sentencing-review

142 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-6790 Diego Castillo-Pedraza v. United States Third Circuit 2026-02-11 Pending Response WaivedIFP appellate-decision circuit-court-review evidence-rule-404b judicial-procedure legal-standard sentencing-review 1. Was the Third Circuit decision to affirm the District Court's 404(b) Ruling and sentencing correct?
25A848 Mohamed Ahmed Hassan v. United States Ninth Circuit 2026-01-23 Application case-load criminal-conviction federal-defenders ninth-circuit sentencing-review writ-of-certiorari Question not identified.
25A826 Marco Antonio Naranjo-Aguilar v. United States Tenth Circuit 2026-01-20 Application court-of-appeals criminal-procedure federal-conviction procedural-challenge sentencing-review tenth-circuit Question not identified.
25-5896 Shawn Travis Paschal v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-10-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure imprisonment reasonableness-standard sentencing-review supervised-release Whether sentences of imprisonment following the revocation of supervised release should be reviewed for reasonableness or plain unreasonableness?
25-5877 Samson Diamonte Xavior Smith v. United States Eighth Circuit 2025-10-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure harmless-error non-elemental-facts presentence-report sentencing-review shepard-documents Whether a reviewing court may properly rely on non-elemental facts in presentence reports and Shepard documents when conducting harmless-error review …
25-5504 Justin Everett Kessler v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-08-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-conditions district-court-discretion lifetime-supervision sentencing-review supervised-release vagueness-doctrine I. Did the District Court Abuse Its Discretion by Imposing an Unconstitutionally Vague and Overbroad "Loitering" Supervised Release Condition? II. Di…
25-5149 Jerrell Sims v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-07-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure imprisonment reasonableness sentencing-review supervised-release Whether sentences of imprisonment following the revocation of supervised release should be reviewed for reasonableness or plain unreasonableness?
24-7316 Miguel Yepson-Cortez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
24-6726 Jason Krumback v. Amber Pirraglia, Acting Warden, et al. Eighth Circuit 2025-03-10 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (3)IFP court-jurisdiction habeas-corpus innocence-claim procedural-default sentencing-review witness-testimony 1. Can a person be a witness after sentencing? 2. Can testimony be withheld after it has been given? 3. Is a probation condition evidence? 4. Is a …
24-6663 Darrell Turner v. United States Seventh Circuit 2025-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-right fifth-amendment habeas-corpus sentencing-review statutory-interpretation vacatur (1) DOES A DEFENDANT MEET THE "SUBSTANTIAL DENIAL OF A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT" STANDARD UNDER 28 USCS § 2253(c), WHEN HE PRESENTS THE 'VACATUR' OF HIS P…
24-6411 Holly Kaye Hibbler v. Jeremy Howard, Warden Sixth Circuit 2025-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP amendment-violation constitutional-rights criminal-procedure due-process sentencing-review unreasonable-sentence Whether Petitioner is entitled to resentencing where her minimum term was an unreasonable and disproportionate sentence and an unreasonable departure …
24-6284 Christopher Duncan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-01-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure imprisonment reasonableness sentencing-review supervised-release Whether sentences of imprisonment following the revocation of supervised release should be reviewed for reasonableness or plain unreasonableness?
24-695 Bill Cool, Warden v. Nathaniel Jackson Sixth Circuit 2024-12-30 Denied criminal-procedure death-penalty lockett-precedent mitigation-evidence remand sentencing-review Has this Court clearly required state courts to reopen the mitigation evidence in every death-penalty remand, even if the error did not affect the def…
24-5995 Manuel Espinoza-Camacho v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-11-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
24-5794 Juan Daniel Sierra-Jimenez v. United States First Circuit 2024-10-21 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP breach-of-agreement circuit-split plain-error-rule plea-agreement prejudice-prong sentencing-review Whether a Circuit Split exists related to how lower courts examine Defendants' compliance with the third prong of the plain error rule (prejudice pron…
24-5303 Eric Krieg v. United States Seventh Circuit 2024-08-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP deficient-performance habeas-corpus judicial-review precedent-ambiguity sentencing-review strickland-standard 1) Could so-called "jurors of reason" disagree with the district court's conclusion that precedent is made "ambiguous" when a derivative case is "rem…
24-5180 Lemuel S. Whiteside v. Arkansas Arkansas 2024-07-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP aedpa criminal-procedure cumulative-error habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing-review strategic-decision-making strickland-standard strickland-v-washington WHETHER THE ARKANSAS COURTS APPLIED AN INCORRECT STANDARD FOR RESOLVING PETITIONER WHITESIDE'S CLAIMS OF INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL IN SENTENCI…
23-7165 Emiliano Emmanuel Flores-González v. United States First Circuit 2024-04-08 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP article-iii article-iii-jurisdiction circuit-court-procedure criminal-procedure due-process en-banc en-banc-procedure judicial-review sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation 1. Did the court's fealty to ministerial en banc procedures justify abdication of its constitutional and statutory obligations to adjudicate an as-of-…
23-7145 Richard Dewayne Lewis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2024-04-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3583 appellate-review circuit-split extra-statutory-factors revocation-sentences sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review statutory-interpretation supervised-release L. What is the proper standard of review for evaluating supervised release revocation sentences on appeal? I. May a district court imposing sentence …
23-6908 Shawn Christy v. United States Third Circuit 2024-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP court-procedure criminal-procedure due-process ineffective-assistance judgment-of-acquittal judicial-discretion judicial-error pro-se right-to-counsel self-representation sentencing-review 1. Did the district court error in not permitting Mr. Christy to represent himself? Suggested Answer: Yes. 2. Did the district court error in not gra…
23-6884 Alexander Yoichi Duberek v. United States Fifth Circuit 2024-03-04 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
23A767 Emiliano Emmanuel Flores-González v. United States First Circuit 2024-02-22 Presumed Complete appellate-procedure circuit-precedent criminal-sentencing en-banc-review procedural-reasonableness sentencing-review In sentencing a defendant for a non-violent gun-possession offense, what role, if any, should a district court's stereotyped views about firearms in g…
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 …
23A654 Isaiah Glenndell Tryon v. Christe Quick, Acting Warden, Oklahoma State Penitentiary Tenth Circuit 2024-01-16 Presumed Complete capital-case constitutional-error death-penalty eighth-amendment fair-trial sentencing-review Question not identified.
