fair-sentencing-act
43 cases — ← All topics
| Case | Title | Lower Court | Docketed | Status | Flags | Tags | Question Presented |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24-6344 | Tamir Abdullah v. United States | Sixth Circuit | 2025-01-21 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-procedure drug-quantity fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing-range statutory-interpretation | Section 404 of the First Step Act made retroactive the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010's changes to the cocaine-base drug-quantity thresholds in 21 U.S.C.… |
| 24-6292 | Shannon L. Cotton v. United States | Seventh Circuit | 2025-01-14 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-sentencing fair-sentencing-act felony-classification first-step-act statutory-interpretation supervised-release | Whether the plain language of 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(3) requires a district court to determine the current classification of a defendant's felony by look… |
| 24-6260 | Chris Walker v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2025-01-10 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | fair-sentencing-act fifth-circuit-standard first-step-act intervening-changes legal-review sentencing-reduction | The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a district court did not need to consider the merits of a defendant's motion for sentence reduction under… |
| 23-6600 | Richard Daniel v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2024-01-29 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | circuit-split covered-offense discretionary-sentencing fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing-discretion sentencing-package-doctrine sentencing-reduction | Where a defendant was sentenced for multiple offenses, some of which are now covered by § 404 of the First Step Act while others are not covered, does… |
| 23-6596 | Kenneth Roshaun Reid v. United States District Court for the District of South Carolina | Fourth Circuit | 2024-01-26 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | board-of-immigration-appeals child-status-protection-act criminal-procedure discretion discretionary-review fair-sentencing-act immigration-law plain-error priority-date retroactivity sentencing statutory-interpretation | Question not identified. |
| 23-6418 | Harvey Holland v. United States | Third Circuit | 2024-01-05 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | due-process fair-sentencing-act first-step-act jury-trial murder-cross-reference sentencing-discretion | A long standing and durable tradition for federal sentencing in this nation is that judges have broad discretion in the kind of information and source… |
| 23-6403 | Tony L. Ford v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2024-01-03 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | concepcion-precedent concepcion-v-united-states criminal-resentencing eleventh-circuit eleventh-circuit-interpretation fair-sentencing-act first-step-act intervening-law-changes sentencing sentencing-discretion statutory-penalty | Previously, the courts of appeals were divided over whether a district court could consider intervening changes to the law during First Step Act proce… |
| 23-6019 | Luis Olivares v. United States | Eighth Circuit | 2023-11-16 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 18-usc-3582 criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion exceptional-circumstances fair-sentencing-act sentence-modification statutory-interpretation | WHETHER THE FAIR SENTENCING ACT, 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A), PERMITS A DISTRICT COURT TO MODIFY MR. OLIVARES UNUSUALLY LONG SENTENCE IN THIS EXCEPTIONA… |
| 23-5832 | William R. Abbott v. Loretta Otis-Sanders, et al. | Fifth Circuit | 2023-10-18 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | civil-rights crack-cocaine criminal-procedure due-process eighth-amendment-cruel-and-unusual-punishment equal-protection fair-sentencing-act federal-sentencing federal-statute-of-limitations first-step-act prison-rape-elimination-act retroactivity | Whether the State of Louisiana Constitution's Equal Protection Clause embodies through the United States Constitution Fourteenth Amendment Federal sta… |
| 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 … |
| 23-341 | Bobby Lee Ingram v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2023-10-02 | Denied | Relisted (2) | apprendi-v-new-jersey concepcion-v-united-states drug-quantity eleventh-circuit fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-penalty terry-v-united-states | 1. Whether the Eleventh Circuit has violated Terry in holding that, at step one, district courts should disregard the "elements" of a defendant's offe… |
| 23-226 | Antonio Soul Gonzalez v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2023-09-12 | Denied | Amici (1) | covered-offense criminal-sentencing discretion district-court-discretion fair-sentencing-act first-step-act recalculation sentence-reduction sentencing-range statutory-interpretation | Whether a district court must recalculate a movant's sentencing range as if Sections 2 and 3 of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 were in effect at the … |
| 23-5198 | Richard Potts v. United States | Third Circuit | 2023-07-26 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-justice-reform criminal-sentencing discretionary-authority district-court-discretion fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation statutory-penalty | First Question Whether the Fair Sentencing Act modified the statutory penalty for petitioner's offense, so that petitioner is eligible for a sentenc… |
| 23-27 | Michael Harper v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2023-07-10 | Denied | apprendi-v-new-jersey circuit-split criminal-resentencing drug-quantity fair-sentencing-act first-step-act judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-penalty terry-v-united-states | Under the First Step Act of 2018, courts may reduce certain previously imposed sentences to match the penalties in the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. Th… | |
| 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? |
| 22-7783 | Pinkney Clowers, III v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2023-06-14 | Denied | Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP | apprendi circuit-split concepcion-v-united-states criminal-enterprise drug-quantity fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing-discretion statutory-interpretation terry-v-united-states | When a jury convicted Pinkney Clowers of continuing a criminal enterprise, 21 U.S.C. § 484(b) mandated a life sentence because his offense involved at… |
| 22-7309 | James H. Roane, Jr., and Richard Tipton v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2023-04-18 | Denied | IFP | continuing-criminal-enterprise covered-offense criminal-enterprise drug-weight drug-weight-threshold fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing-range | Whether the First Step Act's "covered offense" analysis turns upon whether the Fair Sentencing Act modified the sentencing range for violation of a gi… |
| 22-5061 | Dewayne Joseph v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2022-07-11 | GVR | IFP | concepcion-ruling concepcion-v-united-states crack-cocaine crack-penalties criminal-resentencing discretion eleventh-circuit fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing sentencing-modification | Whether this case should be reversed and remanded in light of Concepcion? |
| 21-7342 | Alejandro Salinas Garcia v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2022-03-11 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 21-usc-841 drug-sentencing fair-sentencing-act first-step-act least-harsh-sentence multiple-drug-types sentencing-parameters statutory-penalties statutory-sentencing | Does the record demonstrate that a defendant was sentenced in accordance with the FSA1 for violations of 21 U.S.C. § 841, involving multiple drug type… |
| 21-6357 | Kenneth Roshaun Reid v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2021-11-23 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | constitutional-violation criminal-procedure due-process fair-sentencing-act federal-sentencing habeas-corpus ineffective-counsel jurisdiction procedural-default retroactivity sentencing | When the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Vacated and Remanded case #19-7803 back to the District Court shouldn't the district Court have given Mr. Reid a… |
| 21-690 | Rodney Earl Cannady, aka Camp Earl v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2021-11-09 | Denied | career-offender cocaine-base-offense criminal-sentencing fair-sentencing-act first-step-act plain-error retroactive-amendment retroactivity sentencing-reduction | Did the district court error by denying defendant Cannady relief pursuant to the "First Step Act of 2018" retroactive, which made the "Fair Sentencing… | |
| 21-6107 | Thomas Johnson v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2021-10-27 | Denied | Relisted (3)IFP | criminal-procedure criminal-resentencing district-court-discretion factual-developments fair-sentencing-act first-step-act legal-developments presidential-commutation sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation | Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an eligible defendant under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a distric… |
| 21-6007 | Carlton Potts, aka Pep v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2021-10-19 | Denied | Relisted (3)IFP | appellate-review criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion factual-developments fair-sentencing-act first-step-act legal-developments sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation | Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an eligible defendant under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a distric… |
| 21-5874 | Warren Lavell Jackson v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2021-10-04 | GVR | Relisted (3)IFP | apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey constitutional-law constitutional-precedent covered-offense criminal-sentencing fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation | Whether the "as if" language in Section 404(b) of the First Step Act requires a sentencing court to disregard intervening, but well-established consti… |
| 21-5584 | Guerly Alexis v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2021-09-07 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing eleventh-circuit equal-protection fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation | Whether a defendant whose offense preceded the enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, and who was sentenced after its enactment, but not necess… |
| 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… |
| 21-5100 | Matthew James Haymond, Sr. v. United States | Eighth Circuit | 2021-07-14 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | crack-cocaine criminal-sentencing drug-offenses fair-sentencing-act first-step-act mandatory-life-sentence mandatory-minimum plea-bargaining retroactive-application sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation | Whether Mr. Haymond was improperly denied First Step Act § 404 relief from his mandatory life sentence under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A), where the distr… |
| 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… |
| 20-7474 | 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… |
| 20-7218 | 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… |
| 20-6819 | Frantz Sterlin v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2021-01-11 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-justice criminal-sentencing eligibility fair-sentencing-act first-step-act section-404 sentence-reduction sentencing-reduction u.s.-senate-bill-756 | Whether Petitioner was eligible for a First Step Act reduction of his sentence, based on Section 404 of the Fair Sentencing Act. |
| 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… |
| 20-5904 | Tarahrick Terry v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2020-10-05 | Judgment Issued | Amici (9)IFP | 2010 crack offenders sentenced under 21 U.S.C. § circuit-split crack-cocaine fair-sentencing-act federal-criminal-statute first-step-act sentencing sentencing-modification statutory-interpretation statutory-penalties | Whether pre-August 3, 2010 crack offenders sentenced under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C) have a "covered offense" under Section 404 of the First Step Act. |
| 20-291 | Jamell Birt v. United States | Third Circuit | 2020-09-04 | Denied | Amici (2)Relisted (3) | circuit-split crack-cocaine criminal-sentencing fair-sentencing-act first-step-act sentencing-penalties statutory-interpretation | Does the term "covered offense" in the First Step Act of 2018 include violations of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) involving crack cocaine to which apply the pena… |
| 20-5323 | Alfred Domenick Wright v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2020-08-11 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-procedure fair-sentencing-act government-error ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-review sentencing-reduction sibron-v-new-york statutory-interpretation substantial-assistance united-states-v-gall | 1.) Should the Government correct error committed when applying 'The Fair Sentencing Act ' (Nov. 2014)? And if an applicant 's reduction for Substan… |
| 19-8877 | Patrick D. Lomas v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2020-07-01 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure discretion fair-sentencing-act first-step-act judicial-discretion section-404 sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation | i. Did the District Court abuse it's Discretion when it denied Petitioner's Motion seeking a reduction of Sentence under Section 404(b) of the First S… |
| 19-8445 | Freddie Lee Curry, aka King of da Hood, aka Rat v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2020-05-12 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 21-usc-841 alleyne alleyne-ruling criminal-procedure drug-quantity fair-sentencing-act first-step-act mandatory-minimum sentence-reduction sentencing statutory-interpretation | Did the District Court abused its discretion when it failed to to apply Alleyne to Appellant's sentence reduction under Section 404(b) of the First St… |
| 19-8034 | Whitney Atkinson v. United States | Sixth Circuit | 2020-03-18 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | crack-cocaine drug-offense fair-sentencing-act first-step-act mandatory-minimum retroactive-application sentence-enhancement statutory-interpretation | Did Mr. Atkinson receive a sentence for a covered drug offense, such that he should be eligible for retroactive application of the Fair Sentencing Act… |
| 19-7776 | Mickel L. Marzouk v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2020-02-25 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 924(c) crime-of-violence criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process elements-clause fair-sentencing-act fourth-circuit hobbs-act rule-of-lenity sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation | Petitioner Mickel L. Marzouk presents two questions for this Court's review: 1. Whether Petitioner's sentence on the second § 924(c) conviction and t… |
| 19-7430 | Richard L. Bryant v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2020-01-27 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | alleyne apprendi apprendi-alleyne apprendi-alleyne-rule drug-distribution-conspiracy fair-sentencing-act fair-sentencing-act-2010 first-step-act first-step-act-2018 relevant-conduct retroactive-sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-ranges | 1. Whether a Defendant convicted by a jury of a drug distribution conspiracy involving multiple controlled substances, whose sentence has never been r… |
| 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… |
| 18-8796 | Larry Junior Copeland, aka La-La v. United States | Fourth Circuit | 2019-04-11 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | certificate-of-appealability evidentiary-hearing fair-sentencing-act first-step-act habeas-corpus procedural-default retroactivity sentencing-discretion | This Court holds that when a habeas petitioner alleges facts that are outside the courtroom, and if proven, those facts entitle a petitioner to relief… |
| 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 … |