals has entered a decision in conflict with relevant decision of this Court. Whether Pennsylvania's statute fo…
18-9085 Juan Antonio Hunter v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility base-offense-level criminal-appeal criminal-procedure-sentencing criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion federal-sentencing-guidelines first-step-act sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum u.s.s.g.-5g1.1(a) WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION BY DEDUCTING THE THREE POINTS AWARDED THE PETITIONER FOR HIS ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY WHEN THOSE …
18-9086 Roel Daniel Galvan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP carachuri-rosendo-v-holder criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process felon-in-possession felony firearm-possession hypothetical-facts misdemeanor misdemeanor-predicate predicate-offense sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-enhancement sixth-amendment united-states-sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE FOUR LEVEL ENHANCEMENT FOR POSSESSING A FIREARM IN CONNECTION WITH ANOTHER FELONY OFFENSE PURSUANT TO U.S.S.G. §2K2.1(b)(6)(B) APPLY WHEN …
18-9106 Daqone Lentell Williams v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-predicate felony-complaints modified-categorical-analysis modified-categorical-approach prior-conviction sentencing-court sentencing-court-consideration sentencing-guidelines shepard-analysis shepard-v-united-states sixth-amendment unadopted-assertions Whether a sentencing court may consider felony complaints, with unadopted assertions, under Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13 (2005), when that co…
18-9060 Bruce Wayne Harrison v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-05-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-599 criminal-law due-process ex-post-facto higher-sentence judicial-discretion pre-2011-sentence retroactivity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g-1b1.10 This Court provides that the Ex Post Facto Clause applies to any change in the law that creates a significant risk of a higher sentence, including cha…
18-9026 Arrez Meliton-Salto v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-04-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court guidelines-range molina-martinez-v-united-states plain-error prejudice record-silence sentencing sentencing-guidelines When the district court fails to calculate the guideline range at sentencing, whether the defendant may rely on the district court's error alone to sh…
18-9029 Tyron James v. Kansas Kansas 2019-04-29 Denied IFP appeal apprendi civil-rights constitutional-challenge conviction criminal-conviction criminal-procedure due-process retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment unconstitutional-error upward-departure 1. May a conviction baded dn a unconstitutional hard o life Senfence be overturned at any time? 2. May this Courts decisionin Apprendi ar to what con…
18-9010 Joel Augutuk Mayokok v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-04-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process judicial-error re-sentencing sentence-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness unsupported-enhancement I. Did the District Court's decision at re-sentencing to re-impose the same 240-month sentence it initially imposed, where the Court had erred in its …
18-8985 Michael Johnson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-04-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split eighth-circuit extraordinary-circumstances extraordinary-variance gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion major-departure minor-departure sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-review sentencing-variances standard-of-review Whether the Eighth Circuit's test that "extraordinary variances do not require extraordinary circumstances" conflicts with this Court's mandate "that …
18-8996 Zack Zafer Dyab v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-04-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP amount-of-loss appellate-review court-discretion criminal-sentencing illegal-sentence judicial-discretion legal-error loss-calculation plain-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-limitation statutory-limitations 1 - Does the miscalculation of the amount of loss as applied to the sentencing guidelines represent an illegal sentence, and plain error that the Cour…
18-8978 Rico Montell Reid v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-04-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-11 defendant-rights district-court due-process judicial-coercion judicial-discretion plea-agreement plea-bargaining presentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines withdrawal-of-plea Whether Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11 prohibits a district court from discussing sentencing options with a defendant at the sentencing hearing…
18-8957 Scott Matthew Goss v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-04-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-procedure drug-trafficking due-process federal-courts sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines weapon-possession 1. May a court accept a mere allegation of possession of a weapon as satisfaction of the Government's initial burden of proof requirement supporting t…
18-8885 Jose Roman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-04-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-activity criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-offense fifth-circuit-interpretation firearm-enhancement firearms foreseeability presumption presumption-of-use sentencing-guidelines tools-of-the-trade WHETHER THE GUIDELINES ARE MISAPPLIED LINER 2D1.1 (b)(1) BY MAKING A GENERAL PRESUMPTION THAT FIREARMS ARE "TOOLS OF THE TRADE" AND THAT ALWAYS IS FOR…
18-8846 Silvio Lopez Cuellar v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-04-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court due-process plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-appeal sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation waiver-of-rights Does a defendant's plea agreement waiver of the statutory right of a sentencing appeal preclude appellate review of the sentence even where the distri…
18-8854 Steve Zinnel v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-04-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP bankruptcy-fraud bankruptcy-schedules constructive-amendment due-process fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment judicial-fact-finding sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment stirone-v-united-states wamu-personal-checking-account Whether there was an unconstitutional constructive amendment or prejudicial variance that tainted all counts, caused by the confluence of the governnn…
18-8855 Eric A. Hicks v. United States District of Columbia 2019-04-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review constitutional-error criminal-procedure guidelines molina-martinez molina-martinez-standard molina-martinez-v-united-states prejudice prejudice-standard procedural-default sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the court of appeals' decision conflicts with this Court's decision in Molina-Martinez v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 1338 (2016), in concluding…
18-8821 Sealed Appellant v. Sealed Appellee Fifth Circuit 2019-04-15 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3582 18-usc-3582c2 5k1.1-motion criminal-sentencing judicial-discretion koons-v-united-states mandatory-minimum sentence-reduction sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines substantial-assistance Can a defendant receive a 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) sentence reduction when the district court discarded the mandatory minimum because of a substantial-a…
18-8825 Timeiki Hedspeth v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-history criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process evidentiary-rulings fair-trial federal-sentencing-guidelines offense-level reasonable-doubt restitution sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Did the District Court use an incorrect criminal history category to sentence Ms. Hedspeth? 2. Did the District Court use an incorrect offense lev…
18-8831 Javier Contreras Vargas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver booker booker-remedy constitutional-challenge criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement public-policy sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines I. Does a sentence-appeal waiver that purportedly precludes a challenge to the sufficiency of enhancement evidence and the district court's interpreta…
18-8810 Pedro Martinez-Negrete v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-04-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guideline-range clear-error criminal-defendant criminal-procedure defendant-appellant government-response plain-error-review sentencing-guidelines Where a criminal defendant shows that the district court made a clear legal error when applying the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, but the government res…
18-8792 Mario Devant Cheers v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-04-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-robbery career-offender constitutional-law criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit-precedent mandatory-guidelines mandatory-minimum residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines vagueness vagueness-doctrine In Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) this Court initiated a twisting journey by holding unconstitutional the residual clause of 18 U.S.…
18-8793 Larry Burstein v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-04-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-proportionality constitutional-rights criminal-sentencing drug-crimes drug-dealing drug-offense due-process eighth-amendment elderly-defendant elderly-offenders non-violent-crime non-violent-offense sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent WHETHER A FORTY-EIGHT (48) MONTH PRISON SENTENCE FOR A FIRST TIME NON-VIOLENT, DRUG DEALING, SIXTY-NINE (69) YEAR OLD GRANDFATHER, IS UNREASONABLE, VI…
18-8794 Ricky Raymond Ball v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-04-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver criminal-procedure due-process judicial-explanation manifest-injustice plea-agreement plea-bargaining supervised-release 1. Whether Mr. Ball can be held to his waiver under Fed. R. Crim. P. 11(b)(1)(N) when, rather than informing Mr. Ball of the extent to which he was wa…
18-8749 Marvin Earl Blanks, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion judicial-reasoning sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the district court fulfilled its obligation under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c) to announce the reasons for its sentencing decision where the court neve…
18-8725 Saiydin Abdullan Muhammad v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-04-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender common-law-robbery criminal-law north-carolina north-carolina-law predicate-offense sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether North Carolina common law robbery qualifies as a predicate offense to support a designation of career offender
18-8675 Joshua Sedillo v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-04-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure appellate-review circuit-precedent criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process gall-v-united-states judicial-review rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance variance Is the Tenth Circuit precedent allowing a district court to say nothing when a reasonable request for a variance is made at sentencing consistent with…
18-8654 Karyea Williams v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-04-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach collateral-review descamps mathis Mathis-retroactivity mathis-v-united-states modified-categorical-approach retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines teague Teague-exception Did The Court Of Appeals err by dismissing the appeal of the District Court's reasoning that Mathis was inapplicable to Karyea Williams on Collateral …
18-8660 Tyree Mansell v. United States Third Circuit 2019-04-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP acquitted-conduct due-process fifth-amendment jury-trial jury-trial-right sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether the use of acquitted conduct to increase Mr. Mansell's Sentencing violates the Sixth Amendment jury trial right.
18-8601 Tommy Nelson, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-03-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-intent criminal-sentencing criminal-sentencing-guidelines firearm-enhancement intent robbery security-guard sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-gordon united-states-v-hill weapon-discharge This Court should grant certiorari because there is a split in the circuits as to the proper application of a 7 level guideline enhancement for the di…
18-8623 Justin Cole Milam v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver constitutional-review criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment fourteenth-amendment ineffective-assistance-counsel ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing standard-of-review I. Are appeal waivers presented in federal criminal plea agreements an unconstitutional overreach by the Government preventing review of constitutiona…
18-8632 Marcos Lopez-Guzman v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3582 appellate-review criminal-sentencing judicial-discretion plain-error retroactivity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-reduction,18-usc-3582,amendm sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether the United States Court of Appeals committed a clear error denying Appellant's two-level reduction pursuant to § 3582(C)(2) and Amendment 782;…
18-8634 Andrew A. Chavis v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-03-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-robbery attempted-armed-robbery career-offender crime-of-violence johnson-ruling mandatory-guidelines post-Johnson pre-Booker sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation WHETHER PRIOR CONVICTION IN ILLINOIS FOR ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY CATEGORICALLY QUALIFIES AS A CRIME OF VIOLENCE UNDER THE 4131.1 CAREER OFFENDER PRE-B…
18-8558 Jorge Edwin Rivera v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-03-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-criminal-procedure federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure guidelines judicial-discretion plain-error plain-error-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights supervised-release When a district court imposes a term of supervised release double that of the Guidelines range without first calculating the range or providing an exp…
18-8521 Angel Galan v. United States Second Circuit 2019-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment criminal-procedure due-process felon-in-possession firearm-offense ineffective-assistance obstruction-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance substantive-reasonableness upward-variance WHETHER THE SENTENCING COURT'S UPWARD VARIANCE FROM 71 MONTHS TO 84 MONTHS FOR FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM WAS SUBSTANTIVELY UNREASONABLE WHETHE…
18-8531 Omar Sharif Beasley v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review assistance-evaluation court-of-appeals fair-sentencing judicial-discretion reasonableness-of-sentence record-of-reasons record-of-sentencing-reasons sentence-reasonableness sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-and-policies statutory-factors statutory-sentencing-factors I. Did the District Court For The District of Minnesota (district court) fail to give proper consideration to sentencing guidelines and policies while…
18-8504 John Whaley v. United States Second Circuit 2019-03-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process imprisonment procedural-reasonableness reasonableness sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Whether, on remand, imposition of the same twenty-five year term of imprisonment and maximum ter superviselease was bot procurally n ubstantively rabl…
18-8476 Anthony Grandison v. Maryland Maryland 2019-03-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP capital-sentencing collateral-consequences constitutional-due-process criminal-procedure death-penalty due-process harmless-error jury-instructions mitigating-factors sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-proof 1. Since Maryland Law Prohibits Imposition Of The Death Penalty Without Considering The Presentencing Investigation Report Convictions As Evidence The…
18-8498 Oryan Yazzie v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-03-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process guideline-range mental-health sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness supervised-release Is a supervised release revocation sentence of a length more than double the top of the advisory Guideline range substantively unreasonable if the dis…
18-8451 Luciano Garcia v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-03-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court due-process gall-v-united-states judicial-review rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance tenth-circuit variance Is the Tenth Circuit precedent allowing a district court to say nothing when a reasonable request for a variance is made at sentencing consistent with…
18-8404 Adrian Laroy Seymore v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-03-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-procedure district-court-discretion due-process evidence evidentiary-standard government-evidence presentence-investigation-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Whether a District Court erred in applying a guideline enhancement based solely on allegations contained in the Presentence Investigation Report after…
18-8435 Roy Allen Green v. United States Third Circuit 2019-03-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act collateral-review constitutional-vagueness due-process mandatory-sentencing residual-clause retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing-guidelines vagueness In Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), this Court held unconstitutionally vague the residual clause of the Armed Career Criminal Act ("A…
18-8424 Keith Jenkins v. Darrel Vannoy, Warden Fifth Circuit 2019-03-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights cruel-and-unusual-punishment cruel-unusual-punishment due-process excessive-punishment ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel multiple-offender sentencing sentencing-guidelines Is The Trial Court In Error By Denying The Motion To Quash Based On Errors In The Multiple Offender Charng, Pleading And Proof? Did The Multiple Bill …
18-8390 Jose Salvador Lantigua v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-U.S.C.-455(a) 28-usc-455 court-victim criminal-procedure due-process judicial-bias judicial-recusal recusal sentencing sentencing-guidelines victim-of-crime Whether, consistent with due process and 28 U.S.C. § 455(a), a sentencing judge should recuse himself when he expressly views his own court as a "vict…
18-8400 Travis Demond Johnson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-03-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure sentencing-reasonableness statutory-purposes-of-sentencing upward-departure 1. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ERRED IN DEPARTING UPWARD UNDER THE UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINES §4A1.3 RESULTING IN AN UPWARD DEPARTURE DURING T…
18-8359 Jarrett Terrell Edwards v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review career-offender criminal-law criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process fourth-circuit guideline-interpretation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g-4b1.1 u.s.s.g.-4b1.1(a) Whether the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals committed error by sentencing the Petitioner as a career offender pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 4B1…
18-8362 Pedro Rodriguez-Cortez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 9th-circuit appellate-review criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines immigration-offense sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness supervised-release Whether a combined 70-month sentence on an immigration offense and the underlying supervised release violation was substantively unreasonable?