23-6406 Jamal Eberhardt v. United States Third Circuit 2024-01-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court-standard criminal-procedure due-process excessive-sentence judicial-discretion reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review third-circuit 1. Did the Third Circuit error by not finding Mr. Eberhardt's sentence was harsh and excessive.
23-6335 Devonne L. Walker v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-12-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-leadership criminal-organization criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing firearm-possession guideline-enhancement leadership sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review 1) Whether the lower court erred in applying a 4-level increase pursuant to U.S.S.G. Guideline § 3B1.1(a) in determining the Petitioner to be an organ…
23-5776 Andrea Lamont Medlock v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure federal-authority imprisonment-review judicial-discretion plain-error reasonableness revocation sentencing-review sentencing-standards standard-of-review supervised-release Whether sentences of imprisonment following the revocation of supervised release should be reviewed for reasonableness or plain unreasonableness?
23-5276 German Martinez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review appellate-standard circuit-split criminal-procedure judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
22-7768 Nidal Ayyad v. United States Second Circuit 2023-06-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure direct-appeal double-jeopardy habeas-corpus resentencing section-2255 sentencing sentencing-review vacatur Whether, following the vacatur of a count of conviction (either on direct appeal or via a § 2255 motion), the district court must resentence the defen…
22-7725 James Earl Green, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-sentencing-guidelines judicial-discretion reasonableness-review sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
22-7519 Daniel A. Rodriguez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-05-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court-procedure civil-procedure due-process judicial-discretion judicial-recusal sentencing-review standing statutory-interpretation structural-error I. Whether it is a Structural Error for a District Judge to preside over proceedings that he has been directly recused from. II. When the Circuit Cou…
22-7501 Leon Caril, II v. Washington Washington 2023-05-09 Denied IFP appeals-process criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process improper-witness-testimony ineffective-assistance-of-counsel legal-errors sentencing-errors sentencing-review sixth-amendment witness-testimony 1. an as an Jvshce [A deciding Prosecuterial Vindiot veness OF appeals a ys want jvstee ta dec? " PTesecutecs 2. fA cidiag oX two Count ConyicHea Sor…
22-966 Cavanta McLilly v. Adam Douglas, Warden Sixth Circuit 2023-04-05 Denied Response Waived alleyne-violation criminal-procedure due-process evidence harmless-error jury-instructions jury-verdict police-testimony sentencing-review standard-of-review surveillance-video I. Whether police testimony identifying Mr. McLilly as the perpetrator seen on a surveillance video from the crime scene had a substantial and injurio…
22-7135 Victoria Michelle Drain v. Ohio Ohio 2023-03-29 Denied IFP 8th-amendment capital-punishment capital-sentencing defense-counsel eddings-v-oklahoma eighth-amendment mitigating-evidence ohio-supreme-court sentencing-review strategic-choice Counsel and capital defendant s frequently clash over whether and what mitigating evidence to present in support of a sentence less than deat h. In Oh…
22-6879 Bobby O. Williams v. Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District Illinois 2023-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP aggravating-factors due-process fair-warning judicial-expansion jury-determination jury-findings retroactivity sentencing-review statutory-interpretation sufficiency-of-evidence On Petitioner's second direct appeal, in resolving Petitioner's sufficiency of evidence claim regarding the existence of a single statutory aggravatin…
22-6844 Eladio Loya-Palma v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-02-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily requires the court of appeals to reweigh the sentencing factors?
