safety-valve
44 cases — ← All topics
| Case | Title | Lower Court | Docketed | Status | Flags | Tags | Question Presented |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-6568 | James Dorelus v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2026-01-13 | Pending | Response WaivedIFP | constitutional-rights double-jeopardy drug-trafficking firearm-offense safety-valve sentencing-reduction | Where a defendant pleads guilty to the crime of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime in violation of 18 USC § 924(c)(… |
| 24-7082 | Edgar Llausas-Silva v. United States | Ninth Circuit | 2025-04-28 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | burden-of-proof criminal-procedure judicial-review prosecutorial-discretion safety-valve sentencing | 1. Whether the district court improperly relied upon the subjective belief of the prosecutor without support in the record that petitioner lied when h… |
| 24-5905 | Huosheng Xian v. United States | Tenth Circuit | 2024-11-04 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | circuit-split criminal-procedure jury-verdict mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing | Do the findings embodied in a jury's verdict constrain a sentencing judge's ability to find that a defendant has provided full and truthful informatio… |
| 23-7705 | Eric D. Johnson v. Mississippi | Mississippi | 2024-06-13 | Denied | IFP | administrative-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection judicial-relief retroactivity safety-valve sentencing-calculation statutory-interpretation | Whether Sohnson's SenTencé 18 improperly Calculated--and Should be celev[aTe! under The $,4Ty perseoT (0%) Sentencing law in effecT aT The Time of im … |
| 23-7357 | Jesus Robledo Aguilar v. United States | Ninth Circuit | 2024-05-01 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | circuit-split constructive-possession criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense drugs firearms safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation | Does simultaneous constructive possession of drugs and firearms disqualify a defendant for safety valve relief? |
| 23-6382 | Francisco Batista-Reyes v. United States | First Circuit | 2023-12-28 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | circuit-split criminal-law due-process equal-protection first-time-offenders mdlea-offenses safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation | Do the MDLEA first time offenders charged for the violation of both the MDLEA as well as §§ 960 (b) and 963 statutes have a right to safety valve reli… |
| 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) … |
| 23-6012 | Rafael Espinal-Mieses v. United States | First Circuit | 2023-11-15 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 18-usc-3553(f) 21-usc-960(b) criminal-sentencing federal-statute maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act retroactivity safety-valve sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation | The First Circuit affirmed the denial of Mr. Espinal-Mieses's motion for safety-valve relief under the former version of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f), which di… |
| 23-5691 | Ricardo Garcia, Jr. v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2023-10-02 | Denied | Relisted (3)IFP | circuit-split criminal-history due-process mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | Pursuant to the "safety-valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute, a defendant convicted of certain nonviolent drug crimes can obtain relief … |
| 23-5304 | Jaquantious Hutchison v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2023-08-09 | Denied | Relisted (2)IFP | criminal-history federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation | The Safety Valve provision, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f), instructs district courts to sentence under the guidelines without regard to any statutory mandatory … |
| 23-5149 | Javier Escalera, Jr. v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2023-07-20 | Denied | Relisted (2)IFP | circuit-split criminal-history fifth-circuit mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | Pursuant to the "safety-valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute, a defendant convicted of certain nonviolent drug crimes can obtain relief … |
| 23-46 | United States v. Cassity Danielle Jones | Fourth Circuit | 2023-07-17 | GVR | Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) | criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation | Whether, in order for a defendant to satisfy the prerequisite for "safety-valve" sentencing relief in 18 U.S.C. 3553(f)(1), a court must find that the… |
| 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) … |
| 22-7792 | Diante Turman v. United States | Eighth Circuit | 2023-06-15 | Denied | IFP | appellate-review armed-career-criminal-act circuit-court-review circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-conviction criminal-procedure district-court-discretion drug-offense drug-schedule drug-schedules federal-sentencing federal-sentencing federal-sentencing 22-7791" mcneill-precedent mcneill-v-united-states safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction Whether the district court erred at sentencing in | Congress and the U.S. Sentencing Commission require judges to impose criminal sentences that take account of a penalty range advised by the Sentencing… |
| 22-7791 | Clark Downs v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2023-06-15 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 15-year-old circuit-court-review criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-sentencing interstate-commerce safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction sexual-exploitation visual-depiction | WHETHER THE EVIDENCE WAS LEGALLY INSUFFICIENT AS TO THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE ELEMENT ON COUNT ONE, WHICH CHARGED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A FIFTEEN YEAR … |
| 22-7756 | Andre Zeno v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2023-06-12 | Denied | Relisted (2)IFP | circuit-split criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-minimum | Whether the "and" in § 3553(f)(1) means "and," so that a defendant satisfies the provision so long as he does not have (A) more than 4 criminal histor… |
| 22-7709 | 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… |
| 22-7702 | Antonio Montero v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2023-06-05 | Denied | Relisted (2)IFP | 18-usc-3553(f) criminal-history criminal-procedure federal-sentencing safety-valve sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | A defendant is entitled to the safety-valve sentencing provision of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) unless he violates all three subsections of the statute: (1) m… |
| 22-7650 | Nolan Washington v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2023-05-26 | Denied | Relisted (2)IFP | circuit-split criminal-procedure mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court | Whether the Di strict Court erred when i t (1) fel t constrai ned to i mpose the mandatory mi nimum sentence, 120 months of i mpri sonment; (2) di d … |
| 22-7059 | 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 … |
| 22-851 | United States v. Julian Garcon | Eleventh Circuit | 2023-03-08 | Dismissed | Response RequestedRelisted (2) | criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines jurisdiction safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation | Whether, in order for a defendant to satisfy the prerequisite for "safety-valve" sentencing relief in 18 U.S.C. 3553(f)(1), a court must find that the… |
| 22-828 | Roger E. Pace v. United States | Seventh Circuit | 2023-03-01 | Denied | Relisted (2) | circuit-split criminal-history federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | Courts interpret statutes by applying Congress's plain language. In the First Step Act, Congress modified the federal sentencing statute to say that a… |
| 22-6803 | Mario C. Thomas v. United States | Eighth Circuit | 2023-02-16 | Denied | Relisted (2)IFP | criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | Section 3553(f) of Title 18, U.S. Code, is the "safety valve" which can allow a defendant to receive a sentence less than the statutory mandatory mini… |
| 22-6536 | Antoine D. Jackson v. United States | Eighth Circuit | 2023-01-13 | Denied | Relisted (2)IFP | circuit-split criminal-history due-process safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation | (1) Whether this Court should resolve a Circuit split and decide if the word "and" in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) should be interpreted in the disjunctive … |
| 22-6391 | Nonami Palomares v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2022-12-23 | Denied | Amici (1)Relisted (3)IFP | criminal-history drug-crimes drug-offense federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | Pursuant to the "safety-valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute, a defendant convicted of certain nonviolent drug crimes can obtain relief … |
| 22-6076 | Joseph Rauber v. United States | Eighth Circuit | 2022-11-16 | Denied | Relisted (3)IFP | circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-offenses mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-statute statutory-interpretation | The federal sentencing statute contains a "safety valve" that protects defendants from mandatory minimum sentences if they meet certain criteria. 18 U… |
| 22-5962 | Marquis Donte Brown v. United States | Ninth Circuit | 2022-11-01 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-review post-booker-hearing safety-valve sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | 1. WHETHER THE DISTRIC T COURT ERRED BY IMPOSING AN UNLAW FUL SEN TENCE CONTRARY TO THE MANDATES OF § 3553(a) AND §3553(f)(5) WHICH PRECLUDE USE OF IN… |
| 22-340 | Mark E. Pulsifer v. United States | Eighth Circuit | 2022-10-12 | Judgment Issued | Amici (4)Relisted (3) | circuit-conflict circuit-split criminal-history criminal-justice-reform first-step-act mandatory-minimum rule-of-lenity safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | The "safety valve" provision of the federal sentencing statute requires a district court to ignore any statutory mandatory minimum and instead follow … |
| 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… |
| 21-6166 | 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… |
| 21-5723 | Juan Manuel Pardo-Oseguera v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2021-09-20 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-procedure plain-error presentence-report safety-valve sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-minimum weapons-enhancement | A defendant in a federal criminal case, under the appropriate circumstances, is eligible for a reduction of 2 offense levels and to be sentenced witho… |
| 21-5690 | Pedro Zavala-Armendariz v. United States | Seventh Circuit | 2021-09-17 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 18-usc-3553(f) appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court judicial-discretion safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation | Did the District Court err by not adequately explaining its ruling in applying or not applying the safety valve in connection with 18 U.S.C. §3553(f)? |