18-8349 Daverne Michael Foy v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process judicial-proceedings plain-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights waiver 1. In Rosales-Mireles, this Court struck down the court of appeals' heightened "shock the conscience" standard for a Rule 52(b) plain error review, an…
18-8352 Lino Hernandez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a 18-usc-3582(c)(2) 3553(a)-factors 3582(c)(2)-motion amendment-782 amendment-782-788 criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion procedural-reasonableness sentence-disparity sentence-reduction sentencing-disparities sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the District Court Committed substantive error when failed to impose a sentence that was sufficient but not greater than necessary to comply w…
18-8355 Mario Chester Tabron v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP burglary burglary-element criminal-enhancement criminal-law criminal-procedure district-court due-process federal-jurisdiction fourth-amendment fourth-circuit sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Did the Fourth Circuit and the Middle district Of North Carolina (Greensboro) err in affirming the USSG 2K2.1(b)(6)(B) 4-Level enhancement without …
18-8325 Amaury Villa v. United States Second Circuit 2019-03-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance sentencing sentencing-calculation sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment standard-of-review trial-procedure u-s-sentencing-guidelines 1. Whether appellant received the effective assistance of counsel? 2. Whether appellant's sentence was properly calculated?
18-8306 Billy Gene Howard v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP acca acca-clause armed-career-criminal-act concurrent-sentencing criminal-procedure due-process habeas-corpus johnson-relief johnson-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines violent-felony (1) Whether, where the record is unclear, a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitioner should be required to "affirmatively prove" that the sentencing court relied o…
18-8309 Darwin Zoch v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP acca-interpretation armed-career-criminal-act due-process due-process,sentencing,acca,johnson-v-united-state habeas-corpus johnson-relief johnson-v-united-states residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation violent-felony (1) Whether, where the record is unclear, a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petitioner should be required to "affirmatively prove" that the sentencing court relied o…
18-8311 Ademolla Wahhed Adeyemi, Jr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-924c bank-robbery categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-law elements-clause federal-bank-robbery general-intent-crime sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation violent-physical-force Can federal bank robbery under 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d) be a crime of violence under the elements clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(A) or U.S.S.G. § …
18-8314 Jose Nino-Carreon v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion guidelines plain-error sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights Whether a court of appeals that finds a plain Guideline error should ordinarily find an effect on the defendant's substantial rights if the district c…
18-8268 Alandis D. Patterson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-history criminal-procedure drug-possession due-process presentence-investigation sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance sexual-abuse 1. Did the trial court err in overruling the Petitioner's objection to the Application of a two-level increase pursuant to U.S.S.G. Section 2G1.1(c)(1…
18-8269 Alejandro Casillas Prieto v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-782 chapter-5-part-a criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process guideline-range guidelines life-imprisonment notice offense-level sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Does the sentencing judge's oral pronouncement of the offense level 43 control? Is the sentencing judge require to give notice, to Chapter 5, Part A,…
18-8234 Jeremy Snider v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-03-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 advisory-guidelines advisory-sentencing-guidelines circuit-court-decision circuit-split cognizable-claims criminal-procedure-28-usc-2255 federal-law federal-statute non-constitutional-claims post-conviction-relief sentencing-guidelines sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Whether non-constitutional claims for sentencing relief grounded on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines can ever be cognizable under 28 U.S.C. § 2255.
18-8274 Avniel Awan Anthony v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-03-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process Ineffective-assistance-of-counsel jurisdiction jurisdictional-issue obstruction-of-justice probation-department reckless-endangerment sentencing sentencing-enhancement Sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines unproven-conduct Upward-variance The Probation Department assessed the Movant with two separate enhancements under USSG 3C1.1 and 3C1.2 for obstruction of justice and Reckless Endange…
18-8294 Demetrius Fitzgerald v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-03-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP acca armed-career-criminal-act crime-of-violence criminal-law deadly-weapon federal-sentencing-guidelines florida-law florida-statute sentencing sentencing-guidelines violent-crime violent-felony I. Whether the Florida offense of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in violation of Fla. Stat. § 784.045, is a violent felony as defined by the …
18-8261 Cordell Berry v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-enhancement certificate-of-appealability collateral-review federal-rules-civil-procedure legal-error mathis-retroactivity mathis-v-united-states procedural-reasonableness rule-59-motion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-4b1.1 sentencing-guidelines-enhancement sentencing-guidelines-miscalculation Whether the court of appeals committed clear legal error when it denied a certificate of appealability (COA), on my challenge to the application of a …
18-8264 Guadalupe Avendano-Vasquez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-03-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review civil-procedure criminal-procedure deportation due-process sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Whether an appeal waiver precludes review of the sentence of supervised release when the defendant has been deported. Whether an appeal waiver is enf…
18-8265 Bradford D Vol Allen v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-843b administrative-law auer-deference categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense notice-and-comment sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation Whether the Sentencing Commission, without Congressional approval or a notice-and-comment period, may add a crime to the Sentencing Guideline definiti…
18-8183 Gregory Frank Sperow v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-03-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver civil-procedure due-process fifth-amendment fundamental-fairness government-breach government-misconduct plea-agreement property-rights rule-11 waiver waiver-provision Whether the government can breach a Rule .11(c)(1)(C) plea agreement concerning the return of seized properties and then rely on the agreement's waive…
18-8181 Feliciano Soto-Lugo v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure defendant-leniency district-court-discretion due-process judicial-response preservation-of-error reasonableness reasonableness-objection sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review Must challenges to the district court's failure to respond to a defendant's non-frivolous grounds for leniency be preserved by a separate "reasonablen…
18-8145 Desmond Farmer v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-782 assault criminal-classification criminal-history drug-abuse drug-offense drug-offenses due-process equal-protection family-member judicial-discretion non-violent-offense sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction violent-offender The District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Western Division denied the petitioner a reduction in his sentence under 3582 and Amend…
18-8161 Kali Lord v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP above-guidelines-sentence appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion plain-error preservation-of-error procedural-error procedural-reasonableness reasonableness sentencing sentencing-arguments sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness Is a district court's gross failure to explain an above-range sentence or to respond to arguments for a lesser sentence reversible on plain error? Mu…
18-8107 Dheadry Loyd Powell v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-02-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-error drug-quantity due-process grouping grouping-of-counts judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines ussg-1b1 ussg-calculation Did the District Court err with its finding of a new inaccurate drug quantity? Did the District Court err by not performing separate calculations und…
18-8117 Brandon Pete v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-02-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof constitutional-proportionality juvenile-sentencing life-without-parole miller-v-alabama montgomery-v-louisiana offense-level-43 sentencing-guidelines title-18 I. May the sentence of a juvenile convicted as an adult of a non-premeditated homicide constitutionally start from a guideline of life-without-parole…
18-8131 Adelfo Pamatmat v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-02-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights drug-quantity evidentiary-hearing ineffective-assistance procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment sixth-circuit strickland-standard strickland-v-washington trial-counsel I. WHETHER PETITIONER RECEIVED THE EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION OF TRIAL COUNSEL WHEN COUNSEL FAILED TO PROPERLY INVESTIGATE THE CASE AND THE SIXTH CIRCUI…
18-8053 Malcolm Roland Allen v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3006a 6th-amendment career-offender due-process ineffective-assistance ineffective-counsel judicial-proceedings notice-of-appeal prejudice sentencing-guideline sentencing-guidelines WHETHER at the time of evidentiary hearing was granted to challenge the ineffective counsel's failure to file a Notice of Appeal per Petitioner's requ…
18-8079 Christopher Loran Bentley v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-sentencing judicial-discretion notice-requirement relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness statutory-maximum substantive-reasonableness upward-departure 1. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING MR. BENTLEY TO A STATUTORY MAXIMUM OF 120 MONTHS IN THAT SUCH SENTENCE WAS GREATER THAN NECESSARY TO…
18-8095 Enrique Gamino-Perez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 compassionate-release criminal-justice criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation WHETHER A CLARIFYING AMENDMENT UNDER UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINES SHOULD APPLY RETROACTIVELY UNDER 18 USCS 3582(C)
18-8115 Kenny Daniel Barrios v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 certificate-of-appealability evidentiary-hearing ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment type-c-plea Whether the failure of counsel to object to inaccurate calculated Sentencing Guidelines is ineffective assistance of counsel, as provided under the Si…
18-8049 Ramon Montero v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure fifth-circuit harmless-error harmlessness-standard molina-martinez molina-martinez-precedent molina-martinez-v-united-states preserved-error preserved-errors rule-52a sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Is the Fifth Circuit correctly conducting its harmlessness inquiry when reviewing preserved Guidelines-calculation errors arising under Rule 52(a) of …
18-8010 Alimamy Barrie v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-02-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-retroactivity criminal-sentencing direct-appeal resentencing sentence-reduction sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation A. Whether Under 18 U.S.C. S3582 (C) (2) should the Petitioner be eligible for a resentencing when two clariying amendments relevent to his case was e…
18-7995 Rodney Martin v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-02-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion procedural-error reasonableness-of-sentence section-3553a sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines L The trial court sentenced Mr. Martin to 168 months in prison, but the court did not adequately address Mr. Martin's arguments or the Section 3553(a)…
18-7964 Rafael Santos v. United States Second Circuit 2019-02-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP conspiracy criminal-sentencing drug-trafficking federal-officer firearms motion-for-reduction-of-sentence sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ERRED WHEN IT DENIED PETITIONER'S SECTION 3582(c)(2) MOTION?