22-6697 Ervin Harris v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-02-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-innocence aggravated-assault borden-precedent borden-v-united-states criminal-conviction criminal-law due-process forcible-assault sentencing-review supreme-court Whether Petitioner is actually innocent of his aggravated and forcible assault offense, in light of Borden v. United States, 141 S. Ct. 1817 (2021)?
22-6659 Armando Lopez-Rivera v. United States First Circuit 2023-01-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review appellate-standard concurrent-sentence gall-precedent gall-v-united-states individualized-assessment intellectual-disability judicial-explanation sentencing-courts sentencing-explanation sentencing-review Whether a sentencing court must provide a reasonable explanation, on the record, as to why it is not considering a sentencing factor advanced by a def…
22-5985 Islam Yaser-Abdel Said v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-11-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review constitutional-challenge criminal-defendants criminal-procedure facial-attacks facial-vagueness first-amendment johnson-v-united-states sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness-review unconstitutionally-vague 1. Whether criminal defendants challenging a statute as unconstitutionally vague may raise facial attacks in cases not involving the First Amendment? …
22-5825 Ahmed R. Morning v. Tim Hooper, Warden Fifth Circuit 2022-10-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-challenge criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process judicial-discretion jurisdiction ramos-v-louisiana retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-review 1) Whether the State trial court erred by imposing an unconstitutionally harsh and excessive sentence? 2) Whether the holding in Ramos v. Louisiana, …
22-5712 Ramona I. Morgan v. Gloria Geither Tenth Circuit 2022-09-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure district-court-jurisdiction double-jeopardy due-process habeas-corpus jurisdiction motion-to-vacate prosecutorial-discretion sentencing-review statutory-interpretation 1. Should the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit have granted a Certificate of Appeal to the Petitioner [Edmond Morgan]? 2. Should …
22-5500 James R. LaPoint v. Ricky D. Dixon, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections Eleventh Circuit 2022-09-02 Denied IFP 14th-amendment appellate-record constitutional-rights criminal-procedure direct-appeal due-process fair-trial Hardy-v-United-States incomplete-record Mayer-v-City-of-Chicago sentencing-review 1. Do the State courts violate a defendant's 14th Amendment Right to due process and to a fair and complete direct appeal when they become aware of a …
22-5405 Perry Sawano v. Colorado Colorado 2022-08-19 Denied IFP 8th-amendment aggregate-sentence constitutional-interpretation constitutional-law criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment eighth-amendment proportionality-analysis proportionality-review sentencing sentencing-review 1) Does the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the imposition of cruel and unusual punishment require that a sentencing court…
22-5245 Pamela McCoy v. Florida Florida 2022-08-01 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP constitutional-rights cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process equal-protection fair-proceeding juvenile-sentencing manifest-injustice sentencing-review I. Does the decision of the Florida State Courts to deny the Petitioner relief ruling that the Petitioner's thirty-five (35) year sentence as a juveni…
22-5079 Steven Martinez v. Christopher Gomez, Warden Sixth Circuit 2022-07-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-4001(a) constitutional-rights detention-authority false-imprisonment habeas-corpus indefinite-detention prison-program-statement-5380.06 sentencing-review void-judgment void-judgment-and-commitment DID THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT APPLY THE WRONG MODEL FORM MOTION TO VACATE, SET ASIDE, OR CORRECT SENTENCE UNDER 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (e);…
21-8206 Noble Laverne Bennett v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-06-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal appellate-review constitutional-interpretation criminal-procedure due-process extraordinary-circumstances habeas-corpus judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing sentencing-review I. WHETHER IT WAS ERROR FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT TO DENY BENNETT'S APPEAL WITHOUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD? II. WHETHER IT WAS ERROR FOR THE LOWER CO…
21-8092 Nicole R. Bramwell v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2022-06-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-U.S.C.-3553a 18-usc-3553(a) 18-usc-3661 abuse-of-discretion appellate-review below-guideline-sentence collateral-consequences downward-variance sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review (1) When a district court commits no procedural error at sentencing – e.g., correctly calculates the guidelines, considers all statutory sentencing fa…
21-7809 Urshawn Eric Miller v. Tennessee Tennessee 2022-05-09 Denied IFP arbitrary-and-capricious arbitrary-capricious capital-punishment comparative-proportionality-review death-penalty due-process eighth-amendment proportionality-review sentencing-review Whether Tennessee's comparative proportionality review, the state's chosen safeguard against arbitrary and capricious imposition of the death penalty,…
21-7221 Alfred Lavoris Moody v. United States Fourth Circuit 2022-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-justice criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion juvenile-justice mitigating-factors mitigation-factors proportionality rehabilitation sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review Whether the 78-month sentence imposed on Mr. Moody was " greater than necessary " considering his troubled childhood.
21-7097 Sinmyah Amera Ceasar v. United States Second Circuit 2022-02-10 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3553(a) appellate-standard circuit-split criminal-sentencing gall-v-united-states sentencing-review standard-of-review statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness terrorism terrorism-cases In Gall v. United States, 128 S. