first-step-act

285 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-6867 Richard Henry Kayian v. United States Fourth Circuit 2026-02-20 Pending IFP apprendi-violation drug-quantity-enhancement first-step-act serious-drug-felony sixth-amendment-sentencing substantive-reasonableness 1. whether a prior state conviction for simple possession of 1.5 grams of cocaine - punished with probation only - qualities as a "serious drug felony…
25-6641 Ervin Thornton, II v. United States Sixth Circuit 2026-01-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP apprendi-rule circuit-split drug-offense first-step-act sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Section 404 of the First Step Act opened a pathway to sentencing relief for people convicted of crack cocaine offenses prior to August 3, 2010. The ac…
25-6636 Donnie Bryant v. United States Ninth Circuit 2026-01-21 Pending IFP 18-usc-3582 924c-convictions extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act juvenile-sentencing sentence-modification 1. Should a defendant's juvenile status at the time of the offense qualify as an extraordinary and compelling reason for a modification of a term of i…
25-6599 Harry Whitman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2026-01-15 Pending IFP criminal-resentencing extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act mandatory-minimum sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether the fact that a prisoner is serving a sentence that is significantly longer than the law would now permit, in light of the First Step Act's no…
25-818 Terrell Anthony Hargrove v. Ian Healy, Warden Sixth Circuit 2026-01-12 Pending Amici (2) circuit-split first-step-act incarceration-reduction statutory-interpretation supervised-release time-credits Whether "[t]ime credits" under 18 U.S.C. § 3632(d)(4)(C) may be applied to reduce an individual's term of supervised release.
25-5930 William Maxwell v. Albert Thomas, III, Warden Fifth Circuit 2025-10-22 Pending Response RequestedResponse WaivedIFP administrative-remedies exhaustion-doctrine first-step-act habeas-corpus judicial-review sentencing-credits I. The question for this Court is whether disputes regarding the calculation of an inmate's earned First Step Act time credits, enabling the inmate to…
25-5857 Russell Kimble Jackson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-10-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-procedure drug-felony first-step-act sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation 1. After the First Step Act enactment date of December 21, 2018. Is it true it now takes two or more "serious drug felonies" or two or more prior "ser…
25-5737 Antwan Elvago Coplen v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-09-25 Denied IFP district-court-discretion extraordinary-reasons first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing-law statutory-interpretation (1) WHETHER A COMBINATION OF "EXTRAORDINARY AND COMPELLING REASONS" THAT MAY WARRANT A DISCRETIONARY SENTENCE REDUCTION UNDER 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)U) (…
25-5493 Joshua Devon Barrow v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-08-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law first-step-act revocation sentencing statutory-maximum supervised-release When determining the statutory maximum sentence on revocation, should courts consult current law or only the law at the time of the underlying offense…
25-81 Lois Jochinto Orta v. United States, et al. Sixth Circuit 2025-07-22 Pending circuit-split district-court-discretion extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, as four circuits permit but six others prohibit, a district court may consider disparities created by the First Step Act's prospective change…
25-5054 Eural Black v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-07-08 Pending IFP circuit-split compassionate-release extraordinary-reasons first-step-act mandatory-minimum sentencing-reduction The compassionate-release statute permits courts to reduce a prisoner's sentence if the court finds that "extraordinary and compelling reasons" warran…
24-6894 William J. Wise v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-03-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP aging-process compassionate-release district-court eighth-amendment first-step-act medical-conditions Whether the District Court establish an improperly high standard for demonstrating "serious deterioration in physical or mental health because of the …
24-6827 Charles Anthony Giovinco v. Caryn Flowers, Warden Second Circuit 2025-03-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP agency-deference concurrent-sentences first-step-act recidivism-reduction statutory-interpretation time-credits The First Step Act of 2018 ("FSA") provides that an eligible prisoner "shall earn" time credits if he participates in the FSA's flagship recidivism-re…
24-6730 Richard David Degout v. United States Fourth Circuit 2025-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law criminal-procedure drug-offenses due-process first-step-act sentencing-reduction This Court should GVR tnis case to the lower court to aadress whether the procedural protections enshrined m the Due Process of Law allows a criminal …
24-6603 Michael Lee Gordon v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-02-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP compassionate-release criminal-procedure first-step-act retroactive-application sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation 1. Whether or not the "reduced" penalties pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553, commonly referred to as "Hazelwood" or as was amended and specified by Congres…
24-6464 Zachary Stinson v. Felipe Martinez, Jr., Warden Fifth Circuit 2025-02-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP bureau-of-prisons first-step-act prerelease-custody recidivism-reduction sentencing-credits time-credits The First Step Act of 2018 established incentives for federal prisoners to participate in evidence-based recidivism reduction programs and productive …
24-820 Daniel Rutherford v. United States Third Circuit 2025-02-03 Granted Amici (7)Relisted (2) circuit-split compassionate-release extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation The compassionate-release statute permits courts to reduce a prisoner's sentence if the court finds that "extraordinary and compelling reasons" warr…
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…
24-6131 Kristopher Jacob Freda v. Oregon Oregon 2024-12-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP bureau-of-prisons compassionate-release discretionary-relief extraordinary-circumstances first-step-act sentencing-reduction 1) If the petitioner is really scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared, scared,…
24-5822 Fernando De La Torre v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-10-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-justice-reform first-step-act incarceration-policy judicial-discretion rehabilitation sentencing-reduction (1) Should His Supreme Court overturn The appollate Court's decision to bypass appellote review — Cov Glouse of discretion ? (2) Does: Concepcion per…
24A375 Atif B. Malik v. Warden, Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto Third Circuit 2024-10-21 Presumed Complete 28-usc-2241 bureau-of-prisons earned-time-credits first-step-act mootness pro-se-petition 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…
24-5222 Darrell D. Smith v. B. Eischen, Warden Eighth Circuit 2024-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP Bureau-of-Prisons Equal-Protection First-Step-Act first-time-credits FTC-Earnings imposed-term Liberty-Interest sentence-computation "Imposed Term" 1. Whether "imposed term" used in 18 §3624 (g) , defining the application of FTCs (First Step Time Credits) , has the same credit appli…
24-5048 Bernard Celestine v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-07-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-right criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process first-step-act resentencing sentencing statutory-interpretation Whether Congress incorporated a Constitutional right under the Due Process Clause to a plenary resentencing for an eligible Defendant under Section 40…
24-5016 Michael Medina v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-07-08 GVR Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-justice-reform first-step-act mandatory-minimum post-conviction-relief resentencing retroactivity sentencing-reduction sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation The First Step Act (FSA) significantly reduced the mandatory minimum sentences for several federal drug and firearm offenses. First Step Act of 2018, …
23-7440 Michael Paul Puzey v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP bureau-of-prisons compassionate-release criminal-justice-reform federal-sentencing first-step-act judicial-review rehabilitation sentence-modification sentencing statutory-interpretation "Balancing Justice and Compassion: A Case for Revisiting Compassionate Release under the First Step Act"
23-7369 Robert George Jefferson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP 404(b)-motion 404b 404c complete-review-provision concurrent-sentencing-doctrine due-process fifth-amendment first-step-act This case present's important and lonstanding issues of both "FIRST STEP ACT" law and Fifth Amendment law. QUESTION 1) Does "DECLINING TO REVIEW" the…
23-7309 Jessie Vasquez v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-04-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 3553a-factors abuse-of-discretion concepcion-v-united-states crack-cocaine criminal-sentencing discretionary-review first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing-factors 1. The question presented here is whether the District Court abused its discretion or erred when Mr. Vasquez qualified for a sentence reduction, he as…
23-1150 Corey Deyon Duffey and Jarvis Dupree Ross v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-04-23 Judgment Issued Relisted (2) appellate-review circuit-split criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing first-step-act judicial-resentencing judicial-vacatur retroactivity sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether the First Step Act's sentencing reduction provisions apply to a defendant originally sentenced before the First Step Act's enactment when that…
23-7078 Jeffery Wayne Taylor v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-03-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP confrontation-clause criminal-procedure criminal-trial cross-examination due-process evidence first-step-act out-of-court-statements sixth-amendment I. IS IT A VIOLATION OF THE CONFRONTATION CLAUSE WHEN EXERCISING OUT'S RIGHT TO TRIAL, THAT AN OUT-OF-COURT STATEMENT CONNECTING THE DEFENDANT DIRECTL…
23A853 Christopher Dominguez v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-03-20 Presumed Complete collateral-review crime-of-violence first-step-act ineffective-assistance plea-agreement section-924c Question not identified.
23-1002 Tony R. Hewitt v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-12 Judgment Issued Amici (2)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) circuit-split criminal-law first-step-act judicial-vacatur mandatory-minimum post-enactment-sentencing retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether the First Step Act's sentencing reduction provisions apply to a defendant originally sentenced before the FSA's enactment when that original s…
23A826 Adam Carson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-03-08 Denied administrative-exhaustion federal-prisoner first-step-act judicial-review sentence-calculation sentencing-relief Question not identified.
23-890 In Re Batia Zareh 2024-02-20 Denied Response Waived bilingual-election bilingual-requirements circuit-split compassionate-release constitutional-discrimination constitutional-law due-process election-law election-requirements equal-protection equal-protection 23-88" extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act language-minority mandatory-minimum-sentence national-origin sentencing-reduction voting-rights Whether non-retroactive changes in law can be 'ext Whether the Bilingual Election Requirements (52 U.S.C. §10503) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. §10301, et. sec.) by authorizing coverage a…
23-6722 Jeffrey Holland v. United States Third Circuit 2024-02-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP crack-cocaine criminal-sentencing due-process fair-trial first-step-act jury-trial sentence-enhancement sentencing-discretion sentencing-enhancements trial-transcript In Concepcion v. United States , 597 U.S. 481, 142 S. Ct. 2389, 2404 213 L. Ed. 2d 731 (2022), this Court held that the First Step Act "allows distric…
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…
23-6589 Reginald L. McCoy v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-resentencing drug-quantity first-step-act judicial-discretion prior-finding sentencing sentencing-review statutory-threshold Whether a First Step Act movant's entitlement to review hinges on the statutory sentencing threshold for his offense, or may be foreclosed by a prior …
23-6452 Shannon R. Thomas v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-01-10 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP compassionate-release criminal-procedure federal-sentencing first-step-act jurisdiction jurisdictional-challenge retroactivity sentencing statutory-interpretation ~T rx necson \\ YjL. 4V-< l peY\Vov\e,r do noV qut^V^y ©f VkiV under We AVH (£j(2J((l) penoVV/ enVc^n^emenV ccoa . VWe —'O irsvrVuV Ooudc, sV\VY covwi…
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…
23-6432 Carlos Martinez v. California California 2024-01-08 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-law due-process ex-post-facto first-step-act prior-conviction retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing statutory-interpretation takings 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…
23-6197 Daniel Joseph Teed v. Warden, Allenwood FCI Low Third Circuit 2023-12-07 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP administrative-aggregation due-process equal-protection first-step-act sentencing statutory-interpretation time-credits Is the ineligibility provision of 18 USC §3632(d)(4)(D) First Step Act Time Credits constitutional? II. Can the Federal Bureau of Prisons determine F…
23-6098 Ricardo Dinnall v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-11-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-justice criminal-procedure district-court federal-sentencing first-step-act judicial-discretion sentencing-reduction sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation Whether Concepcion v. United States, 142 S. Ct. 2389 (2022), requires district courts to consider all nonfrivolous arguments raised by the parties in …
23-531 Timothy I. Carpenter v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-11-17 Denied Amici (2) criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-firearm-offense first-step-act mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums retroactivity sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation Do the sentencing reforms in Section 403 of the First Step Act apply when a district court sentences an individual whose offense was committed before …
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) …
23-5832 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…
23-5698 Roy Christopher West v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-10-02 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP circuit-split compassionate-release concepcion-v-united-states district-court-discretion equal-protection extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons first-step-act judicial-discretion sentencing-disparity 1) Whether the Sixth Circuit's Threshold Determination of No Compelling Reasons Under the First Step Act of 2018 for Compassionate Release is Erroneou…
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 …
23-5556 William L. Gladney v. United States Tenth Circuit 2023-09-12 Denied IFP circuit-split crack-cocaine federal-sentencing first-step-act offense-grouping rico sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation May district courts reduce the sentence of those convicted of covered and non-covered offenses under the First Step Act, when the offenses intertwined…
23-5462 Victor Manuel Solorzano v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split first-step-act intervening-law mandate-rule resentencing sentencing sentencing-package 1. Does Section 403 of the First Step Act, Pub. L. No. 115-391, 132 Stat. 5194 apply to a defendant at a post-Act resentencing hearing following vacat…
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…
23-88 Jerry L. Brown v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-07-31 Denied Response Waived circuit-split compassionate-release extraordinary-compelling-reasons first-step-act mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentence resentencing sentencing-commission sentencing-reduction Whether non-retroactive changes in law can be "extraordinary and compelling reasons" warranting resentencing under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A).
23-5228 Patrick Frederick Williams v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-07-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review circuit-split first-step-act procedural-reasonableness section-404 sentencing-reduction substantive-reasonableness Where a district court exercises its discretion under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act to deny a sentence reduction to a defendant with a "covered…
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…
23-5170 Peter Robert Jordan, aka Richard Mercer v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-07-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggregate-sentence covered-counts criminal-law criminal-sentencing federal-sentencing first-step-act judicial-discretion non-covered-counts sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether Section 404(b) of the First Step Act authorizes the lower courts to impose a reduced aggregate sentence on both covered and non-covered counts…
23-5148 Bernard Edmond v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-07-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 circuit-split compassionate-release criminal-sentencing extraordinary-and-compelling-factors first-step-act resentencing retroactive-application sentencing-disparity WHETHER THIS COURT SHOULD GRANT THIS APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI AND RESOLVE A SPLIT BETWEEN THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURTS AND APPLY RETROACTIVELY…
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…
23-5014 Jamie Williams v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-07-03 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP apprendi apprendi-rule crack-cocaine-law crack-cocaine-sentencing discretionary-relief eleventh-circuit first-step-act judicial-discretion sentencing-facts 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…
22-1239 Michael Jerome Files v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-06-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) concurrent-sentences crack-cocaine crack-cocaine-offenses district-court-discretion first-step-act powder-cocaine sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Does § 404 of the First Step Act authorize district courts to impose a reduced sentence for both crack-cocaine offenses and related offenses that are …
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?
22-1216 Dwayne Ferguson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-06-16 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) circuit-split criminal-procedure district-court-discretion extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons extraordinary-reasons first-step-act habeas-corpus legal-error sentence-reduction sentencing statutory-interpretation Whether 28 U.S.C. § 2255 limits a district court's discretion to consider—among other circumstancespecific factors—legal errors in prior proceedings a…
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) …
22-7794 Leoncio Perez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-06-15 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey concepcion-v-united-states crack-cocaine-sentencing discretionary-relief eleventh-circuit first-step-act first-step-act-2018 sentence-reduction terry-v-united-states 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…
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…
22-7728 Warren Lavell Jackson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-06-08 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP apprendi-rule apprendi-v-new-jersey concepcion-v-united-states crack-cocaine-law crack-cocaine-sentencing discretionary-relief eleventh-circuit first-step-act sentencing-reduction terry-v-united-states Do this Court's First Step Act precedents admit of the uniquely Eleventh Circuit's intermediate step whereby, for the discrete group of individuals st…
22-7734 Christopher Alexander v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act resentencing sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Reduction of Sentence, Pursuant to Section 404 of the First Step Act of 2018, requires a Plenary Resentencing to provide procedural and substantial Du…
22-7709 Ashley Latreece Thackerson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-05 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history first-step-act safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Did the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals err by finding that Petitioner did not qualify for safety valve relief under the First Step Act 18 U.S.C. § 355…
22-7714 George M. Lecco v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-06-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-rights criminal-law district-court federal-courts federal-jurisdiction first-step-act individual-rights state-sovereignty 1. for fedeval priseners, did thi First step Act of 2o1 open the door to Challenge the jurisdiction over the subject-matter of the sntercing Court and…
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…
22-7582 Rodolfo A. Cuellar, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal criminal-law drug-convictions federal-prisoner first-step-act resentencing sentence-reduction sentencing sentencing-retroactivity statutory-interpretation statutory-maximum MoTioN For Reduction Pursuan To 404 Senience of OF thE First ACT And Pre-Booker Issues. Stop Drug CORRECDION OF IDCORLOCT CAlCUlATION f CORRECTiON ofa…
22-7533 Terence Crawley v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-05-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 civil-rights compassionate-release criminal-procedure discretionary-relief district-court-discretion due-process first-step-act non-frivolous-arguments sentencing sentencing-relief supreme-court-ruling Whether the district court is obligated to consider a defendant's non-frivolous arguments in exercising its discretion to grant relief in a motion for…
22-7461 Detrick Devone Daye, aka Carter v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-05-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender categorical-approach constitutional-rights drug-felony first-step-act ineffective-assistance sentencing-enhancement serious-drug-felony I Whether the new statutory definition of the term "serious drug felony" set forth in Section 401(a)(1) of the First Step Act of 2018, and codified i…
22-7451 Bennie C. Rivera v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-05-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-justice criminal-procedure fair-sentence-act first-step-act judicial-discretion judicial-review motion-denial sentencing sentencing-discretion statutory-interpretation DID JUDGE JOHN ANTON II, UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE ABUSE HIS DISCRETION WHEN HE DENIED THE PETITIONER'S MOTION IN PURSUANT TO THE FIRST STEP …
22-7367 Christopher J. Bailey v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-04-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 abuse-of-discretion concepcion-precedent concepcion-v-united-states criminal-justice-reform criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion first-step-act precedent sentence-reduction sentencing WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION WHEN IT ARBITRARILY IGNORED PRECEDENT FROM ITS OWN CIRCUIT, AND THE SUPREME COURT, IN DENYING PETIT…
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…
22-7313 Rakim Moberly v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-04-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure circuit-court-standard compassionate-release criminal-procedure excusable-neglect federal-rules-of-appellate-procedure first-step-act notice-of-appeal pro-se pro-se-appeal 1) Did the Petitioner's Letter to the District Court Clerk, which stated: "5:19-Cr~136-DCR Dear Court Clerk I received the decision from the court to…
22-7303 Patrick Dewayne Smith v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-04-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP compassionate-release extraordinary-and-compelling extraordinary-circumstances federal-law-change first-step-act mandatory-life-sentence mandatory-minimum retroactivity sentencing-reduction sentencing-reform Whether non-retroactive changes in federal law can serve as "extraordinary and compelling reasons" warranting a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3…
22-7279 Robert J. Thomas v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-04-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure compassionate-release compassionate-relief concepcion-v-united-states due-process first-step-act in-forma-pauperis judicial-review prisoner-rights statutory-interpretation In forma pauperis status and review his request for compassionate relief under the First Step Act based on its decision in Concepcion v. United States…
22-7171 Aczel Cardena-Sosa, aka Jesus Garcia, aka Jorge Cardenas-Sosa, aka Gasel Sosa, aka Jorge Cardenas v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-03-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-litigation civil-procedure civil-rights clean-water-act due-process extraordinary-circumstances first-step-act pfoa-contamination pfos-contamination standing (1) Whether Certiorari should be granted to determine whether Concepcion v. United States, 142 S. Ct. 54 (U.S. June 27, 2022) govern Civil Litigation …
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 …
22-6982 Diogenes De Jesus Sierra v. United States Second Circuit 2023-03-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender-statute circuit-split first-impression first-step-act inchoate-conspiracy mandamus-review plain-error plain-error-standard WHETHER MANDAMUS REVIEW ON ISSUE OF FIRST IMPRESSION SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPLIED TO CLAIM THAT WAS CREATED BY WAY OF INTERVENING CHANGE OF FIRST STEP ACT…
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…
22-806 John Doe v. United States First Circuit 2023-02-24 Denied Response Waived acca acca-predicates criminal-justice direct-appeal first-step-act remedial-purpose retroactive-application retroactivity statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant whose case was pending on direct appeal at the time of enactment of the First Step Act is entitled to the benefit of §401 (limitin…
22-783 Victor J. Orena v. United States Second Circuit 2023-02-17 Denied Response Waived 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3582 concepcion-v-united-states district-court-authority extraordinary-and-compelling-circumstances extraordinary-circumstances first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing sentencing-discretion statutory-interpretation In Concepcion v. United States, — U.S. -, 142 S. Ct. 2389, 2404 213 L. Ed. 2d 731 (June 27, 2022), this Court held that the First Step Act "allows dis…
22-6602 Matthew C. Eisenmann v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-01-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights compassionate-release criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act sentencing 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…
22-6266 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.
22-6137 Bryan Thornton v. United States Third Circuit 2022-11-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court first-step-act intervening-legal-developments legal-developments retroactivity section-404(b) sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation 1.) The question presented here is the same as that presented in Concepcion v. United States, No. 20-1650, on which this Court granted certiorari on S…
22-6141 Eric Lamont Wade v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-11-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion concepcion-ruling concepcion-v-united-states criminal-justice-reform district-court-discretion due-process first-step-act section-404(c) sentence-reduction sentencing QUESTON NUMBER ONE: Whether the district court abused its discretion by failing to comply with Section 404 (c) of the First Step Act of 2018, ensurin…
22-5934 Gemar Morgan v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-10-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP compassionate-release constitutional-due-process covid-19 criminal-justice-reform first-step-act health-conditions judicial-discretion retroactive-application sentence-modification sentencing-reform sentencing-reform-act statutory-interpretation Question not identified.
22-340 Mark E. Pulsifer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-10-12 Judgment Issued Amici (4)Relisted (2) 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 …
22-5562 Christopher Alexander v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-09-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP due-process first-step-act government-response judicial-discretion misinformation reply section-404 sentencing sentencing-variance upward-variance Whether Petitioner was denied his due process rights when the district court granted his Section 404 of the First Step Act motion, but imposed upward …
22-5470 Larry Marlowe Chambers v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-08-30 Denied IFP appellate-review concepcion-v-united-states criminal-resentencing district-court first-step-act judicial-discretion remand sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether a district court commits reversible error by issuing contradictory analyses for reductions under § 404 of the First Step Act without clear exp…
22-5435 Rahsaan Johnson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-08-23 GVR IFP concepcion-precedent concepcion-v-united-states district-court-denial district-court-discretion first-step-act judicial-review mitigating-information post-sentencing-conduct sentencing-mitigation vacatur Whether the district court's denial of Mr. Johnson's First Step Act motion must be vacated in light of Concepcion v. United States because the court d…
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…
22-5156 Wilbert McKreith v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-07-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP compassionate-release criminal-justice-reform criminal-sentencing district-court-authority first-step-act judicial-authority sentencing sentencing-commission statutory-interpretation Do district courts have authority to grant compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c)(1)(A), as amended by the First Step Act of 2018, based on a c…
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?
21-8146 Gregory Thomas v. United States Second Circuit 2022-06-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act judicial-procedure legal-standard sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation This Court should issue a GVR Order so that the lower court can determine whether it is an abuse of discretion when a court fails to follow the law by…
21-8111 Leo Contrera v. United States Second Circuit 2022-06-10 Granted Response RequestedResponse WaivedIFP 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…
21-8118 Myron Dejuan Orr v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-06-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-U.S.C.-3553(a) 18-U.S.C.-3582(c) 18-usc-3553a 18-usc-3582c abuse-of-discretion circuit-split extraordinary-and-or-compelling-reasons first-step-act sentencing-disparity 1. Whether the lower courts rulings amount to an An abuse of discretion when failing to consider That a disparity in sentencing amounts to an abuse …
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…
21-8021 Frank W. Coon v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-06-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 abuse-of-discretion compassionate-release criminal-justice district-court-discretion first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing standard-of-review Whether the District Court Abused its Discretion by Denying Mr. Coon's Motion for Compassionate Release?
21-7878 Jermaine Alonzo Mitchell v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-05-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender categorical-analysis criminal-sentencing divisibility due-process first-step-act retroactivity sentencing-enhancement When receiving a reduced sentence in 2020 for a crack-cocaine offense under the First Step Act, Petitioner Mitchell asked the district court to find h…
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…
21-7471 Jacques Hernes Telcy v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-25 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP district-court-authority first-step-act first-step-act-2018 habeas-corpus new-judgment resentencing sentencing sentencing-modification statutory-interpretation In the course of a "New Judgment " under the First Step Act of 2018 (FSA2018) new imposed sentence, what truly excess the reset clock for habeas corpu…
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…
21-1274 Bobby Lee Ingram v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-21 GVR Relisted (4) criminal-justice-reform district-court-discretion first-step-act judicial-discretion legal-developments retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a district court …
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…
21-7393 Travis Ryan Skaggs v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-03-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-802 21-usc-841 concurrent-sentences first-step-act sentencing-enhancement serious-drug-felony statutory-interpretation term-of-imprisonment Whether the District Court and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals erred by holding that Mr. Skaggs' conviction in Wise County, Virginia on July 27, 2…
21-7368 Antwan Boyd v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-03-15 GVR Relisted (2)IFP criminal-justice-reform district-court-discretion first-step-act intervening-legal-developments legal-developments retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a district court …
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…
21-7270 Karo Brown v. United States Second Circuit 2022-03-04 Denied IFP circuit-split criminal-justice-reform criminal-procedure first-step-act legal-developments retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a district court …
21-1208 Eric Andrews v. United States Third Circuit 2022-03-04 Denied Response Waived 18-usc-3582 18-usc-924c circuit-split criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons first-step-act section-924(c) sentence-reduction sentencing-reduction 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 …
21-7219 Lorenzo Suttles v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 compassionate-release criminal-justice-reform criminal-procedure federal-courts first-step-act miscarriage-of-justice sentencing-reduction sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation I. Whether a pre-FSA (First Step Act) defendant's circumstances, changed by Congress's clarification of §924(c), and the resultant disparity thereof…
21-7134 Anthony Jerome Bell v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-02-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3582 circuit-split compassionate-release district-court-discretion extraordinary-reasons first-step-act intervening-developments legal-developments sentencing sentencing-factors In denying a motion for compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A) for "extraordinary and compelling reasons" after considering the factors…
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…
21-7035 Seville Williams v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-02-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582c1a1 18-usc-924c circuit-split criminal-sentencing extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons first-step-act judicial-discretion sentence-reduction 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 …
21-6972 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…
21-6956 Roman Enrique Delgado-Montoya v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-01-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP bureau-of-prisons circuit-split compassionate-release criminal-sentencing extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons federal-prisoner-relief first-step-act sentencing-commission sentencing-modification statutory-interpretation Under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i), the district court is limited to the "extraordinary and compelling reasons" given in application note 1 of the com…
21-6941 Tracy Vaughn v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-01-21 Denied Relisted (3)IFP 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a crack-cocaine criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion first-step-act sentencing-factors sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, in deciding whether to impose a reduced sentence for a crack cocaine offense under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act, a district court mus…
21-6858 Dalton Laquane Smith v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-01-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP 851 922(g) 922(g)-conviction acca armed-career-criminal-act career-offender first-step-act government-concession rehaif sentencing-enhancement supreme-court-precedent 1. In light of the Court& Government concessions(twice ) that the petitioner never servedover a year,should the ACCA,851 removed in wake of theand Ca…
21-6786 Semaji Warren v. United States Seventh Circuit 2022-01-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-3582(c) 18-usc-3582c1a1 18-USC-924(c) 18-usc-924c circuit-split criminal-law extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing-reduction 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 …
21-6753 Trevin Nunnally, aka Rick v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-01-04 GVR Relisted (3)IFP apprendi cocaine-distribution constitutional-law constitutional-precedent criminal-justice-reform criminal-statute first-step-act intervening-developments sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation "Whether, when deciding if it should 'impose a reduced sentence' on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018 . . . a district …
21-6739 Anthony Harris v. United States Second Circuit 2021-12-29 GVR Relisted (2)IFP covered-offense criminal-justice-reform district-court-discretion factual-developments first-step-act intervening-developments legal-developments retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether a district court must or may consider intervening legal and factual developments before imposing a reduced sentence on an individual found eli…
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).
21-6629 Jimmy Steele v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-12-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review civil-rights constitutional-review criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act judicial-interpretation retroactivity sentencing state-court statutory-interpretation The question for review is whether, under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, Congress intended that reasons in the first insta…
21-884 Blake Fields v. United States First Circuit 2021-12-15 GVR Relisted (2) criminal-procedure district-court factual-developments first-step-act intervening-factual-developments intervening-legal-developments legal-developments reduced-sentence sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, 21 U.S.C. § 841 n…
21-877 Ross Thacker v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-12-14 Denied 18-usc-3582c1a 18-usc-924c circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons federal-procedure first-step-act sentencing-reduction 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 …
21-6578 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…
21-6575 Nathaniel Fields v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-12-10 GVR Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-resentencing district-court-discretion first-step-act intervening-legal-developments legal-developments reduced-sentence sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a district court …
21-6560 Carlo Donato v. United States Second Circuit 2021-12-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 924(c) covered-offense criminal-sentencing deportation first-step-act retroactive-penalty retroactivity section-924(c) sentencing stacking statutory-interpretation Whether, under the First Step Act, Act 403(a) Title 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c) modify penalty the covered offense Act, due to the fact that the statutor…
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 …
21-6471 Jose Francisco Noesi v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-12-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection first-step-act retroactivity statutory-interpretation Whether Petitioner is eligible for a Title 18 U.S.C. Section 358a(c)(1)(A)(i), bd on the modiiction of Secon 35 C)A), through the First Step Act of J0…
21-6426 Lee Dale White v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-24 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-justice-reform first-step-act section-404 sentencing substantive-reasonableness Whether a district court's denial of a motion for relief from under Section 404 of the First Step Act is subject to substantive reasonableness review?
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…
21-6397 Viengxay Chantharath, aka OG v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-11-23 Denied IFP 18-usc-3582 circuit-split extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons extraordinary-reasons first-step-act mandatory-minimum retroactivity sentence-reduction sentencing-law Under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i), district courts have the authority to reduce a sentence based on "extraordinary and compelling reasons." In the F…
21-767 Clinton Williams v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-11-23 Denied Amici (1) 18-usc-3582(c)(1)(a) 18-usc-924(c) circuit-split criminal-law extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons extraordinary-circumstances federal-sentencing first-step-act judicial-discretion sentence-reduction sentencing-reduction 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 …
21-6224 Tony Ford v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-10 GVR Relisted (3)IFP criminal-justice-reform criminal-resentencing district-court-discretion first-step-act intervening-legal-developments legal-developments retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a district court …
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…
21-6179 Leoncio Perez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-04 GVR Relisted (3)IFP civil-rights criminal-justice due-process first-step-act sentencing statutory-interpretation I . LJh&lhtf " <1 redt/O^ ^Scnle^Xju Pc/^Ujrct +0 § a-f- #!t 'firsf ST<5/> Acf of dto/S" Ctyc/ireJ' P / e»oa >*-/ 'feserx ^ ^ . nd %5djs4wA.fi <rJ or…
21-6190 Joe Lewis Finley v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-04 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-justice-reform first-step-act section-404 sentencing substantive-reasonableness Whether a district court's denial of a motion for relief from under Section 404 of the First Step Act is subject to substantive reasonableness review?
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 …
21-6166 Ángel De la Cruz v. United States First Circuit 2021-11-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law drug-offense due-process first-step-act maritime-drug-law safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation terry-v-united-states The Pre-First Step Act Safety Valve was widely applied to the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA), a statute whose punishment criteria and eleme…
21-6144 Johnnie Sims v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-11-02 GVR Relisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3553a criminal-sentencing discretionary-review district-court-discretion first-step-act individualized-explanation sentence-reduction sentencing-factors statutory-interpretation (1) Are district courts required to consider the sentencing factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) when deciding whether to impose a reduced sentence u…
21-6128 Tommy Pabellon v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-10-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure first-step-act intervening-changes-in-law intervening-law judicial-review legal-standard lower-court-judgment motion-review petition-for-writ-of-certiorari standard-of-review Whether a lower court's failure to apply the proper standard of review effects its judgment in reviewing a petitioner's case based on clear intervenin…
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…
21-6068 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…
21-6007 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…
21-6009 Jose Moyhernandez, aka Yindo v. United States Second Circuit 2021-10-19 GVR Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split crack-cocaine criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing first-step-act sentence-reduction sentencing-factors statutory-interpretation Whether a sentencing court must consider applicable sentencing factors codified in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) when deciding whether to "impose a reduced sent…
21-546 Michael G. Harper, aka Cuban Mike v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-10-13 GVR Relisted (2) criminal-justice-reform criminal-resentencing district-court district-court-discretion first-step-act intervening-legal-developments legal-developments reduced-sentence sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, a district court …
21-5956 Nolan Nathaniel Edwards v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-10-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act incarceration notice resentencing sentencing-modification supervised-release I. Whether § 404 of the First Step Act allows a district court to impose a term of supervised release not previously imposed, as it was not a componen…
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…
21-5875 Kenneth J. Jackson, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-10-04 Denied IFP 18-usc-924c criminal-sentencing de-novo-sentencing first-step-act retroactivity statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the sentencing amendments to 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) enacted by the First Step Act of 2018 (the "First Step Act", "FSA", or "Act"), Pub. L. No. …
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…
21-5812 Carlos Velazquez-Fontanez v. United States First Circuit 2021-09-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924(c)(1)(A) actual-innocence crime-of-violence davis-precedent davis-v-us first-step-act jurisdiction jurisdictional-challenge sentencing sentencing-review "WHETHER THE U.S. FIRST CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS ERRED IN FAILING TO FIND THAT APPELLANT CARLOS VELAZQUEZ-FONTANEZ IS "ACTUALLY INNOCENT" OF VIOLATING…
21-5802 David A. Bridgewater v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-09-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP brooklyn-savings-bank compassionate-release contractual-principle department-of-justice first-step-act plea-agreement public-interest statutory-right statutory-waiver 1. Does the rule of United States v. Mezzanatto, 513 U.S. 196 (1995), that a statutory right is waivable in a plea agreement absent an affirmative ind…
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…
21-5638 Davin Griffin v. J. A. Terris, Warden Sixth Circuit 2021-09-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-innocence civil-rights due-process factual-innocence first-step-act habeas-corpus sentence-reduction sentencing statutory-interpretation 1) Whether the lower court courts denial of relief in a habeas corpus petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2241 ON THE QUESTION OF FACTUAL AND ACTUAL INNOCE…
21-5603 Alphonse Gainer v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-09-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appeal appellate-discretion criminal-justice criminal-sentencing eleventh-circuit first-step-act motion-for-reconsideration motion-reconsideration sentence-reduction sentencing Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit abused its discretion in denying Gainer's Motion for Reconsideration of Denial of …
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…
21-5474 Antwoyn Terrell Spencer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-08-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-amendment civil-rights due-process fifth-amendment first-step-act jurisdiction resentencing standing 1. Whether Petitioner is being deprived of his civil right to due process of law against law (without due process of law) in violation of the Fifth Am…
21-5475 Derrick Jerome Spencer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-08-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-law constitutional-rights criminal-resentencing due-process fifth-amendment first-step-act sentencing-review standing 1. Whether Petitioner is being deprived of his civil right to due process of law against law (without due process of law) in violation of the Fifth Am…
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…
21-5348 James H. Bates v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-08-12 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3553a criminal-sentencing discretionary-review district-court-discretion first-step-act individualized-explanation section-404 sentencing-factors statutory-interpretation (1) Are district courts required to consider the sentencing factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) when deciding whether to impose a reduced sentence u…
21-5297 Kurzie Lee Curtis v. David Shinn, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, et al. Ninth Circuit 2021-08-04 Denied IFP 8th-amendment bureau-of-prisons civil-rights compassionate-release due-process first-step-act Questions of law In Belatiol To Inoiztment whe A MAabo DiniVE is AN AulhoAtive iNstmenthat Dicates thAN C PC CuDCAN n ea.RulE 12. Rsion ofTue b6sEsFed…
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…
21-5100 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…
21-5066 Aquabeus Moore v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-07-09 Denied IFP 14th-amendment 8th-amendment 924(c)-enhancement crime-of-violence eighth-amendment equal-protection first-step-act fourteenth-amendment hobbs-act hobbs-act-robbery Whether Petitioner's conviction of Hobbs Act Robbery constitutes a "crime of violence" considering new case law and the passage of the First Step Act?…
21-5047 Michael Carter v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-07-08 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3553a criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing discretionary-review district-court-discretion first-step-act individualized-explanation sentence-reduction sentencing-factors statutory-interpretation (1) Are district courts required to consider the sentencing factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) when deciding whether to impose a reduced sentence u…
20-8398 Jonathan Jerome Hills v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-06-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 criminal-justice criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection first-step-act judicial-discretion procedural-opportunity sentencing sentencing-disparity statutory-interpretation Whether differences in procedural opportunity arising from the fact that a defendant is statutorily eligible for relief under the First Step Act, such…
20-8400 Daryl Wendell Barley v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP clear-and-convincing-evidence criminal-procedure effective-assistance-of-counsel evidence-standard first-step-act preponderance-of-evidence relevant-conduct sec-404 sentencing-reduction sixth-amendment 1. Whether the "clear and convincing evidence standard" should be used instead of the "preponderance of evidence standard" when determining the releva…
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…
20-8347 Terron McAllister v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-resentencing discretion first-step-act guidelines guidelines-range judicial-discretion resentencing sentence-reduction sentencing sentencing-discretion Whether a District Court adjudicating a motion for a reduced sentence under the First Step Act abuses its discretion when a defendant would have a sig…
20-8327 Roberto Barrio v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-06-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP cocaine-types covered-offense first-step-act jury-findings statutory-maximums statutory-minimums TkiKe'sVvef' Go co\r\g^ Q,OUT iV (^CounV-. Of\<sJ Aypes e* eo^ n<t/ 0n<6 powdar, ona basics ^woc j bb The, 'W«d o?Afivs<£. Th<z, KrsV'Sba? P\c\ Ao T^n…
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…
20-8316 Michael Lawrence Williams v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-15 Denied IFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing district-court first-step-act sentencing-reform substantive-reasonableness Whether a district court's denial of a motion for relief from under Section 404 of the First Step Act is subject to substantive reasonableness review?
20-1653 Lazelle Maxwell v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-05-27 Denied Relisted (2) circuit-split criminal-sentencing first-step-act legal-developments procedural-history resentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, 21 U.S.C. § 841 n…
20-1650 Carlos Concepcion v. United States First Circuit 2021-05-26 Judgment Issued Amici (10) circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-resentencing factual-developments first-step-act legal-developments resentencing sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether, when deciding if it should "impose a reduced sentence" on an individual under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018, 21 U.S.C. § 841 n…
20-8094 Corey L. Johnson v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-05-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP covered-offense criminal-law drug-conspiracy federal-sentencing first-step-act multi-object-conspiracy rule-of-lenity sentencing sentencing-retroactivity statutory-interpretation Where there is ambiguity as to which penalty applies in a multi-object conspiracy that is a "covered offense" pursuant to the First Step Act of 2018, …
20-1586 Artavis Desmond McGowan v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-05-14 Denied Response Waived conspiracy constructive-amendment criminal-procedure drug-conviction evidence first-step-act mandatory-minimum sentencing sentencing-relief wiretap wiretap-evidence I. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ERR IN DENYING McGOWAN'S MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL BASED ON CONSTRUCTIVE AMENDMENT OF THE INDICTMENT WHEN IT ALLOWED THE GOVE…
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…
20-7964 John Riley, aka P. J. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-justice criminal-sentencing district-court federal-jurisdiction first-step-act motion-denial motion-to-modify sentence-reduction sentencing Whether the district court erred by denying the Motion for Sentence Reduction under The First Step Act of 2018.
20-7966 James L. Rudzavice v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 3582(c)(1)(a)(i) compassionate-release constitutional-rights due-process first-step-act judicial-bias judicial-discretion procedural-fairness sentencing-review (1) Did Ebth the District Court judge and the Fifth circuit Court of Appeal misconstrue the purpose of the First Step Act and 3582(c) (1)(A)(i) becaus…
20-7913 Dallas Jerome Wims v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-05-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act controlled-substance-act eighth-amendment first-step-act sentencing serious-drug-offense 1. WHETHER THE FIRST STEP ACT'S AMENDMENT REDEFINING "SERIOUS DRUG OFFENSE" FOR PURPOSES OF AN ENHANCEMENT FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE …
20-7887 Ronnie Spells v. United States Second Circuit 2021-04-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP crack-cocaine discretion first-step-act judicial-discretion mandatory-minimums racial-disparities sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation systemic-racism Whether District Court Judge Castel and the Second Circuit Appeals Court perpetuated continued systemic racism by contending that Congress left out th…
20-7890 Antwoyn Terrell Spencer and Derrick Jerome Spencer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-04-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-procedure constitutional-law constitutional-provisions criminal-law due-process fifth-amendment first-step-act resentencing standing Whether Petitioners are being deprived of their right to due process of law against law (without due process of law) in violation of the Fifth Amendme…
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…
20-7826 Jimmie C. Johnson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-04-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights collateral-review crack-cocaine district-court due-process eighth-circuit first-step-act ineffective-assistance-of-counsel johnson-case legal-review motion-denial sentencing Whether the district court and Eighth cir. Erred when they determine that m. Joknson 2ass motion was not retroactive to cases on collateral review, Wh…
20-1479 Eddie Houston, Jr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-04-21 GVR Amici (2)Relisted (2) 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3553a criminal-resentencing criminal-sentencing first-step-act judicial-discretion reduced-sentence retroactive-sentencing sentencing-factors statutory-interpretation Whether a sentencing court must consider applicable sentencing factors codified in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) when deciding whether to impose a reduced sente…
20-7737 Marjuan Shondell Fleming v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-04-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split constitutional-rights crack-cocaine criminal-justice-reform criminal-procedure first-step-act post-conviction right-to-counsel sentence-enhancement sentencing sixth-amendment statutory-interpretation Whether the term "Covered offense" in the First Step Act of 2018, includes violations of Title 18 USC 924(c), involving crack cocaine, to which ACCA t…
20-7694 Eusebio Escobar de Jesus v. United States First Circuit 2021-04-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 circuit-split compassionate-release due-process fifth-amendment first-step-act sentencing statutory-interpretation 1. Whether the First Circuit erred in affirming the denial of Petitioner's Motion for Compassionate Release under the First Step Act, which the Distri…
20-7617 Willie Lee Lewis v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-03-31 GVR Relisted (4)IFP armed-career-criminal-act controlled-substances-act felony-drug-offense first-step-act sentence-enhancement serious-drug-offense statutory-interpretation One: Does the First Step Act's addition of a definition for "felony drug offense" to section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. § 802, al…
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…
20-7421 Jefferson Levine v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) circuit-conflict criminal-resentencing first-step-act judicial-discretion post-sentencing-conduct section-404(b) sentencing sentencing-discretion 1. Whether, in order to properly exercise its discretion under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act of 2018 to impose a reduced sentence for an eligib…
20-7405 Jorge Rangel v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-03-10 Denied Relisted (2)IFP direct-appeal drug-cases first-step-act mandatory-minimum plain-error rehaif 1. Does the provision of the First Step Act, Pub. L. 115-391, 132 Stat. 5194 (Dec. 21, 2018), that amended 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1) to reduce mandatory-m…
20-7362 Charles Braye v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-03-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP court-of-appeals criminal-procedure district-court due-process first-step-act opportunity-to-be-heard remand sentence-reduction Whether Mr. Braye's due process rights were violated when the court of appeals determined that Mr. Braye was eligible for a sentence reduction under t…
20-7077 Derrick Lakeith Brown v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-02-08 Denied Relisted (2)IFP constitutional-claims constitutional-provisions federal-procedure first-step-act gall-v-united-states habeas-corpus judicial-review petition-standards sentencing-reform statutory-provisions supreme-court-review united-states-v-booker The OCR text provided is too degraded and illegible to accurately extract the "Question(s) Presented" section. While a "QUESTION(S) PRESENTED" header …
20-7068 Jerry Davis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-02-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights conspiracy criminal-procedure discretionary-sentencing drug-convictions drug-crimes due-process first-step-act sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether the 4thCircuit Court of Appeals created a Cirauit split by affiomingthe District Courts reuson to ceny his motion for a sentence reduction und…
20-6943 Ronald Lewis Coleman, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2021-01-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3582 circuit-split compassionate-release criminal-sentencing extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons first-step-act mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentences sentence-reduction sentencing Whether the changes in applicable mandatory minimum sentences worked by the First Step Act can provide extraordinary and compelling reasons to support…
20-6949 Neally Cunningham v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-01-26 Denied Relisted (2)IFP cocaine-base criminal-law criminal-resentencing drug-offenses federal-drug-offense first-step-act retroactivity sentencing sentencing-modification statutory-interpretation Whether Appellant's offense of conviction, a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C) occurring before August 3, 2010, and involving cocaine base, is a "…
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…
20-6870 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…
20-6841 Steven Jones v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-01-12 Denied IFP apprendi apprendi-standard circuit-split covered-offense drug-quantity federal-criminal-statute first-step-act sentencing sentencing-range statutory-penalties I. Whether "statutory penalties" in § 404(a) of the First Step Act modifies the entire phrase – "a violation of a Federal criminal statute" – as the E…
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…
20-6787 Matthew Lee Pryor v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-01-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-sentencing direct-appeal direct-review first-step-act retroactive-application retroactivity section-924c sentencing statutory-interpretation Does Congress' express "Clarification of Section 924(c) of Title 18, United States Code" in Section 403 of the First Step Act apply to a defendant con…
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…
20-6521 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…
20-6442 Jonair Tyreece Moore v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-11-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a circuit-split crack-cocaine discretionary-reduction district-court first-step-act racial-disparity sentencing-factors Whether a district court must consider the sentencing factors of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) when determining whether to impose a reduced sentence for a crack…
20-6427 Marquis Wilson v. United States Third Circuit 2020-11-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law due-process first-step-act retroactivity sentencing statutory-interpretation 1. Whether Section 403 of the First Step Act of 2018, which is expressly titled a "clarification" of the penalty provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) (1)(…
20-6316 Mickey Pubien v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-justice-reform criminal-resentencing discretion first-step-act penalty-reduction sentencing sentencing-discretion statutory-interpretation What the district court may appropriately consider when imposing a reduced sentence pursuant to § 404 of the First Step Act of 2018 remains an unsettl…
20-6261 Damien Edward Desjardins-Racine v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-11-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights due-process extraordinary-and-compelling-reasons first-step-act guidelines sentencing Does Asthnu Diagnosis o A OF Give − Rise EXTZADRDINATY OTD .3F TO AN compelling REASON DURSUANT the SeNtercing GUiDeliNeS? DD The Rassabe oF oyf FIRS…
20-6243 Okeiba Sadio v. United States Second Circuit 2020-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-rights covered-offense criminal-procedure drug-distribution due-process first-step-act sentencing sentencing-reduction sixth-amendment statutory-penalties (1) Whether the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Wrongly dismiss Mr Sadio's Appeal with out no Briefs being filed or hearing any arguments, violating m…
20-6214 John J. Powers v. Warden, Allenwood USP Third Circuit 2020-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP 1-usc-109 18-usc-3624b criminal-procedure first-step-act general-savings-statute good-time-credits sentencing-law statutory-interpretation Does the General Savings Statute, 1 U.S.C. §109, apply to the First Step Act's amendment to 18 U.S.C. §3624(b) so that penalties of the loss of good t…
20-6238 Demon O'Neil Parker v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion cell-site-location-information constitutional-review criminal-sentencing first-step-act fourth-amendment fourth-amendment-violation reasonable-expectation-of-privacy rehabilitation search-and-seizure sentence-reduction standing Question not identified.
20-6148 Smith Merinord v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-10-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924c 924(c)-statute brandishing criminal-justice-reform direct-appeal firearms-offense first-step-act hobbs-act sentencing statutory-interpretation I. WHETHER THE FIRST STEP ACT APPLIES TO CASES PENDING ON DIRECT APPEAL AT THE TIME OF ITS ENACTMENT, WHERE THE PETITIONER WAS CONVICTED OF THREE HOBB…
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…
20-6099 Malcolm Moore v. United States Third Circuit 2020-10-21 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-law criminal-procedure direct-review due-process first-step-act judicial-discretion retroactivity sentencing sentencing-retroactivity statutory-interpretation Whether Section 403 of the First Step Act of 2018, which is expressly titled a "clarification" of the penalty provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(C), …
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?
20-5904 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.
20-5787 Thomas Wayne Godard v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 924(c) 924(c)-conviction due-process equal-protection first-step-act retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-relief Whether the Circuit Court Erred Failing to Apply First Step Act retroactively to multiple 924(c) convictions that were announced, but not final, at th…
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…
20-5650 Carlos Cruz-Rivera v. United States First Circuit 2020-09-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-procedure firearms firearms-conviction first-step-act judicial-review retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Whether 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(C), which as clarified and as amended by the First Step Act of 2018, precludes aggravated punishment for second firearms…
20-5628 Javier Corona-Verduzco v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-09-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP based on the plain text of the statute without relying on extratextual sources of author 21-usc-841 drug-felony extratextual-sources first-step-act imprisonment-term plain-text plain-text-analysis plain-text-interpretation sentencing-enhancement serious-drug-felony statutory-interpretation Whether the phrase "served a term of imprisonment of more than 12 months" in the First Step Act unambiguously allows a defendant to sustain two "serio…
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…
20-5561 Craig Edward Hunnicutt, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-09-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review discretion federal-sentencing first-step-act guidelines judicial-discretion motion-denial sentence-reduction sentencing 1. A First Step Act (FSA) sentence reduction denial should come only after a "complete review on the merits." Yet the Sixth Circuit held that it had n…
20-5457 Dennis A. Smith v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-08-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender criminal-law drug-statute first-step-act predicate-offense sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Whether the Court of Appeals incorrectly determined that the Ohio Revised Code §2925.03(A)(2) dealing with preparation for shipment or preparation for…
20-5469 Alfonzo Traymayne Lee v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-08-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-rights discretion due-process equal-protection first-step-act judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation Whether giving the District court discretion to grant or deny sentencing reduction pursuant to 18 USC 3553(a) and the First Step Act of 2018, Section …
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…
20-5264 Lakento Brian Smith v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-08-05 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP crack-cocaine criminal-sentencing first-step-act guideline-range mandatory-minimum post-sentencing-conduct resentencing sentence-reduction sixth-amendment statutory-interpretation The First Step Act changed the penalty for petitioner's crack cocaine crimes from life in prison to 10 years to life and changed petitioner's guidelin…
20-5040 In Re Antwoyn Terrell Spencer 2020-07-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights due-process eighth-circuit first-step-act mandamus personal-liberty sentence-reduction sentencing 1. Petitioner is deprived of Due Process of Law Contrary to Law in violation of the Fifth Amendment and Section 404 of the First Step Act. 2. Because…
20-5051 Andre Patrick Staggers v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-07-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841(b) criminal-procedure drug-offense first-step-act retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-law statutory-minimums Does the First Step Act provision lowering the enhanced statutory minimums of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b) apply to persons who were sentenced before the provis…
20-5015 James Latron Sumter v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing cruel-and-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment first-step-act guilty-plea mandatory-minimum plea-bargaining sentencing 1. WHETHER THE APPELLATE COURT ERRED IN AFFIRMING THE DISTRICT COURT'S RULING NOT ALLOWING SUMTER TO WITHDRAW HIS GUILTY PLEA? 2. WHETHER THE APPELLA…
19-8908 Preston Pope v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-07-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-justice-act criminal-justice-act-1964 davis-decision direct-appeal first-step-act griffith-v-kentucky ineffective-assistance notice-to-client rule-28(j)-letter writ-of-certiorari Does the Criminal Justice Act of 1964, fl 5 Still require that Appellant Counsel provide notice to his client by way of a written letter to his client…
19-8890 Richard Antonio Hodge, Jr. v. United States Third Circuit 2020-07-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law criminal-sentencing first-step-act resentencing retroactivity rule-of-lenity sentence-enhancement sentencing-provisions statutory-interpretation Whether the ameliorative sentencing provisions of the First Step Act apply to defendants who were initially sentenced pre-First Step Act, but whose se…
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…
19-8878 Frank Richardson v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-07-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924c criminal-law first-step-act retroactivity sentencing statutory-interpretation On December 21, 2018, President Trump signed into law the First Step Act of 2018 which dramatically changes the penalties imposed for gun-related crim…
19-8783 Alfredo Gonzalez v. United States First Circuit 2020-06-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-851 dimaya-v-sessions due-process felony-drug-offense first-step-act johnson-v-united-states jury-selection plain-error-review sentencing-enhancement sixth-amendment void-for-vagueness I. Whether the definition of "felony drug offense" for the pur poses of 21 U.S.C. §851 is void for vaguene ss after Johnson, Dimaya, and Da vis. II. …
19-8540 Antwoyn Spencer and Derrick Jerome Spencer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-05-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-law constitutional-rights criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process fifth-amendment first-step-act resentencing statutory-interpretation Whether Petitioners are being deprived of their right to due process of law against law (without due process of law) in violation of the Fifth Amendme…
19-8469 Viengxay Chantharath v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-05-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-851 career-offender collateral-review criminal-procedure drug-convictions first-step-act mandatory-minimum retroactive-application sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Whether the First Step Act (FSA-2018) "altered "the statutes: 21 U.S.C.§ 841(a) (1)(b)(1) (A)-(B) also (C) for the prior drugI. con victions that qua…
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…
19-8312 Lazaro Candelaria v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-04-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-justice-reform criminal-procedure first-step-act ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel plea-agreement plea-bargaining prior-convictions sentencing sentencing-enhancement shepard-documentation 1) Whether the First Step Act of U.S. in his Title 21 U.S.C. § 2255(f)(1) motion. 2) Whether CounselSenate Bill 756, applies to the Petitioner, ineff…
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…
19-8036 Odis Lee Jackson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-18 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-justice-reform criminal-resentencing district-court-procedure due-process federal-jurisdiction first-step-act judicial-review mandatory-minimum post-sentencing-conduct sentencing sentencing-modification sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation I. What procedures does Section 404 of the First Step Act require a district court to follow when conducting its statutorily required "complete review…
19-8005 Harrison Garcia v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-03-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing direct-appeal edwards-v-arizona first-step-act mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums right-to-counsel sentencing sentencing-retroactivity statutory-interpretation Whether Section 403 of the First Step Act of 2018, enacted while Petitioner's case was pending on direct appellate review, apply where his sentence is…
19-7930 Roderick Pearson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-procedure criminal-justice-reform criminal-law criminal-sentencing due-process finality first-step-act judicial-review retroactivity sentencing statutory-interpretation Whether certiorari should be granted in order to vacate the decision below and remand to the Eleventh Circuit to consider whether § 403 of the First S…
19-7531 Joey D. Wiseman, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-02-03 Denied IFP criminal-justice criminal-law criminal-sentencing direct-appeal due-process federal-sentencing first-step-act retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation 1) Whether the First Step Act Must be Applied To Cases Pending on Direct Appeal? 2) Whether there is An Inherent Disparity In Congress Amending the R…
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…
19-7172 Larry Antonio Simmons v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-01-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-interpretation due-process federal-judiciary first-step-act judicial-ethics political-bias sentencing sentencing-reduction standing statutory-interpretation trump Whether the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina the Honorable Bruce H. Hendricks, Judge, Assistant United States District …
19-6920 Courtney Omar Boyd v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion constitutional-law constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act judicial-discretion motion-denial sentencing statutory-interpretation I. WHETHER THE LOWER COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND VIOLATED MR. BOYD'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUE PROCESS RIGHTS WHEN IT DENIED BOYD'S FIRST STEP ACT MOTION…
19-6602 Carey Ackies, aka Boyd v. United States First Circuit 2019-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment cell-phone cell-phone-tracking criminal-procedure direct-review drug-offense first-step-act law-enforcement-surveillance location-tracking search-and-seizure sentencing-thresholds surveillance I. Whether a cell phone, when used by law enforcement to obtain "precise location information," is a "tracking device" under 18 U.S.C. § 3117(b). II.…
19-566 Devan Pierson v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-10-30 GVR 922(g)-felon-in-possession criminal-procedure direct-appeal firearm-possession first-step-act first-step-act-2018 rehaif rehaif-standard rehaif-v-united-states sentencing status-based-possession statutory-interpretation 1. Section 401(c) of the First Step Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-394, provides: "This section, and the amendments made by this section, shall apply to…
19-527 Paul Huskisson v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-10-23 Denied direct-appeal exclusionary-rule first-step-act fourth-amendment independent-source independent-source-doctrine police-misconduct retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reform 1. Does the independent source exception to the exclusionary rule, like all other exclusionary rule exceptions, take into account the flagrancy and de…
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…
19-6264 Orane Nelson v. United States Second Circuit 2019-10-11 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-law criminal-procedure direct-appeal first-step-act retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Petitioner was convicted of three 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) offenses in a single proceeding and was sentenced to enhanced minimum penalties under § 924(c)(1)…
19-6142 Santo Leone v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion amendment categorical-approach civil-procedure district-court-discretion divisibility drug-convictions due-process first-step-act marijuana-convictions motion-to-amend prior-convictions section-851 standing timeliness Whether district court abused its discretion by concluding motion to amend should be denied as untimely? Whether district court erred when failure to…
19-6078 Terreall McDaniel v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-09-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-924c appeal armed-career-criminal-act circuit-split constitutional-interpretation criminal-law criminal-procedure first-step-act retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation I. Does Section 403 of the First Step Act , which dramatically clarifies the applicable penalties for which a defendant may be sentenced for gun rela…
19-5928 Marcos Santiago v. United States Third Circuit 2019-09-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 civil-rights criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense due-process first-step-act retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Whether Congress decision to not make its recent clarification of 924(c) fully retroactive, creates a significant risk that thousands of prisoners sta…
19-5870 Shakeem Heratio Crawford v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-09-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender civil-rights criminal-justice criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process eighth-amendment ex-post-facto first-step-act parole retroactivity sentencing sentencing-retroactivity statutory-interpretation Did the Judge Abuse his Discrection under He sth Amendment Due procecc clause by Cotegorically Dening all career orfenders when he stated that career …
19-5750 Felix A. Okafor v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924(c)(1)(A) criminal-law cruel-and-unusual-punishment firearms-offense first-step-act sentencing statutory-interpretation WHETHER PETITIONER'S 3167 MONTH SENTENCE IMPOSED AS A RESULT OF THIS COURT'S MISINTERPRETATION OF THE STACKING PROVISIONS OF 18 U.S.C. 924(c)(1)(A)(i)…
19-5743 Michael Dewayne Hegwood v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553 18-usc-3582 binding-precedent career-offender criminal-procedure criminal-resentencing federal-jurisdiction first-step-act jurisdiction sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation 1. Does the First Step Act authorize a court to "impose" a reduced sentence in accordance with such statutes as 18 U.S.C. §§ 3553(a) and 3582(a), or d…
19-5526 Frances W. Lake v. Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Federal Circuit 2019-08-08 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)IFP administrative-exhaustion administrative-procedure appeals civil-rights compassionate-release disability due-process extraordinary-circumstances federal-prisoner financial-hardship first-step-act government-benefits medical-expenses sentence-reduction FRANCES LAKE 855YEARS OLD WIDOW OF MELVIN LAKE, VETERAN. HAS SPENT 9 YEARS SINCE BEING MEDICALLY APPROVED FOR EXPENSES WERE WITHIN MAPR. RIGHT ARM HAS…
19-5267 Michael St. Hubert v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-07-23 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (6)IFP 18-usc-924c crime-of-violence criminal-procedure due-process eleventh-circuit first-step-act habeas-corpus pending-on-direct-review preclusion pro-se section-2255 successive-2255-motion successive-motion successive-petitions 1. Is a criminal defendant's right to Due Process in his direct appeal violated by the Eleventh Circuit's rule affording binding force and preclusive …
19-5102 Dan Pizaro v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-08 Denied IFP criminal-law criminal-sentencing drug-offense drug-offenses due-process federal-sentencing first-step-act mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimums sentencing-reduction statutory-interpretation supreme-court supreme-court-precedent Whether the life sentence imposed on 21 U.S.C. § 846 and § 841(a)(1) pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A) and § 851 must be reduced to twenty-five (25…
18-9789 Dan Pizarro v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-25 Denied IFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing direct-appeal drug-offenses drug-trafficking first-step-act prior-convictions prior-felony-conviction sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-minimum Because Pizarro is still in the direct appeal process, is he entitled to the application of the First Step Act amendments to the statutory minimum sen…
18-9615 Shawn Russell Sorensen v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-12 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appeal conflict-among-courts-of-appeals drug-felony drug-felony-offenses drug-offenses eighth-amendment first-step-act mandatory-minimum sentencing sentencing-enhancement simple-possession THIS COURT SHOULD GRANT MR. SORENSEN's PETITION FOR CERTIORARI TO RESOLVE A CONFLICT AMONG THE UNITED STATES COURTS OF APPEALS AS TO WHETHER PETITIONE…
18-9431 William Maurice Smith v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-05-28 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-justice-reform criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-retroactivity,sentencing-reform drug-distribution due-process first-step-act griffith-v-kentucky ninth-circuit ninth-circuit-review resentencing retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation Does Griffith v. Kentucky, 479 U.S. 314, (1987) apply to First Step Act of 2018? If so did the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals fail to apply Griffith …
18-9360 Lazaro Veliz v. John V. Flournoy, Warden Eleventh Circuit 2019-05-21 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-924 circuit-split criminal-law criminal-statute due-process first-step-act johnson-v-united-states residual-clause retroactive-application sentencing sentencing-enhancement sessions-v-dimaya statutory-interpretation supreme-court void-for-vagueness 1. Whether the residual clause in 18 u.s.c. $924(c)(3)(B) is void for vagueness in light of this Court's decisions in Johnson v. United States, 135 S.…
18-9070 Gabriel Urzua Sanchez v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-05-03 Denied IFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure direct-appeal district-court fifth-amendment first-step-act mandatory-minimum privilege sentencing witness-testimony I. Whether the district court abused its discretion in failing to properly determine that Mr. Sanchez's proposed witnesses Nino Tanzini and Shawn Hous…
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 …
18-8796 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…
18-8619 In Re Derrell L. Gilchrist 2019-03-29 Denied IFP 18-usc-924 criminal-law criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process first-step-act habeas-corpus miscarriage-of-justice section-2241 section-924c sentencing statutory-interpretation CAN PETITIONER SEEK RELIEF PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C § 2241 TO ADDRESS CLARIFICATION OF 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(C) IN THE FIRST STEP ACT OF 2O18.
18-8603 Gralyn Leon White v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-03-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924c aiding-and-abetting brandishing consecutive-sentences criminal-law due-process fifth-circuit first-step-act hobbs-act united-states-v-lewis Did the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Err by Failing to Apply the Holdings of United States v. Lewis, 907 F.3d 891, 894-95 (5th Cir. 2018). to Hobb's…
18-8472 James Allen Eapmon v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-03-19 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-law criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act life-imprisonment mandatory-minimum sentencing statutory-interpretation WHETHER THE PETITIONER WAS DENIED DUE PROCESS WHEN THE DISTRICT COURT ERRONEOUSLY CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS OBLIGATED TO IMPOSED. A STATUTORY MANDATORY MI…
18-8148 Johnathan Hawthorne v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-02-27 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appeal armed-career-criminal-act constitutional-interpretation due-process first-step-act new-law pipeline resentencing retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement Whether the "New Law" of the First Step Act, sign into law on Dec. 18, 2018 made this an appeal "Pipeline" case, that fall under the First Step Act ne…
18-8025 Michael St. Hubert v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-02-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-924 18-usc-924(c)(3)(B) constitutional-vagueness crime-of-violence criminal-law criminal-procedure due-process first-step-act johnson-v-united-states residual-clause sentencing-enhancement sessions-v-dimaya statutory-interpretation unconstitutionally-vague vagueness 1. Is the definition of "crime of violence" in the residual clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(B) unconstit utionally vague, given the Court's holding in…
18-7974 Carlos Cruz-Rivera, aka Chiqui, aka Cano, aka Cano Llorens v. United States First Circuit 2019-02-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing direct-appeal federal-statute first-step-act pending-cases retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Whether 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(C), as amended and clarified by the First Step Act of 2018, which provides for aggravated punishment for second violatio…