18-7978 Raymond Amerson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-02-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP all-writs-act audita-querela clarification criminal-procedure jurisdictional-review relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-morgan Whether an ALL WRITS ACT Petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1651 (Audita Querela) fills the GAP where a Defendant [does not] have no other appropriate v…
18-7896 Ricardo Montanez-Quinones v. United States First Circuit 2019-02-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography distribution evidence knowingly-distributed knowledge plea-agreement prosecutorial-discretion sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines What constitutes sufficient evidence of knowledge to support two level enhancement for "knowingly engaging in distribution" of child pornography under…
18-7938 Alex Quintana-Torres v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-02-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-history criminal-sentencing drug-addiction drug-offense presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness In Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338 (2007), this Court held that an appellate court could presume that a procedurally-reasonable, within-Guidelines…
18-7918 Rutilio Hernandez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a 18-usc-924 abuse-of-discretion constitutional-law criminal-procedure district-court district-court-discretion sentence-reduction sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines statutory-directive statutory-interpretation substantive-error sufficient-but-not-greater-than-necessary I. Whether the District Court Committed substantive error when failed to impose a sentence that was sufficient but not greater than necessary to compl…
18-7927 Tyrone Anderson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-02-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-enhancement criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment strickland-standard strickland-v-washington townsend-v-burke Petitioner presents the question whether his 'trial counsel provided ineffective .assistance of: counsel as required by 'the Sixth Amendment to' the C…
18-7751 Brian Bolton v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-guideline collateral-review constitutional-law due-process ineffective-assistance-of-counsel johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states residual-clause retroactivity sentencing-guidelines welch-v-united-states Whether the governments arguments are incorrectly that the Supreme Court's ruling in Johnson v. United States, 135 s. ct. 2551 (2015), is "procedural-…
18-7862 Vincent Beatty, aka Jamaal Beatty, aka Vincent Daward Beatty, aka Mozzi v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion advisory-guidelines criminal-history criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing felon-in-possession reasonableness reasonableness-review sentencing-guidelines sentencing-variance sua-sponte upward-variance Whether a sua sponte upward variance sentence is reasonable where the advisory Guideline range accurately reflected the defendant's conduct and prior …
18-7863 Jeffrey Burris v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a abuse-of-discretion criminal-sentencing due-process firearms firearms-possession reasonableness reasonableness-review sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation unregistered Whether a sixty-month sentence for the simple possession of unregistered firearms, without any evidence suggesting the defendant was doing anything il…
18-7872 Steven Torres v. Randee Rewerts, Warden Sixth Circuit 2019-02-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal certificate-of-appealability constitutional-rights guidelines habeas-corpus judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit upward-departure I. DID THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN AND THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT ERRONEOUSLY …
18-7818 Marcos Castaneda v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP alleyne-v-united-states criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process judicial-finding jury-trial mandatory-minimum preponderance-of-evidence preponderance-of-the-evidence sentencing sentencing-guidelines Marcos Castaneda admitted by his plea to the elements of conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixfure or substance containing methamphetami…
18-7827 Roger L. Kaufman v. Paul S. Kemper, Warden Seventh Circuit 2019-02-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-interpretation due-process ex-post-facto federal-guidelines parole parole-eligibility sentencing sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers state-prisoner Whether a state prisoner is entitled under the Due Process Clause, and the Separation of Powers Doctrine of the United States and Wisconsin Constituti…
18-7832 Jason Lee Harris v. Karen A. Mullins, Judge, Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County, et al. Ninth Circuit 2019-02-07 Denied IFP access-to-courts appellate-review civil-rights constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure due-process federal-law first-amendment in-forma-pauperis ninth-circuit sentencing-guidelines service-of-process standing they roled that the three strickes proursion under 28 U.S.C.S Pauperis regardin Petitoners civil rights complaint alleging he was blatantly deried the…
18-7783 Todd Eugene Cannady v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-02-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP california-penal-code california-penal-code-211 categorical-approach commentary crime-of-violence johnson johnson-ruling residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-4b1.2 1. Can California robbery under California Penal Code § 211 be a crime of violence under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2, where Johnson invalidated the residual clau…
18-7750 Ronald Morrobel v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-02-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault categorical-approach firearms-trafficking possession-of-firearm sentencing-guidelines armed-career-criminal categorical-approach crime-of-violence due-process felony-possession firearm-trafficking florida-aggravated-assault sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines I. Whether The District Court, Erred When It Found That The Petitioner Was An Armed Career Criminal When State Law Clearly Defined Florida Aggravated …
18-7735 Michael Kenta Davis v. Justin Andrews, Warden Fourth Circuit 2019-02-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split constitutional-analysis criminal-law due-process mathis-v-united-states retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Question One: WHETHER THE S. C.. CODE ANN 44-53-370 IS OVERLYBROD AND INDIVISBLE AND NO LONGER QUALIFIES IN LIGHT OF BOTH MATHIS V US AND DESCAMPS? …
18-7616 Rodrigo Tovar Pupo v. United States District of Columbia 2019-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal constitutional-issue constitutional-issues criminal-appeal criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-appeal district-court due-process guilty-plea ineffective-assistance-of-counsel offense-enhancement plea-bargaining sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines If Appeals Court erred by not considering the grounds raised by Appellant and denying his appeal disregarding the Constitutional issues raised by Appe…
18-7715 Jose Flores v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure district-court-discretion drug-quantity due-process federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure minor-role minor-role-reduction plea-bargaining plea-colloquy rule-11 sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review ussg-3b1.2 Was the District Court's failure to determine a factual basis, and to insure that defendant understood the nature of the charges, in violation of Rule…
18-7716 Jesse Ingram, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3553(a)-factors 5th-amendment appeal appellate-counsel constitutional-violation criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment ineffective-assistance-of-counsel retroactive-review retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1). Is it a Fifth Amendment violation when Petitioners are sentenced to a higher guidline sentence when 18 U.S.C. statute 3553(A) warrants a below gui…
18-7717 Byrion Demeco Ferguson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 1B1.3 amendment appellate-review constitutional criminal-procedure evidence judicial-discretion plain-error sentencing-guidelines u.s-sentencing-commission u.s.-sentencing-commission Whether the trial court committed plain error pursuant to Rule 52(b) by admitting insufficient evidence applied by the preamendment 1B1.3 version of t…
18-7726 Carlton Williams v. United States Third Circuit 2019-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender categorical-approach criminal-law federal-criminal-law pattern-of-racketeering predicate-crime racketeering racketeering-activity rico rico-conviction sentencing sentencing-guidelines Is a sentencing court limited to applying a categorical approach when determining whether a conviction for violating the Federal Racketeer Influence a…
18-7621 Jacoby Burns v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender categorical-analysis criminal-law elements-clause physical-force sentencing sentencing-guideline sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation I. Does a conviction under Georgia's felony obstruction-of-an-officer statute, OCGA § 16-10-24(b), qualify as either a "crime of violence" under the e…
18-7666 Rowy De Jesus Vasquez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 advisory-guidelines criminal-sentencing departure district-court-discretion due-process notice notice-requirement sentencing-departures sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation ussg-1b1.1 ussg-5k2.0 Whether the district court must have provided defendant notice for the grounds for a sentence above the range recommended by the advisory guidelines r…
18-7679 Jeriton Lavar Curry v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-01-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924(c) appeal-waiver appellate-review constitutional-error criminal-procedure jurisdiction plain-error sentencing sentencing-jurisdiction unconstitutional-sentence Did the Appeals Court err by granting the Government's motion to enforce an invalid appeal waiver, after determining that Currys' issue was non-frivol…
18-7623 James Goolsby v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-01-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582-c-2 appellate-procedure dillion-v-united-states exceptional-circumstances judicial-discretion mandatory-life-sentence mandatory-minimum mandatory-sentencing misapplication-of-guidelines miscarriage-of-justice official-victim-enhancement recall-of-mandate retroactive-amendment sentencing-guidelines I. WHETHER THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN REFUSING TO RECALL THE MANDATE ON THE DIRECT APPEAL TO PREVENT A MISCARRIAGE O…
18-7645 Alhan Sanchez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-01-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review burden-of-proof criminal-guidelines due-process mcmillan-v-pennsylvania meacham-v-fano minor-role-adjustment mitigating-role preponderance-of-evidence sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-watts vulnerable-victim The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Circuit" or "the Appellate Court") upheld on appeal a se…
18-7609 Merlin Alston v. United States Second Circuit 2019-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924c 18-usc-926b criminal-law-enforcement-officer-exemption criminal-procedure drug-trafficking due-process firearm-possession firearms law-enforcement sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. Is the conviction of a local poli ce officer, required to carry a service pistol when off duty, excluded from prosecution for violating 18 U.S.C. 9…
18-7585 Lemuel Gay v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-court appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court guideline-enhancement guidelines judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing-court sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Can the sentencing court's statement —that it would impose the same sentence irrespective of any error in its application of a guideline enhancement —…
18-7588 Frank Odom, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-01-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver district-court due-process fourth-circuit mitigation mitigation-arguments plea-agreement remand sentencing Does a plea agreement with an appeal waiver waive the right to obtain a remand requiring the district court to actually consider the defendant's mitig…
18-7511 Edwin J. Ortiz-Fagot v. United States First Circuit 2019-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-3582-c-2 criminal-statute due-process non-delegation retroactive-application sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-modification statutory-interpretation Does the sentencing court's discretion of setting modification via 3553(A); include deciding whether to retroactively apply the plain language of the …
18-7538 Jeffrey Russo v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act collateral-review habeas-corpus johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states residual-clause sentencing-guidelines statute-of-limitations suspension-clause A motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 is considered timely if filed within one year of the date on which "the right asserted was initially recognized by the…
18-7557 Terveus Hyppolite v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 career-offender constitutional-challenge criminal-sentencing due-process rule-of-lenity sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether Title 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) is unconstitutional in light of Beckles v. United States, 137 S. Ct. 886, 895 (2017)(holding the guidelines are u…
18-7566 Pedro Goris, aka Pedro Goriz, aka Pedro Abreu v. United States Second Circuit 2019-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appeals appellate-review constitutional-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion reasonableness sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness Whether Petitioner's sentence was both procedurally and substantively unreasonable.
18-7567 Ron Collins v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-01-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure due-process eighth-amendment fair-sentencing-act ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prosecutorial-misconduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Whether the court of appeals erred in denying petitioner's application for a certificate of appealability to appeal the district court's denial of …
18-7440 Christopher Whitman v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 11th-circuit appeal appellate-procedure conflict-of-interest disqualification due-process effective-assistance-of-counsel ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-discretion juror-bribery plain-error-review sentencing-guidelines standing Question One The Constitution guarantees a person the effective assistance of counsel for a first appeal of right. Effective counsel necessarily cont…
18-7448 Charles Foxx v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act beckles-v-united-states career-offender collateral-review constitutional-law mandatory-guidelines pre-booker retroactive-effect retroactivity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-vagueness vagueness vagueness-doctrine 1. Whether U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(2)'s residual clause is void for vagueness vis-à-vis defendants sentenced under the pre-Booker mandatory Guidelines. 2…
18-7453 Corey Kirkpatrick Sterling v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP collateral-review constitutional-law criminal-law due-process mandatory-guidelines pre-booker retroactive-effect retroactivity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-vagueness sentencing-review vagueness vagueness-doctrine Whether U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(2)'s residual clause is void for vagueness vis-à-vis defendants sentenced under the pre-Booker mandatory Guidelines. Whet…
18-7454 Tyshaun St. Vallier v. United States Third Circuit 2019-01-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 18-usc-3582(c)(2) constitutional-statutory-provisions district-court district-court-discretion lodestone lodestone-principle sentence-reduction sentence-reductions sentencing sentencing-decisions sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation third-circuit Are district courts required to maintain the Sentencing Guidelines as the lodestone of the sentencing decision when ruling on motions for sentence red…
18-919 Robert R. Davies v. United States Third Circuit 2019-01-16 Denied Response Waived criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion guidelines-range interest-of-justice presumption-of-reasonableness public-perception sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-intent sentencing-procedures sentencing-reliability unjust-procedures A criminal sentence is a package of sanctions that the district court utilizes to effectuate its sentencing intent, but a district court's original se…
18-7418 Derrick T. Seals v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-01-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 851-enhancement ambiguous-plea contract criminal-procedure due-process enhancement government-breach ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Did government breach plea agreement/contract when defendant never agreed to. enhancement? Was Defendant mislead into plea agreement provisions inclu…
18-7419 Fausto Becerra v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-01-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP accountability constitutional-rights criminal-procedure drug-offenses drug-quantity due-process maximum-punishment plea-agreement plea-bargain prosecutorial-discretion sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines Because the stipulation in the plea bargain which limited the amount and type of drugs was not followed or advocated by the Government, Mr. Becerra wa…
18-7421 Torrence Allen v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender career-offender-provision certificate-of-appealability constitutional-vagueness criminal-procedure habeas-corpus johnson-retroactivity johnson-v-united-states mandatory-guidelines mandatory-sentencing-guidelines retroactivity retroactivity-of-supreme-court-decisions sentencing sentencing-guidelines vagueness I. Whether Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), applies retroactively to a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion attacking a sentence imposed under man…
18-7390 Martin R. Stancik v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-01-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appeal-waiver circuit-split constitutional-error constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process sentencing sixth-circuit waiver Whether a criminal defendant's waiver of his right to appeal a sentence includes a waiver of the right to appeal a later, unforeseen constitutional du…
18-7391 Gadiel Romero v. United States First Circuit 2019-01-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment cruel-and-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment kidnapping kidnapping-offense offense-level ransom-demand sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines I. Is it proper for a sentencing court to apply the substantial 6-level increase to a defendant's offense level contemplated in Section 2A4.1(b)(1) of…
18-7393 Rodrigo Roman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-01-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review burden-of-proof criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process firearm-enhancement firearm-possession guidelines-interpretation sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-enhancement stare-decisis Petitioner, RODRIGO ROMAN, appealed his ten-year statutory minimum sentence imposed after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to di…
18-7346 Mark Raymond Ford, aka Dred, aka Benjamin Lee Green, aka Donald Wray v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP booker-decision criminal-sentencing due-process retroactive-rule retroactivity sentence-modification sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform-act statutory-interpretation united-states-v-booker I. Whether The Lower Court Denial Of Modification Of Sentence Under 18 U.S.C. §3582(c)(2) Based On A Mandatory Guidelines Range Departure's Sentence V…
18-7348 Edgar Arnold Garcia v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 18-USC-3582c2 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing dillon-v-united-states district-court-discretion due-process legal-error sentence-modification sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-methodology statutory-interpretation statutory-maximum WHETHER, DILLON v. UNITED STATES, 560 U.S. 817 (2010), REQUIRES A DISTRICT COURT TO REEVALUATE ITS ORIGINAL SENTENCING METHODOLOGY IN STEP TWO OF THE …
18-7351 Rahmad Lashad Geddes v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP alleyne appellate-review apprendi civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process ex-post-facto habeas-corpus mandatory-minimum sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent 1). Can a court of appeals sanction a lower courts depature from this court's well established percedents that effectively conflates the standard of r…
18-7340 Eric Dillon v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-01-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split consecutive-sentences criminal-law criminal-procedure-sentencing due-process federal-statute mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-v-battle SINCE 18 U.S.C. 924(j) Is A DISCRETE OFFENSE THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN A MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCE OR REQUIRE A CONSECUTIVE S,DID THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT APP…
18-7304 Juan Rodriguez-Mantos v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-01-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process federal-law federal-sentencing-guidelines fifth-circuit judicial-review reasonableness-review sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness supervisory-power Whether the impositi on of an outside Guideli nes sentence is reasonabl e when the district court more than triples the already enhanced Guideli nes s…
18-7262 Artak Ovsepian and Kenneth Wayne Johnson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-01-07 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-u.s.c.-1028a 18-usc-1028a apprendi apprendi-rule criminal-fines criminal-restitution double-counting identity-theft sentencing-guidelines u-s-code u.s.s.g.-2b1.6 In Southern Union Co. v. United States, 567 U.S. 343, 360 (2012), the Court held "that the rule of Apprendi applies to the imposition of criminal fine…
18-7263 Gerald Patmon v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach crime-of-violence criminal-sentencing deadly-weapon eleventh-circuit enumerated-offenses georgia-assault-statute gonzales-v-duenas-alvarez overbreadth sentencing-guidelines state-statute statutory-interpretation The question presented by this case is whether the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit erroneously affirmed Mr. Patmon's sentence under USSG § 2…
18-7240 Charles Jermaine King, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-01-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender constitutional-rights criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process guidelines habeas-corpus recidivism recidivist sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation IN ROSALES MIRELES V US, JUSTICE ALITO ASKED DURING THE ORAL ARGUMENTS... "SUPPOSE THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER A DEFENDANT WAS PROPERLY TREATED…
18-7197 Johnnie O'Neil Lewis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-12-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender crime-of-violence generic-robbery minimal-force no-threat-of-violence no-violence robbery sentencing-guidelines split-among-circuits statutory-interpretation Whether theft offenses requiring no more than minimal force and no violence or threat of violence categorically constitute generic "robbery" for purpo…
18-7138 Antonio Alvarez-Moreno v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-12-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-vagueness criminal-procedure due-process firearms law-enforcement-notification sentencing-guidelines supervised-release vagueness weapon-possession Are these conditions unconstitutionally vague?