| 20-7177 | Sandra Doyle v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2021-02-19 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure due-process post-arrest-interview prosecutorial-discretion relevant-conduct safety-valve sentencing witness-testimony | 1. Is it a denial of due process to sentence petitioner to additional imprisonment based on a finding that she lied or minimized in her safety-valve i… |
| 20-5740 | Edward Mahan v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2020-09-17 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | 18-USC-3553a appeal criminal-procedure downward-adjustment drug-offense due-process government-misconduct plea-agreement safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines | DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR BY ALLOWING THE GOVERNMENT TO VIOLATE THE PLEA AGREEMENT? DID THE DISTRICT COURT ERR BY DENYING MR. MAHAN'S OBJECTION TO T… |
| 20-5041 | Justin L. Sain v. United States | Sixth Circuit | 2020-07-13 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | alleyne-standard Alleyne-v-United-States burden-of-proof criminal-sentencing drug-statute federal-drug-statute mandatory-minimum Mullaney-v-Wilbur safety-valve | The "safety valve," 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) is a federal statute that, in combination with the federal drug statute, 21 U.S.C. § 841, determines whether a… |
| 19-7154 | In Re Corey Devon Eaton | 2020-01-02 | Denied | Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP | actual-innocence cause-and-prejudice constitutional-infirmity due-process plea-agreement plea-agreement-involuntary plea-waiver procedural-default retroactive-relief safety-valve | ISSUE I (A) WHETHER CONSTITUTIONAL, STATUTORY INFIRMITIES, AND VIOLATIONS OF RULE 11 MAY HAVE RENDERED COREY DEVON EATON'S PLEA AGREEMENT, AND HIS PL… | |
| 19-6230 | Claudius L. Fincher v. United States | Seventh Circuit | 2019-10-09 | Denied | Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP | criminal-procedure due-process factual-question jury-determination jury-trial mandatory-minimum safety-valve safetyvalve-statute sentencing sixth-amendment | Does the district court's resolution of a contested factual question under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) (safety-valve statute) for the purpose of determining w… |
| 19-5641 | David Anthony Gordon v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2019-08-19 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | appeal-waiver due-process government-breach judicial-assignment judicial-procedure mandatory-minimum plea-agreement safety-valve sentencing sentencing-discretion | Whether, in reaching the decision to affirm in part and to dismiss in part, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has so far departed from the accepte… |
| 18-9328 | Diego Portocarrero Valencia v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2019-05-17 | Denied | Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP | confrontation-rights criminal-procedure drug-trafficking due-process high-seas-offense jurisdiction maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law safety-valve sentencing stateless-vessel | 1. Is the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act ("MDLEA") unconstitutional because no minimum contacts between the accused and the United States are requi… |
| 18-8051 | Yeison Valencia Torres v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2019-02-21 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | circuit-split conflict-of-laws criminal-procedure drug-enforcement drug-offense due-process equal-protection maritime-drug-law maritime-law safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation | The exclusion of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (46 U.S.C. § 70503) from eligibility for safety valve violates equal protection, because there … |
| 18-7000 | Luis Rolando Bueno Jimenez v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2018-12-12 | Denied | IFP | 18-usc-3553(f) circuit-split criminal-law drug-enforcement mandatory-minimum maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation | Whether a defendant convicted of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, 46 U.S.C. § 70501 et seq., and subject to a mandatory minimum senten… |
| 18-6482 | Roger Alfred Anchundia-Espinoza v. United States | Fifth Circuit | 2018-10-29 | Denied | IFP | 18-usc-3553(f) criminal-law criminal-sentencing drug-enforcement mandatory-minimum maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation statutory-safety-valve united-states-v-mosquera-murillo | Whether a criminal defendant convicted of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, 46 U.S.C. § 70501 et seq., and subject to a mandatory minim… |
| 18-374 | Wuilson Estuardo Lemus Castillo v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2018-09-21 | Denied | 18-usc-3553(f) 21-usc-960 circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing drug-enforcement mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentences maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation | Whether a criminal defendant convicted of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, 46 U.S.C. § 70501 et seq., and subject to a mandatory minim… | |
| 18-5221 | Aquilino Guizamano-Cortes v. United States | Eleventh Circuit | 2018-07-12 | Denied | Response WaivedIFP | criminal-law drug-offense due-process equal-protection maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law rational-basis safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation territorial-jurisdiction | The exclusion of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcemen Act (46 U.S.C. § 70503) from eligibility for safety valve violates equal protection, because there i… |