18-7089 Esau Milliner v. Kathy Litteral, Warden Sixth Circuit 2018-12-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver closing-argument confession constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process first-degree-burglary ineffective-assistance-of-counsel initial-aggressor procedural-bar right-to-appeal right-to-testify self-defense trial-counsel Whether Petitioner was denied the effective assistance of counsel to which he was constitutionally entitled when trial counsel failed to present readi…
18-7102 Curtis D. Huling v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault controlled-substance-offense crime-of-violence mens-rea mental-state physical-force recklessness sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-4b1.1 voisine-v-united-states Section 4B1.1(a) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines raises the offense level for a "crime of violence" or "controlled substance offense" commi…
18-7126 Ishmael Abdullah v. United States Third Circuit 2018-12-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault court-of-appeals crime-of-violence criminal-law elements-clause federal-guidelines federal-sentencing-guidelines sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-criminal-statute state-statute statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the District Court's holding that New Jersey Statute §2C:12-1(b)(2), one of the subsections of New …
18-7077 JC Christopher Pulham v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-12-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review district-court legal-standard plain-error plain-error-review presumption presumption-of-correctness presumption-of-knowledge sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review When a district court does not articulate the legal standard it is applying, may an appellate court presume that the district court knew and correctly…
18-7079 Franklyn Morillo v. United States First Circuit 2018-12-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-waiver certiorari controlled-substances criminal-procedure district-court due-process first-impression first-impression' 'Should certiorari be granted i judicial-discretion knowing-intelligent-voluntary legal-standard plea-bargaining procedural-rights role-enhancement sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review' 'Should certiorari be granted 1. Should certiorari be granted to decide whether a district court can only ask a Petitioner a single question about an appellate waiver, even though …
18-7084 Anthony Steven Young v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-12-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion child-pornography close-scrutiny criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion internet-access relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review ussg-2g2.2 1. What standard of review applies to the district court's decision to use the guideline for receiving or distributing child pornography to sentence …
18-7067 Derrick Christopher Johnson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-12-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-law divisible-statute drug-offense modified-categorical-approach plain-error prior-state-convictions sentencing sentencing-guidelines WHETHER PETITIONER'S "PRIOR STATE DRUG OFFENSES" QUALIFIED AS ENUMERATED OFFENSES UNDER THE "CAREER CRIMINAM" PROVISION OF THE UNITED STATES SENTENCIN…
18-7068 Nelson Figueroa v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-12-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP alleyne almendarez-torres apprendi apprendi-rule constitutional-protections due-process due-process-clause federal-sentencing-guidelines jury-trial prior-conviction prior-conviction-exception sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment The first question for the Court is, in light of the Guidelines' development into the de facto range of punishment in all but a very small percentage …
18-7072 Kenneth Harper v. United States Second Circuit 2018-12-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process guilty-plea harmless-error judicial-error plea-bargaining plea-colloquy rule-11 sentencing-guidelines Has United States v. Vonn, 535 U.S. 55 (2005), and its progeny stripped the Courts of Appeal of the ability to meaningfully supervise the plea colloqu…
18-7057 Marcus Jermaine Royston v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-12-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3582-motion 3582(c)(2) amendments-750-782 career-offender criminal-sentencing drug-offense guidelines-2d1.1 guidelines-amendment hughes-v-us sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction Does this Court's ruling in the case of Hughes V. U.S., 584 U.S. 2018, No. 17-155, apply to a career offender seeking reduction in his sentence by way…
18-7012 Anthony Jerome Addison v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-12-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8th-amendment civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-claims constitutional-rights criminal-history due-process eighth-amendment origination-clause sentencing-guidelines special-assessment standing statutory-claims Did the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit err in granting the government's motion to dismiss by denying the Petitioner the ability…
18-7000 Luis Rolando Bueno Jimenez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-12 Denied IFP 18-usc-3553(f) circuit-split criminal-law drug-enforcement mandatory-minimum maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant convicted of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, 46 U.S.C. § 70501 et seq., and subject to a mandatory minimum senten…
18-6972 Manuel Pereira-Gomez v. United States Second Circuit 2018-12-11 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-law elements-clause force-clause physical-force robbery sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the New York State offense of robbery is a "crime of violence," that is, an offense that "has as an element the use, attempted use, or threate…
18-6980 Traveon Shaquille Martin v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-12-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility clear-error criminal-procedure district-court offense-level sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g-3e1.1 Whether the district court clearly erred in denying a three-level reduction in Petitioner's offense level for acceptance of responsibility under U.S.S…
18-6982 Jerry Walden v. United States Second Circuit 2018-12-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 28-usc-994 career-offender district-court due-process federal-sentencing guideline-application harmless-error johnson-v-united-states molina-martinez molina-martinez-precedent molina-martinez-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-error Whether the petitioner is entitled to resentencing, where due to Guideline application error, the district court incorrectly applied the more severe c…
18-6993 Jamie Todd Bjerke v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-12-11 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP court-of-appeals criminal-law force-clause gvr-order light-resistance petition-for-writ-of-certiorari predicate-conviction predicate-offense procedural-thesis robbery sentencing-determinations sentencing-guidelines state-robbery-offense statutory-interpretation substantive-thesis united-states-sentencing-guidelines Whether a state robbery offense that permits a conviction for use of force sufficient to overcome light resistance qualifies as a predicate conviction…
18-6996 Jonathan R. Curshen v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-11 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP access-to-courts certificate-of-appealability due-process equal-protection ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines WAS THE PETITIONER DENIED HIS SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS TO ACCESS TO THE COURTS, DUE PROCESS, AND EQUAL PROTECTION, WHEN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS F…
18-6971 Zachery Joseph Cooley, aka Red v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing gall-v-united-states guideline-calculation harmless-error judicial-discretion procedural-error procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness When a defendant appeals his sentence on the grounds that his Guideline range was miscalculated, may an appellate court disregard any error in the gui…
18-6900 Jacob Scott Watters v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-12-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography commerce-clause constitutional-limits criminal-law predicate-offense relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation unconstitutional-law visual-depictions As written, and by the actual language used in the Statute, is 18 U.S.C. §2251(a) in excess of Congress' Powers under the Commerce Clause to. regulate…
18-6920 Clyde Retiz v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-12-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process federal-criminal-procedure federal-jurisdiction indictment plea-bargaining reasonable-sentence sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether facts that alter the range of "reasonable" federal sentences must be pleaded in the indictment in federal cases?
18-6926 James Valentine v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-06 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP circuit-court-conflict circuit-court-review circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-sentencing criminal-sentencing-enhancement drug-conviction due-process ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prior-convictions sentence-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation DID THE HONORABLE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA COMMIT "PLAIN AND OBVIOUS ERROR" BY ALLOWING THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT,…
18-6927 In Re Jerry Urbina 2018-12-06 Denied IFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing federal-courts judicial-discretion plea-agreement plea-bargaining retroactivity rule-11 sentencing-amendment sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation WHETHER IN LIGHT OF THE SUPREME COURT HOLDING IN HUGHES V. UNITED STATES (CITATIONS OMITTED), THE LOWER COURTS ABUSED THEIR DISCRETION BY DENYING PETI…
18-6917 Rodolfo Portela v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal competency-hearing conspiracy controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-sentencing drug-conspiracy drug-trafficking evidence-suppression firearm-possession sentencing sentencing-guidelines sufficiency-of-evidence 1. Whether The District Court, Erred When It Found That There was Sufficient Evidence That the Appellant had Committed the Acts Alleged in Count I, Co…
18-6895 Michael Clark v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP bureau-of-prisons circuit-court classification criminal-history habeas-corpus judicial-review relief revocation sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-relief seventh-circuit Since a defendant's criminal history category establishes the U.S Sentencing Guidelines' policy range of imprisonment upon revocation and can result i…
18-6897 Victor Solorzano Tavia v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP blakely-rule consecutive-sentences criminal-procedure double-jeopardy grade-c-violation illegal-reentry sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum supervised-release I. Whether sentence for illegal reentry and sentence for violation of supervised release should have run concurrent to avoid double jeopardy clause …
18-6904 Oree Roberson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-12-03 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP burden-of-proof chavez-meza chavez-meza-v-united-states circuit-conflict due-process fifth-circuit judicial-review mitigation presentence-report sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure standard-of-review I. Whether the defendant bears the burden to establish that objected to information in the Presentence Report is materially untrue, or whether, instea…
18-6851 Steven Gomez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-11-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-sentencing appeal-waiver constitutional-error criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing-guidelines Can an appeal waiver executed at the time of a defendant's plea waive the right to appeal constitutional error occurring at sentencing months after ex…
18-6853 Noe Garcia-Lima v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-11-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-rule-of-criminal-procedure-52(b) federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure molina-martinez molina-martinez-v-united-states plain-error-review sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights When the "record is silent as to what the district court might have done had it considered the correct Guidelines range," Molina-Martinez v. United St…
18-6858 Micah G. Pritchett v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-11-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach controlled-substance criminal-law distribution drug-distribution federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation virginia virginia-law Sentencing Guidelines?
18-6833 Jose Ramon Zuniga, aka Josue Ararel Zuniga-Zaragoza, aka Jose Ramon Zuniga-Garcia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-11-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure discretion due-process federal-jurisdiction judicial-discretion offense-level residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-standards statutory-interpretation 1. Whether a Guideline which incorporates by reference § 16(b)'s residual clause may serve as the basis for increasing the defendant's offense level u…
18-6816 Vicente Garcia v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-11-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-battery constitutional-rights criminal-conviction criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-ineffective-assistance-of-couns ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment [1] WHETHER THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ERRED IN ITS HOLDING THAT GARCIA HAD FAILED TO SHOW A DENIAL OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL SIXTH AMENDMENT RI…
18-6830 Francisco Heredia-Silva v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-11-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP california-penal-code circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-law criminal-law-sentencing due-process federal-law sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation terrorist-threats violent-crime Should this court resolve the split between the Fifth Circuit and the Ninth Circuit about whether California terrorist threats convictions under Calif…
18-6747 Gibran Richardo Figueroa-Beltran v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-11-21 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP civil-rights criminal-procedure divisibility-analysis divisibility-inquiry due-process federal-courts federal-divisibility-doctrine federalism mathis-doctrine mathis-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines state-court-certification state-courts state-statutes three-part-test When applying the federal divisibility doctrine to state statutes, may federal courts terminate the three-part test set forth in Mathis v. United Stat…
18-6748 Malachi M. Glass v. United States Third Circuit 2018-11-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance controlled-substance-offense criminal-law criminal-statute drug-offense federal-law federal-sentencing pennsylvania pennsylvania-law sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. WHETHER THE BROADER PENNSYLVANIA DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE STATUTE, 35 PA. C.S.A. § 780-113(A)(30), QUALIFIES AS A "CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE O…
18-6760 David Junior Upshaw v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-11-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP acca-sentencing armed-career-criminal-act collateral-review criminal-procedure mandatory-guidelines post-sentencing-law pre-booker-mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing-guidelines vagueness void-for-vagueness 1. May a defendant, faced with a silent record below, prove that his ACCA enhanced sentence was in deed based upon the residual clause through a proce…
18-6761 Tellis T. Williams v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-11-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-sentencing-guidelines beckles-v-united-states career-offender-enhancement certificate-of-appealability certificate-of-appealability-coa due-process johnson-claim johnson-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit vagueness-challenge 1. When a Petitioner seeks a Certificate Of Appealability(COA)i based on whether this Court's decision in Beckles v. United States, 137 S 'Ct. 886, af…
18-6763 Luis Antonio Bonilla, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-11-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appeal-waivers brady-standard brady-v-united-states circuit-split criminal-procedure judicial-discretion miscarriage-of-justice plea-agreement plea-agreements sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-uniformity I. WHAT STANDARDS OTHER THAN THE KNOWING AND VOLUNTARY WAIVER STANDARD OF BRADY V. UNITED STATES SHOULD GOVERN THE ENFORCEMENT OF APPEAL WAIVERS IN PL…
18-6729 Jesus Santiago v. United States Second Circuit 2018-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court-review civil-procedure criminal-procedure district-court due-process guidelines-calculation guidelines-range judicial-discretion sentencing-determination sentencing-guidelines upward-variance Whether a circuit court can competently conclude that the Sentencing Guidelines were immaterial to a district court's sentencing determination where t…
18-6732 Myron Gerald Stevens v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines criminal-sentencing discretion-to-vary downward-variance judicial-discretion procedural-reasonableness sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness 1. Did the trial court impose a procedurally unreasonable sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction of a first offense, where it applied an incorr…
18-6737 Jose Lopez-Castillo v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP booker booker-decision constitutional-law criminal-law criminal-procedure federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent title-21 Whether the mandatory-sentencing regime of Title 21 has been abrogated by United States v. Booker and its progeny.
18-642 Morris E. Zukerman v. United States Second Circuit 2018-11-19 Denied Amici (1)Relisted (2) 18-usc-3742 appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion sentencing-explanation sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure sentencing-reasonableness sentencing-variance shocks-the-conscience substantive-reasonableness substantive-unreasonableness Whether a court of appeals that finds that a district court has failed adequately to explain a sentence can simply request further elaboration without…
18-6692 Richard D. Waterson, II v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-11-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing double-counting fairness justice procedural-reasonableness reasonableness recidivism recidivism-risk sentencing-enhancement sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines Whether in the exercise of its supervisory jurisdiction over the Courts of the United States, this Court should determine that the sentence imposed on…
18-6693 Victor M. Mangual-Rosado v. United States First Circuit 2018-11-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split conclusions-of-law criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court findings-of-fact opportunity-to-object procedural-error role-behavior role-in-crime sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-error I. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ERRED PROCEDURALLY AND SUBSTANTIVELY BY IMPOSING AN EXCESSIVE SENTENCE IN TERMS OF THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT'S ROLE BEHAVI…
18-6698 Shawn Aluiso v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-11-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP backpage computer-crime computer-use criminal-history fifth-circuit-appeal minor-victim probation-revocation revoked-probation sentencing-guidelines texas-conviction undue-influence use-of-computer In this Writ we present three issues dealing with the calculating of the Guideline range by the District Court. 1. The District Court erred in adding…
18-6677 Clarence Darnell Marshall v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-amendment appeal booker-standard career-offender certificate-of-appealability due-process eleventh-circuit rule-of-lenity sentencing sentencing-guidelines vagueness 1. Whether the Eleventh Circuit applied a heightened standard to the Defendant's request for Certificate of Appealability in violation of the Supreme …
18-6590 Salah Mohamed v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-11-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion aggravating-factor due-process escape flight-risk immigration naturalization naturalized-defendant sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum Does a court abuse its discretion under the United States Sentencing Guidelines by sentencing a naturalized defendant more than three times above his …
18-6599 Horace Vonche Jordan v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-11-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act certificate-of-appealability collateral-review criminal-sentencing due-process mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing-guidelines vagueness vagueness-doctrine In Johnson v. United States , 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) , this Court declared the Armed Career Criminal Act's (ACCA) residual clause unconstitutionally v…
18-6600 Ringo Recto Labrador v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-11-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing empirical-basis fifth-circuit judicial-review methamphetamine-sentencing presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness-standard second-circuit sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Is a sentence imposed under the methamphetamine sentencing guideline–a guideline crafted without benefit of Sentencing Commission expertise or empiric…
18-6581 Larry Hailey v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 career-offender career-offender-enhancement crimes-of-violence criminal-law criminal-procedure fourth-circuit fourth-circuit-appeal prior-convictions section-2255-motion sentencing sentencing-guidelines virginia-prior-convictions 1. Whether the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Erred in Denying Petitioner's Appeal from Denial of His Motion Under 28 US.C. § 2255 Wherein Petitioner…
18-6583 Dionysius Fiumano v. United States Second Circuit 2018-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-1343 criminal-law due-process due-process-notice federal-communications-commission fifth-amendment fraud johnson-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines skilling-v-united-states statutory-interpretation vagueness vagueness-doctrine welch-v-united-states DOES THE UNDEFINED ELEMENT "SCHEME TO DEFRAUD" IN 18 U.S.C. § 1343 SATISFY FIFTH AMENDMENT DUE PROCESS NOTICE REQUIREMENTS IN LIGHT OF THIS COURT'S DE…
18-596 Marie Neba v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-11-06 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion judicial-review presumption-of-reasonableness proportionality rita-v-united-states sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines 1. Should the Court overrule or refine Rita v. United States (2007) 551 U.S. 338, such that an irregular and disproportionate within-Guidelines senten…
18-6561 In Re Jesus Denova Lopez 2018-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review circuit-court-discretion guidelines-range section-3553(a) section-3553a sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness WHETHER THE PANEL OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ABUSED ITS DISCRETION BY THE RUBBERSTAMP OF THE ERRONEOUS AND IMPERMISSIBLE CONCLUSION OF ERST…
18-6567 Luis Delprado v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP certiorari-petition criminal-history-enhancement generic-offense herrold-v-united-states quarles-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines statute-of-conviction statutory-interpretation stokeling-v-united-states supreme-court-review united-states-v-stitt I. Whether the following cases pending before this Court create a reasonable probability of a different result in the instant case insofar as the addr…
18-6549 Eric Branch v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-11-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP anti-shuttling anti-shuttling-violation appeal-waiver constitutional-violation corrupt-officials due-process garza-v-idaho iada-violation ida-violation ineffective-assistance-of-counsel right-to-counsel roe-v-flores-ortega WHETHER THE TRIAL COUNSELOR AND EVIDENTIARY COUNSELOR WERE INEFFECTIVE WHEN BOTH COUNSELORS FAILED TO FILE THE APPEAL OR FAILED TO EVEN NOTIFY THE PET…
18-6518 Gregory Crum v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-10-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure district-court-discretion drug-crimes drug-offense drug-offenses foreign-origin leadership-enhancement methamphetamine relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review I. Whether the district court abused its discretion in determining relevant conduct. 2; Whether Greg Crum should receive a leadership enhancement. 3…
18-6519 Mariano Alvarez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-discretion life-sentence mistrial plea-bargaining plea-negotiation recusal sentencing-guidelines Can doubts in granting a Certificate of Appealability (cOA) be resolved in favor of the appellant when considering the severity of his life sentence? …
18-6498 Gildardo Majalca-Aguilar v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-10-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 amendment-782 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion drug-conspiracy drug-quantity due-process equal-protection sentence-reduction sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines The United States District Court of New Mexico denied the motion for reduction the sentence, Amendment 782 §3582(c)(2) spite the quantity of drugs inv…
18-6511 In Re Ken Ejimofor Ezeah 2018-10-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-innocence appeal-waiver circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-appeal-waiver-guilty-plea-unite guilty-plea inherent-equitable-authority tenth-circuit united-states-v-galloway united-states-v-hahn united-states-v-mccarthy (1)WHETHER THIS COURT SHOULD EXPAND THE FRAME-WORK DECIDED IN "UNITED STATES V. HAHN",IN THE TENTH CIRCUITS DETERMINATION OF A KNOWING AND VOLUNTARILY…
18-6483 Armando Chavez, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-jurisdiction federal-sentencing indictment indictment-requirements judicial-discretion plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether facts that alter the range of "reasonable" federal sentences must be pleaded in the indictment in federal cases?
18-6447 Eullis Monroe Goodwin v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance rule-11 sentencing sentencing-guidelines strickland-standard strickland-v-washington Did Counsel ' Failure to properly develope and present Objections to Petitioner's designation as an career offender, render Ineffective Assistance und…
18-6451 Randolph Johnson Spain v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-principles apprendi-v-new-jersey cross-reference fourth-circuit-court-of-appeals fourth-circuit-mandate multiple-count-adjustment sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-application statutory-maximum I. WHETHER THE APPLICATION OF THE CROSS-REFERENCE TO COUNT 2 OF THE INDICTMENT PURSUANT TO GUIDELINES § 2G1.1 AND § 2A3.1, AND THE SUBSEQUENT APPLICAT…
18-6461 Gerren K. Love v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines causation-element circuit-split crime-of-violence criminal-classification criminal-law force-definition sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-v-castleman violent-crime violent-force If a statute has a causation-of-harm element, does it also necessarily have an element of violent force for purposes of classifying the crime as a vio…
18-6398 Deon Pittman v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-10-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-statute drug-offense element-of-offense federal-law means-of-offense michigan-law sentencing-guidelines state-law state-statute When a state statute prohibits the delivery of a "controlled substance" by reference to various schedules, is the specific type of substance an elemen…
18-6408 Tiffany A. Prince v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-10-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law drug-offenses drug-overdose federal-courts federal-law physical-injury sentencing-guidelines significant-physical-injury sixth-circuit statutory-interpretation Whether a non-fatal drug overdose is a "significant physical injury" under U.S.S.G. § 5K2.2.
18-6375 Michael Whisby v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-10-19 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender-provision collateral-review mandatory-guidelines pre-booker-mandatory-guidelines pre-booker-sentencing retroactivity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-vagueness stokeling-v-united-states vagueness-doctrine violent-felony 1. Whether U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(2)'s residual clause is void for vagueness vis-a-vis defendants sentenced under the pre-Booker mandatory Guidelines. 2…
18-6389 Anthony Lomax v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-10-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP attempted-murder buyer-seller career-offender conspiracy crime-of-violence criminal-history drug-quantity heroin-attribution relevant-conduct sentencing sentencing-guidelines I. Despite the dismissal of Anthony Lomax's conspiracy charge, during sentencing the district court assigned 16.8 kilograms of heroin to him. While a …
18-6358 Alj Hilton v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP and Are Plain and Affect Petitioner's Substantial -and-Are-Plain-and-Affect-Petitioner's-Substantial 18-usc-3661 5th-amendment appeal-waiver appeal-waiver,sentencing-guidelines,criminal-histo criminal-history criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum plain-error sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights trial-court-error Whether the mandatory five-year minimum sentence u Whether Petitioner's Appeal Waiver Is Inapplicable to Issues of Trial Court Error in Applying Sentencing Guidelines' Enhancements or in Calculating Cr…
18-6359 Uriel Gomez-Saavedra v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3661-3553 5th-amendment 5th-circuit-law constitutional-challenge criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion mandatory-minimum sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent 1. The mandatory five year minimum under which Mr. Gomez-Saavedra was sentenced is unconstitutional and contravenes 18 U. S.C. 3661 and 3553(a) becaus…
18-6387 Spencer Bowens v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-10-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) 28 U.S.C. §2255(£)(3) 28 U.S.C. §2255(f)(3) extend to pre-Booker mandatory career-offender gu that has been newly recognized by the United Stat career-offender career-offender-guidelines collateral-review criminal-law criminal-procedure criminal-procedure,sentencing,retroactivity,collat Johnson-right johnson-v-united-states mandatory-sentencing retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines Supreme-Court-precedent Whether the right in Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), that has been newly recognized by the United States Supreme Court and made retr…
18-6327 Rolando Humphrey v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3553a criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-sentencing judicial-determination judicial-discretion jury-role jury-trial sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-18-usc-3553 statutory-minimum 1. Whether district courts may determine without the aid of a jury that a sentence above the statutory minimum is "not greater than necessary" to achi…
18-6335 George Jenkins v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment drug-offense due-process first-time-offender non-violent-crime proportionality reasonableness-review sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines WHETHER THE SENTENCE IMPOSED IS UNREASONABLE A. Whether a One Hundred Forty-four (144) month prison sentence for a first time non-violent, drug deale…
18-6346 Mark A. Dubarry v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-1951(b) 18-usc-924(c)(3)(a) 18-usc-924c circuit-split crime-of-violence economic-harm federal-criminal-law force-clause hobbs-act robbery sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1. In three circuits, pattern jury instructions extend Hobbs Act robbery (18 U.S.C. § 1951(b)) to an offense committed by causing fear of harm to inta…
18-6347 Adam Brake v. United States First Circuit 2018-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP burglary criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing double-counting firearm-enhancement firearm-theft guideline-enhancements guideline-range sentencing-considerations sentencing-guidelines stolen-firearm u.s.s.g-2k2.1 Whether the district court erred when, based on impermissible double counting, it incorrectly applied a higher guideline range. In calculating Petitio…
18-6349 Daniel Israel Palomino v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court-review due-process guideline-commentary judicial-discretion judicial-review legal-interpretation sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-procedure statutory-interpretation Whether a district court abuses its discretion in misapplying a sentencing guideline when it refuses to consider a factor expressly provided for in th…
18-6352 Joseph Kelvin Aberant v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-10-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP attempted-murder cross-reference firearm firearm-offense fourth-circuit imperfect-self-defense indictment self-defense sentencing-guidelines I. WHETHER THE FOURTH CIRCUIT ERRED IN FINDING THAT THE CROSS REFERENCE UNDER SECTION 2K2.1(C)(l) OF THE UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINES WAS AP…
18-6319 William Shane Reid v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-10-15 Denied Relisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3582 appellate-jurisdiction circuit-split criminal-sentencing discretionary-denial discretionary-review procedural-reasonableness review-standard sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines Whether a court of appeals has jurisdiction to review a district court's discretionary denial of a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) whe…
18-6322 Gabino Medina Osorio v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 8-usc-1101 criminal-law due-process illegal-reentry immigration immigration-law sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation vagueness vagueness-doctrine Can a statute that this Court has held to be unconstitutionally void for vagueness nevertheless still be applied when incorporated by reference into t…
18-6281 Terry E. Callins v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-10-10 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP armed-career-criminal-act circuit-split collateral-review habeas-corpus mandatory-sentencing-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-retroactivity teague-v-lane timeliness Did Mr. Callins file his § 2255 motion within one year of "the date on which the right asserted was initially recognized by the Supreme Court," which …
18-6284 Alphonso Churchwell, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-10-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender collateral-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing eleventh-circuit mandatory-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity sentencing-guidelines vagueness void-for-vagueness In Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) (Samuel Johnson), this Court declared the Armed Career Criminal Act's (ACCA) residual clause uncon…
18-6229 Josh A. Wairi v. United States First Circuit 2018-10-09 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review booker-standard booker-v-united-states criminal-appeal criminal-sentencing first-circuit-court-of-appeals gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-josh-wairi 1. Does the First Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in petitioner's case conflict with this Court's decisions in Booker v. United States, 543 U.S. 22…
18-6241 Edward Jewell v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-10-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP class-precedent constitutional-challenge controlled-substance-offense criminal-law direct-appeal due-process mathis-precedent mathis-v-united-states sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-commission Does this Court's holding in Mathis v. United States apply to determinations under the United States Sentencing Guidelines of Whether a prior convicti…
18-6248 Antonio Mercedes-Rijo v. United States First Circuit 2018-10-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP congressional-power criminal-procedure define-and-punish-clause drug-trafficking due-process federal-jurisdiction high-seas mitigating-role sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-3b1.2 statutory-interpretation united-states-sentencing-commission Whether the Petitioner's Mitigating Role Should of Been Adjusted In Accordance With The United States Sentencing Guidelines § 3B1.2 Whether Congress …
18-6257 Edward Dean McCranie v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-10-09 Denied IFP career-offender colorado-robbery common-law common-law-robbery crime-of-violence force force-clause generic-robbery sentencing-guidelines stokeling-v-united-states tenth-circuit violence Is Colorado robbery, which follows the common-law definition of the amount of force required, a crime of violence for purposes of the career-offender …
18-6215 Leonard Nathaniel Peragine, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-10-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion child-enticement child-pornography congressional-intent criminal-sentencing empirical-evidence guideline-calculation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the district court's utilization of the child pornography guideline in Section 2G2.2 to determine the sentence for a defendant whose primary o…
18-6206 Jason Randall Howard v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-10-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion procedural-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-disparities sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness variance-sentence 1. Is Howard's 457% above-guideline variance sentence procedurally unreasonable because the District Court failed to consider the need to avoid unwarr…
18-6208 Nicholas Ryan Hemsher v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-10-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 8th-circuit appellate-review circuit-split co-conspirators criminal-enhancement criminal-procedure sentencing-disparities sentencing-disparities-18-usc-3553-a-6 sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation 1) Whether the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals erred in finding that the statutory direction to avoid unwarranted disparities among defendants, 18 U.S…
18-6165 Paul E. Rinehart v. Ohio Ohio 2018-10-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-v-new-jersey criminal-procedure due-process judicial-fact-finding jury-trial sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment trial-by-jury Can a trial court enhance a defendant's sentence(s) to more than the minimum sentence upon judicial fact finding from a judge rather than the findings…
18-6173 Carlos Tiznado-Valenzuela v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-10-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split federal-procedure federal-sentencing judicial-interpretation molina-martinez molina-martinez-standard plain-error-review prejudice prejudice-prong sentencing-guidelines Should the Court address the division of circuit authority over the Court's application of the prejudice prong of plain-error review in Molina-Martine…
18-6184 Robert Demetrius Barnes v. B. Masters, Warden Fourth Circuit 2018-10-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split concurrent-sentence criminal-procedure federal-appellate-courts federal-sentencing prior-undischarged-term prior-undischarged-term-of-imprisonment sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-manual-5g1.3(c) statutory-interpretation Whether the word "concurrently" in Section 5G1.3(c) authorizes a sentencing court to run a sentence concurrently from the start of the pre-existing se…
18-6150 Noel Aquino-Florenciani v. United States First Circuit 2018-10-01 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP abuse-of-discretion child-pornography criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process internet-access internet-access-ban sentencing sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Whether the court's imposition of a total ban of internet access as a condition of supervised release is an overly broad and restrictive and without a…
18-6111 Thompson Christopher Kyle Mandrell v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-09-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3553a6 appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentence-disparity sentencing-disparities sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation whether the federal sentencing court failed to properly consider and apply § 3553(a)(6), which requires consideration of "the need to avoid unwarrante…
18-6112 Opherro G. Jones v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-09-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines beckles-v-united-states certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure due-process misinformation sentencing sentencing-guidelines townsend-v-burke void-for-vagueness Due process precludes a district court from relying on misinformation when sentencing a criminal defendant, requiring instead accuracy and reliability…
18-6138 Lance Fox v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-09-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines beckles-v-united-states certificate-of-appealability criminal-defendant due-process misinformation sentencing sentencing-guidelines townsend-v-burke void-for-vagueness Due process precludes a district court from relying on misinformation when sentencing a criminal defendant, requiring instead accuracy and reliability…
18-6141 Damian O'Neil Towne v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-waiver criminal-procedure government-objection ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-review notice-of-appeal sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-miscalculation untimely-notice-of-appeal THIS COURT SHOULD GRANT CERTIORARI TO RESOLVE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER A GROSS MISCALCULATION OF THE SENTENCING GUIDELINE RANGE SHOULD BE CORRECTED WHE…
18-6113 Frank J. Ballesteros v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-09-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines criminal-procedure fairness fairness-doctrine integrity judicial-proceedings judicial-review post-conviction-relief pro-se-applicant public-reputation resentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines 1. Should this Court grant review of the court of appeals' decision based on this Court's subsequent decision in Rosales-Mireles v. United States that…
18-6119 Gary Long, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-09-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing de-facto-life-sentence due-process eighth-amendment federal-court-split federal-courts life-sentence sentencing-analysis sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-precedent term-of-years Whether the district and appellate court failed to conduct the proper analysis of imposing a de facto life sentence on the petitioner? Whether the ci…
18-6092 Robert Dion Ables v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review criminal-appeals criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-plain-error-review empirical-analysis empirical-foundation-of-guidelines guideline-2g2.2 judicial-discretion plain-error sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-policy substantive-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness-of-sentences I. Whether factual error is categorically immune from plain error review? II. Whether sentences arising under Guideline 2G2.2 tend to produce substan…
18-6100 Hugo Pliego-Hernandez v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-09-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-16 administrative-law attempted-robbery circuit-court-review criminal-law criminal-sentencing due-process federal-jurisdiction guideline-commentary sentencing-guidelines seventh-circuit stare-decisis statutory-interpretation stinson-v-united-states The district court enhanced Pliego-Hernandez' sentencing guideline range on the strength of a prior conviction for attempted robbery. Nothing in the t…
18-6083 Jesus Manuel Laureano-Perez v. United States First Circuit 2018-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court-discretion due-process government-prosecution plea-agreement sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review uncharged-conduct Should a writ of certiorari be granted to determine whether the district court erred in enhancing Laureano's sentence based on uncharged conduct not c…
18-6066 Melvin Noel Vasquez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure de-novo-review downward-adjustment due-process federal-sentencing fifth-circuit minimal-role mitigating-role sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-3b1.2 standard-of-review I Whether the Fifth Circuits cursory, review rather than the proper de novo review resulted in a misapplication of the provision of U.S.S.G. s 3Bl.2 d…
18-6049 Robert Wallace Smith v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP child-pornography criminal-sentencing due-process first-offender internet-crime sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum substantive-reasonableness Whether the district court's statutory maximum, 240-month sentence is substantively unreasonable for a first offender convicted of one count of receiv…
18-6061 Rogelio Ortiz-Martinez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-20 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP change-in-law criminal-appeal divisible-statute fifth-circuit intervening-change-in-law judicial-proceedings mandate mandate-rule recall-of-mandate rehearing-petition sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines texas-burglary-statute I. In a direct criminal appeal, is it a serious departure from the accepted and usual course of judicial proceedings when a federal court of appeals r…
18-6063 Craig Alexander v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals criminal-history criminal-procedure disciplinary-infractions due-process judicial-discretion judicial-interpretation section-3582 sentencing sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the Supreme Court should resolve spilt decisions in the lower court -as to how far a Judge must explain and/or elaborate on a decision to gran…
18-6030 Jason M. Smith v. United States Second Circuit 2018-09-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-waiver collateral-attack constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process plea-agreement public-policy sentencing In the decision under review, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that an appellate waiver provision in petitioner's plea a…
18-6041 Robert Burse v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure cross-reference district-court error firearms-offense review sentencing-guidelines u.s.s.g.-§-2k2.1(c)(1)(a) u.s.s.g.-2k2.1(c)(1)(a) Whether the district court erred by applying the Sentencing Guidelines cross reference under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(c)(1)(A).
18-5978 John Robert Register, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-09-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender civil-rights criminal-procedure drug-possession due-process plain-error prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation A. Did the court commit a plain error by applying a career offender enhancement to petitioner, even though his prior convictions (to wit: possession o…
18-6007 Valerie Louise Williams v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-09-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines appellate-review criminal-procedure downward-variance federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness Whether The Court Should Grant Certiorari to Provide Further Clarification as to the Presumption of Substantive Reasonableness for Downward Variances …
18-5992 Amilcar C. Butler v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-09-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-782 commutation criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing executive-branch executive-commutation judicial-branch judicial-discretion judicial-executive-branch-interaction mandatory-minimum sentencing-guidelines Does Butler's Statutory Mandatory Minimum Sentence Initially Imposed By The Judicial Branch And Later Commuted By The Executive Branch Bar Him From Se…
18-5967 Matthew Wade Howard v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-09-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law due-process federal-courts federal-criminal-law federal-guideline guideline-application sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation tenth-circuit Whether the Tenth Circuit and other circuits have broadened the application of U.S.S.G. 2K2.1(b)(6)(B) beyond the plain language of the guideline's te…
18-5968 In Re Jose Prisciliano Gracia-Cantu 2018-09-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-sentencing federal-appeals-court federal-courts federal-prisoner judicial-discretion mandamus mandate mandate-stay resentencing sentencing-guidelines unreasonable-sentence vacated-sentence writ-of-mandamus After it has issued a decision holding that a federal prisoner is entitled to resentencing due to a Sentencing Guidelines calculation error, can a fed…
18-5969 Carlos Alberto Fuentes-Canales v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-13 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP burglary burglary-offense crime-of-violence criminal-history plain-error-review sentencing-disparities sentencing-enhancement sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines unwarranted-disparities In Rosales-Mireles v. United States, 138 S. Ct. 1897 (2018), this Court held that, in the ordinary case, proof of a plain Sentencing Guidelines error …
18-5970 Allen D. Gorion v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-09-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-sentencing cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform Whether certiorari should be granted to set forth some guidelines in determining when a sentence is unreasonable?
18-5973 Alvin Ramirez-De Jesus v. United States First Circuit 2018-09-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) booker-standard criminal-procedure drug-conspiracy exclusionary-rule fourth-amendment probable-cause probation-revocation procedural-reasonableness reasonable-suspicion search-and-seizure sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness supervised-release Question not identified.
18-5930 Timothy Walker v. United States Third Circuit 2018-09-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender double-jeopardy drug-offense due-process guideline-amendments guideline-range post-sentencing-litigation sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g. Does it comport with the Due Process Clause and the prohibition against Double Jeopardy to, for all practical purposes, simultaneously impose two (2) …
18-5944 Rafael Tanco-Pizarro v. United States First Circuit 2018-09-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3583 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing discovery due-process revocation revocation-hearing sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supervised-release title-18-usc I. Whether the punishment factor of the federal sentencing statute, Title 18 U.S.C §3553(a)(2)(A), is a permissible or prohibited factor in sentencing…
18-5913 Alfonso Escobedo Garcia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-09-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure empirical-basis fifth-circuit judicial-review methamphetamine-sentencing presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness-review second-circuit sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Is a sentence imposed under the methamphetamine sentencing guideline–a guideline crafted without benefit of Sentencing Commission expertise or empiric…
18-5917 John Doe v. United States Third Circuit 2018-09-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review connected-conduct criminal-procedure federal-offense nexus obstruction obstructive-act reckless-endangerment relevant-conduct sentencing-guidelines Whether the Court of Appeals erred by affirming the judgment of the District Court, which incorrectly applied the Sentencing Guidelines when it impose…
18-5904 Donavan Cross v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-09-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause constructive-delivery constructive-possession controlled-substance-offense controlled-substances criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-delivery due-process intent sentencing sentencing-guidelines testimonial-evidence (1) Whether a statute that criminalizes a constructive delivery of drugs without bona fide intent to transfer possession is a felony "controlled subst…
18-5893 Dan Wayne Streetman v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-09-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP booker-precedent booker-v-united-states child-pornography gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion kimbrough-v-united-states policy-disagreement sentencing-commission sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-uniformity separation-of-powers 1. In the post-Booker world of non-mandatory guidelines, is it an abuse of discretion to refuse to reject a guideline on policy grounds where the guid…
18-5896 Beverly Allen Baker v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-09-05 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-procedure civil-rights confrontation-clause conspiracy criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel multiple-conspiracies sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment 1. Should BAS cov exercise YS Super visecy authority to reverse Nig Bakers cangpiracy comvichon ® By the end th trial, the government concluded that …
18-5898 Armando Castillo Valerio v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-09-05 Denied IFP appellate-review booker circuit-split criminal-sentencing downward-departure gall judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review WHETHER THIS COURT SHOULD RESOLVE THE SPLIT AMONG THE CIRCUITS REGARDING WHETHER A DISTRICT COURT'S DENIAL OF A MOTION FOR DOWNWARD DEPARTURE IS REVIE…
18-274 Michael Jay Stewart v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-09-04 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) criminal-fraud jury-instructions kokesh-v-sec mail-fraud materiality materiality-standard naive-and-careless omissions-theory reasonably-prudent-victim sentencing-guidelines statute-of-limitations 1. There is widespread conflict regarding the meaning of the federal criminal fraud statutes. While the confusion existed long before Neder v. United …
18-5839 James Frederick Rebmann v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-08-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law drug-offense drug-offenses federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines felony-classification plain-reading possession-offenses prior-conviction prior-convictions sentencing-guidelines sixth-circuit statutory-interpretation The Federal Sentencing Guidelines require a base offense level of 43 if the defendant is "convicted under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(B), or (b)(…
18-5811 Eusebio Escobar De Jesus v. United States First Circuit 2018-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals appeals-court criminal-procedure district-court due-process gall-v-united-states guideline-range guidelines molina-martinez-v-united-states offense-level procedural-error rosales-mireles-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-guidelines Whether the Appeals Court erroneously concluded Petitioner failed to state a claim, reasoning for want of a substantial question..., he asserts that (…
18-5828 Adolfo Lopez-Garcia v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a 18-usc-3582(c)(2) 3582c-motion amendment-782 criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court procedural-reasonableness sentence-reduction sentencing-discretion sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines statutory-directive statutory-interpretation substantive-error substantive-reasonableness sufficient-but-not-greater-than-necessary Whether the District Court Committed substantive error when failed to impose a sentence that was sufficient but not greater than necessary to comply w…
18-5725 Alfred Thomas v. United States Second Circuit 2018-08-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP alternative-calculations circuit-split criminal-sentencing double-counting firearms-offense sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation u.s.s.g.-2k2.1(b)(6)(b) u.s.s.g.-2k2.1(c) u.s.s.g.-5k2.6 upward-departure Whether the Second Circuit, disagreeing with the Seventh Circuit, correctly held that it is permissible in sentencing a defendant for a firearms offen…
18-5693 Arlow Antone Kay v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-08-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP making robust appellate review unnecessary appellate-review constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion sentencing sentencing-guidelines united-states-v-booker Have the departure provisions of the United States Sentencing Guidelines been rendered "obsolete" and "superfluous" by this Court's opinion in United …
18-5699 Chuck Wayne Boyd v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-08-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3582 3553-factors 3582-modification criminal-sentencing discretion inmate-progress judicial-discretion post-sentence-history pre-sentence-history sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines usg-amendment-782 When considering a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C.§ 3582 and U.S.S.G. Amendment 782, does the court abuse it's discretion by not explaining the rea…
18-5707 Anthony Curtis Flowers v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-08-22 Dismissed Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 3-strikes armed-career-criminal-act career-offender due-process due-process,johnson-v-united-states,18-usc-924,18- habeas-corpus johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states section-2255 sentencing sentencing-guidelines (1) Whether the district court deprived Flowers due process by denying his § 2255 petition challenging his sentences under Johnson v. United States, 1…
18-5709 Paul Allen Anderson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-08-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2255-proceeding appeal-waiver certificate-of-appealability due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel section-2255 title-28-usc-2255 WHETHER AN APPEAL WAIVER CAN BE ENFORCED IN A TITLE 28 U.S.C. § 2255 PROCEEDING WHEN PETITIONER HAS BASED HIS CLAIMS ON INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUN…
18-5674 Roger Clay Swain v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-08-21 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act career-offender collateral-review due-process federal-sentencing habeas-corpus johnson-ruling mandatory-sentencing-guidelines residual-clause retroactivity section-2255-motion sentencing-guidelines supreme-court-retroactivity timeliness Did Mr. Swain file his § 2255 motion within one year of "the date on which the right asserted was initially recognized by the Supreme Court," which "h…
18-5644 Gesner Delva, aka Ti Blan v. United States Second Circuit 2018-08-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 appellate-review circuit-court-precedent court-of-appeals criminal-sentencing district-court due-process equal-protection judicial-discretion precedent sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Contrary to Its Own Precedent Affirmed the District Court's Judgment Order Whereby Denying the Pet…
18-202 Haynes Timberland, Inc. v. United States First Circuit 2018-08-15 Denied Response Waived appeal-waiver collateral-attack criminal-procedure direct-appeal due-process plea-agreement plea-bargaining pre-sentence-waiver sentencing waiver waiver-of-rights Whether a defendant, by executing a pre-sentence waiver of the right to a direct appeal of his conviction and sentence, implicitly waives his right to…
18-5586 William Knight v. Florida Florida 2018-08-15 Denied IFP abuse-of-authority appellate-procedure criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process habitual-offender illegal-sentence judicial-abuse judicial-authority jurisdiction sentencing sentencing-error sentencing-guidelines statutory-maximum WHETHER TRIAL COURT ABUSED THEIR AUTHORITY BY ALLOWING THE STATE ATTORNEY OFFICE TO IMPOSE A SENTENCE CONTRARY TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW ON DOUBL…
18-5605 Robert S. Beyer, II v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-08-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP admissibility appellate-procedure bad-character-evidence character-evidence criminal-procedure de-novo-review due-process evidence-rules federal-rules-of-evidence presumption-of-admissibility rule-403 rule-404 sentencing-guidelines victim-vulnerability 1. Do Fed R. Evid. Rules 403 and 404 create a presumption favoring admissibility of bad character evidence? 2. May the United States Courts of Appeal…
18-5532 Galindo Jose Ruiz-Hernandez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-08-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP alien-smuggling bodily-injury causation causation-standard criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process foreseeability immigration mens-rea reasonable-foreseeability sentencing-enhancement sentencing-enhancements sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review Petitioner, GALINDO JOSE RUIZ-HERNANDEZ, was tried and convicted of transporting undocumented aliens within the United States. The District Court adde…
18-5533 Brandon Maurice Shannon v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-08-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure appellate-review certiorari-review criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit harmless-error judicial-remand plain-error post-conviction-relief retroactivity rosales-mireles sentencing sentencing-guidelines Should this Court grant certiorari, vacate the judgment, and remand in light 2018), an authority that post-dated the opinion below?
18-5552 Victoriano Vega-Jimenez, aka Jose Raul Hernandez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-08-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 11th-circuit 18-usc-3582 18-usc-3582(c)(2) circuit-split conflict-with-precedent criminal-sentencing drug-amount drug-quantity drug-sentencing eligibility sentence-reduction sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation ussg-amendment-782 Whether the United States, Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Has Entered a Decision that Is in Conflict with Its Own Precedent and the Decisio…
18-5554 Carlos Troche-Alvarado v. United States First Circuit 2018-08-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-U.S.C-3553 18-usc-3553 above-guidelines-sentence adequate-explanation appellate-review criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion erroneous-factual-basis judicial-discretion procedural-reasonableness prosecution-recommended-sentence sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a sentencing court violates 18 U.S.C. § 3553 when it imposes an above-Guidelines sentence, which also exceeds the prosecution's recommended se…
18-188 Ivy T. Tucker v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-08-10 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) circuit-split constitutional-deficiency constitutional-law criminal-procedure ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel mandatory-minimum offense-of-conviction out-of-circuit-precedent procedural-default sentencing sentencing-guidelines trial-counsel I. Whether trial counsel's failure to make an argument that courts of appeals outside the circuit have accepted (and the circuit has not addressed) ma…
18-5547 Jose Estrada-Corrales v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-08-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 appeal certiorari criminal-procedure due-process federal-appeals remand retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines supreme-court Should this Court grant certiorari, vacate the judgment, and remand in light of Chavez-Meza v. United States, __U.S.__, 138 S.Ct. 1959 (June 18, 2018)…
18-5538 Shawn J. Gieswein v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-08-09 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing guidelines molina-martinez-v-united-states peugh-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-errors sentencing-guidelines tenth-circuit volina-martinez-v-united-states Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit erroneously speculated in conflict with the principles enunciated by this Court in Mo…
18-5504 William Lem Posey, II v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-08-08 Denied IFP career-offender categorical-approach circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing descamps-approach divisibility element-analysis element-based-approach grammar-based-approach mandatory-guidelines non-generic-offense sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation To decide whether a non-generic offense is divisible under Descamps v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2276 (2013), does a sentencing court need to take a g…
18-5510 Quincy Andre Jones v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-08-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP allocution appeal-waiver direct-appeal due-process fundamental-error fundamental-errors mandatory-guidelines plea-agreement sentencing-guidelines Whether an appeal waiver in a plea agreement can prohibit a defendant from challenging on direct appeal unforeseeable fundamental errors committed by …
18-5516 Isaiah Galbreath v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-08-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-sentencing empirical-basis fifth-circuit judicial-review methamphetamine methamphetamine-sentencing presumption-of-reasonableness reasonableness-standard second-circuit sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines Is a sentence imposed under the methamphetamine sentencing guideline–a guideline crafted without benefit of Sentencing Commission expertise or empiric…
18-5480 Bjorn Christian Luster v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-08-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP burglary burglary-enhancement criminal-conviction criminal-history due-process evidence-interpretation fifth-amendment-due-process juvenile-offenses points-scoring prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment-effective-assistance-of-counsel ussg-2k2.1(b)(3) ussg-4a1.1 victim-testimony 1. Did the court err in applying an offense level enhancement under U.S.S.G 2K2,1(a)(3) for having a prior crime of violence" conviction When said con…
18-5483 Martin R. Vandemerwe v. Steve Langford, Warden Ninth Circuit 2018-08-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split federal-prisoner habeas-corpus miscarriage-of-justice retroactive-decision savings-clause sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Is the Circuit Split between the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and other' listed Circuits(see below) sufficient given it denies defendant's in all …
18-5468 Raul Villarreal and Fidel Villarreal v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-08-06 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP acquitted-conduct appellate-review constitutional-rights dismissed-conduct fifth-amendment sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-review sixth-amendment statutory-law statutory-maximum (1) Whether an upward departure from the advisory Sentencing Guidelines is subject to appellate review. (2) Whether reliance on acquitted and dismiss…
18-5469 Chad Allen Dorton v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-08-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court due-process judicial-discretion obstruction-of-justice offense-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment standard-of-review Did the district court err in applying the sentencing guidelines offense enhancement for obstruction of justice?
18-5422 Dedrick T. Garrett v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-08-01 Denied IFP career-offender circuit-split collateral-review constitutional-law mandatory-guidelines pre-booker retroactivity sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-vagueness vagueness vagueness-doctrine In Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015) (Samuel Johnson), this Court declared the Armed Career Criminal Act's (ACCA) residual clause uncon…
18-5390 Khalil Abu Rayyan v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-07-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process fifth-amendment sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment uncharged-conduct upward-variance (1) Several United States Courts of Appeals have suggested that the use of defendants' uncharged, unproven conduct in deciding their sentences may vio…
18-5391 Daniel Sexton v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-07-31 Denied IFP 18-usc-981 circuit-split criminal-forfeiture-liability criminal-procedure dismissed-charges due-process forfeiture-liability honeycutt-v-united-states joint-and-several-liability sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Question I. Does this Court's reasoning of Honeycutt v. United States, 137 S. Ct. 1626 (2017), limiting joint and several forfeiture liability to what…
18-5397 Alejandro Parra-Ramos v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-07-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure defendant-prejudice due-process government-misconduct judicial-discretion plain-error plea-agreement plea-agreement-breach prejudice prosecutorial-breach sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-recommendation sentencing-variance upward-variance Whether a defendant suffers prejudice when the government breaches a plea agreement by calling its agreed-upon recommendation irrational, and the cour…
18-5373 Otis Sykes v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-07-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process guidelines guidelines-range harmless-error judicial-error molina-martinez-v-us rosales-mireles-v-us sentencing sentencing-guidelines substantial-rights DEFENDANT SEEKS THIS SUPREME COURT'S REVIEW OF HIS ABOVE GUIDELINES SENTENCE IMPOSED WITHIN AN INCORRECT GUIDELINES RANGE UTILIZING "ADDITIONAL EVIDEN…
18-5336 Ventron Vaneke Lott v. Patrick Warren, Warden Sixth Circuit 2018-07-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process effective-assistance-of-counsel evidence ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-discretion michigan-law sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment DID THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING PETITIONER UNDER THE RESRICTIONS OF OV-1 AND OV-2 [OF THE MICHIGAN SENTENCING GUIDELINES] IN VIOLATION OF HIS …
18-5308 O'Neil Anthony Harris v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-07-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines congressional-intent guideline-amendment judicial-discretion sentence-enhancement sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform upward-variance Whether a District Court Disregards Congressional Intent and Imposes an Unreasonable Sentence When it Applies an Upward Variance to the Advisory Sente…
18-5247 James McCray v. S. L. Burt, Warden Sixth Circuit 2018-07-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 6th-amendment constitutional-violation criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion jury-trial minimum-sentence plea-bargaining reasonable-doubt sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment WHETHER THE SIXTH CIRCUIT DECISION IS OBJECTIVELY UNREASONABLE AS A MATTER OF DUE PROCESS, BECAUSE MCCRAY SENTENCING GUIDELINES OFFENSE VARIABLE[S] WA…
18-5258 Howell Miller v. United States Second Circuit 2018-07-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure criminal-procedure due-process en-banc-review judge-found-facts judicial-fact-finding sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment uniformity-of-decisions united-states-v-booker WHETHER A DRASTICALLY INCREASED SENTENCE (FROM ROUGHLY 10 YEARS TO 12 YEARS) THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REASONABLE BUT FOR JUDGE-FOUND FACTS VIOLATES TH…
18-5266 Michael Ferguson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-07-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines arrest-records bare-arrest-records dismissed-charges due-process evidence-reliability hearsay hearsay-evidence reliability-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment (1) What standard of scrutiny does Due Process require courts to use when evaluating the reliability of evidence courts rely on to impose a sentence? …
18-5245 Jesus M. Rios-Ramos v. United States First Circuit 2018-07-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act beckles-precedent beckles-v-united-states career-offender career-offender-guideline criminal-law due-process johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines vagueness Whether this Court should address the application and contours of the residual clause of the Career Offender guideline, U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2, in light of …
18-5238 Hassanh Bey Wright, aka Hassanh Bay Wright v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-07-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP crime-of-violence criminal-history criminal-law culpable-negligence force-clause intent mens-rea residual-clause sentencing-guidelines supervised-release Whether a crime with a mens rea of culpable negligence meets the definition of a "crime of violence" under either the force clause or the residual cla…
18-5241 Victor Maturino v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-07-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP administrative-law commentary-amendments destructive-devices double-jeopardy due-process firearms firearms-possession guideline-commentary offense-level-increases rulemaking-authority sentence-enhancement sentencing-commission-process sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation The Sentencing Guidelines in § 2K2.1 setting forth provisions concerning unlawful possession of firearms and specific offense characteristics provide …
18-5204 Jose Luis Morales v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-07-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure due-process enhancement evidence fact-finding immigration immigration-law judicial-error sentencing sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation undocumented-aliens WHETHER THE LOWER COURT ERRORED BY DENYING THE RELIEF UNDER SECTION 3E1:1 FOR ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY ? WHETHER THE LOWER COURT ERRORED IN ENHAN…
18-5207 Omar Montoya v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-07-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 circumstances-beyond-control criminal-sentencing,sentencing-guidelines,abuse-of criminal-sentencing,sentencing-guidelines,sentenci discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-range timeliness Whether the District Court reversibly erred in Denying to Reduce and Appropriate Outcome when the Subsequent Sentencing Range has been Lowered by the …
18-5187 Verissimo Tavares v. United States First Circuit 2018-07-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP beckles-v-united-states career-offender congressional-directive crime-of-violence criminal-sentencing-guidelines due-process johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states procedural-error residual-clause sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation violent-felony 1. Whether application of the residual clause of the definition of "crime of violence" in U.S.S.G. §4Bl.2(a)(2), a clause identical to that of the res…
18-5193 William Brown v. United States First Circuit 2018-07-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion beckles-precedent beckles-v-united-states crime-of-violence due-process federal-sentencing-law johnson-v-united-states procedural-error residual-clause sentencing-guidelines void-for-vagueness Whether reliance on the "residual clause" of the "crime of violence" definition in the United States Sentencing Guidelines, U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(2), is…
18-5168 Jose Palacios, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-07-09 Denied IFP appeal appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing de-novo-resentencing due-process remand remand-rule resentencing sentencing sentencing-guidelines The Fifth Circuit, and two other circuits, have interpreted the mandate rule in a "restrictive" or "waiver" approach, meaning that when a case is rema…
18-5171 Erick Rolando Lopez-Mendez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process empirical-basis federal-sentencing illegal-reentry immigration presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines Whether a sentence produced by the former illegal-reentry guideline, §2L1.2, is entitled to a presumption of reasonableness on appeal.
18-5176 In Re Winex Eugene 2018-07-09 Denied IFP actual-innocence article-iii career-offender case-or-controversy categorical-approach constitutional-review redressability residual-clause sentencing-commission sentencing-guidelines separation-of-powers standing standing-civil-procedure 1) Does Mr. Eugene's incarceration constitute a case involving substantial injury, whereby a controversy requiring Article III exercise of discretion …
18-5107 Willard Quinn v. United States Seventh Circuit 2018-07-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP bodily-injury crime-of-violence criminal-law force-clause injury sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-requirement violent-force Whether the force clause of the Sentencing Guidelines' definition of "crime of violence" can be satisfied by a statutory requirement that a defendant'…
18-5112 Benjamin Fredrick Charles Robinson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-07-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP base-offense-level criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing dismissed-count due-process mandatory-minimum restitution sentencing-guidelines statutory-minimum upward-departure I. Whether a four (4) level upward departure for conduct underlying a dismissed count pursuant to USSG §5K2.21, bringing the defendant's sentence abov…
18-5129 Rodolfo Trejo v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-07-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing double-counting due-process eighth-amendment equal-protection immigration sentencing sentencing-disparity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness I.- Whether Petitioner's Sentence Constitutes Impermissible Double Counting. Whether Petitioner's Sentence is Substantively Unreasonable Under the th…
18-5155 Omar Qazi v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-07-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP bail-reform bail-reform-act constitutional-rights dangerousness due-process pre-trial-detention pretrial-detention sentencing-guidelines speedy-trial speedy-trial-act Question not identified.
18-5114 Nigel L. Faison v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-07-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure civil-rights criminal-procedure due-process jurisdiction plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines standing statutory-interpretation takings failed to review 4CCA when entered Claim .5 hualidated due to that 0lea insufficlent factuar basis. e founs whea it 4CCA that shcofret erned drug quan…
18-5115 Stanley Lee Hayward v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-07-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravated-assault crime-of-violence due-process equal-protection essential-elements habeas-corpus sentencing-guidelines statute WHETHER THE LOWER TRIBUNAL ABUSED IT'S DISCRETION IN DENYING PETITIONER THE RIGHT F TO DUE PROCESS EQUAL PROTECTION OF LAW IN HOLDING THAT HIS PRIOR 1…
18-5116 Benjamin A. Gibbs v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-07-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure due-process jurisdiction life-sentence murder patent retroactive-application sentencing-guidelines standing takings uncharge-offense DENYING A CERTIFICATE OF APPEALABILITY SHOULD THE JUDGMENT BE VACATED IN LIGHT OF BUCK V. DAVIS, 137 SCT 759 (2017), WELCH V. UNITED STATES, 136 SCT 1…
18-5144 Julio Gutierrez-Jaramillo v. Warden, FCI Gilmer Fourth Circuit 2018-07-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3585 bureau-of-prisons bureau-of-prisons-program-statement criminal-procedure due-process extradition federal-bureau-of-prisons foreign-detention judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-credit sentencing-guidelines time-credit time-served united-states-v-wilson I. Whether prior credit for time held in foreign detention can only be given by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and to do so by the district court at se…
18-20 Arkadiy Bangiyev v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-07-03 Denied Response Waived 28-usc-2255 certificate-of-appealability counsel-stipulation criminal-procedure evidentiary-hearing ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-bargain plea-bargaining sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment writ-of-certiorari In McCoy v. Louisiana, 138 S.Ct. 1500 (2018), this Court held that trial counsel may not concede the defendant's guilt over the defendant's objection.…
18-5080 Derrick Pittman v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-07-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP carachuri-rosendo-v-holder career-offender career-offender-enhancement criminal-sentencing north-carolina-justice-reinvestment-act north-carolina-law post-release-supervision predicate-felonies sentencing-guidelines united-states-sentencing-guideline united-states-sentencing-guidelines Whether the period of post-release supervision mandated for offenders punished under the North Carolina Justice Reinvestment Act is part of the term o…
18-5097 Antonio Torres v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-07-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-activity defendant-role mitigating-role paid-tasks proprietary-interest rebuttable-presumption sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction 1. Whether U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2 now contains a rebuttable presumption that a mitigating role reduction should be granted upon a showing by the defendant t…
18-16 Larone Frederick Elijah v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-07-02 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-sentencing-guidelines-harmless- district-court federal-sentencing harmless-error procedural-reasonableness sentencing-guidelines substantive-reasonableness variance-sentence In Rosales-Mireles, 138 S. Ct. 1897 (2018), this Court held that "before a court of appeals can consider the substantive reasonableness of a sentence,…
18-5072 Jill M. Evans v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility burden-on-court-system criminal-procedure due-process efficient-punishment federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines guilty-plea plea-bargaining sentencing sentencing-guidelines unrelated-offenses Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, should a defendant be entitled to credit under the acceptance of responsibility guideline (USSG §3E1.1) if sh…
18-5089 Kevin Khaaliq Beamon v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) criminal-history criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion sentencing-guidelines sentencing-upon-revocation sentencing-variance substance-addiction supervised-release upward-variance Whether a district court may impose a significant upward variance at sentencing upon revocation of supervised release on an individual who had never b…
18-5062 Norman L. Hunter v. United States Sixth Circuit 2018-06-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP aged-offenses appellate-review career-offender civil-procedure criminal-history district-court-error due-process guideline-determination sentencing-enhancement sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines standing writ-of-certiorari I. Should a writ of certiorari be granted to determine whether the district court erred in sentencing Hunter as a career offender when the offenses ut…
18-5011 Xavier Cardona v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-06-28 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 4th-amendment 5th-amendment appellate-review asset-seizure burden-of-proof civil-forfeiture currency-seizure drug-trafficking drug-transaction due-process evidence-standard judicial-conversion procedural-due-process property-rights sentencing-guidelines 1. Was it admissable for the court of appeals to affirm the dist rict court's conversion of petitioner's seized cash into cocaine, when there was no e…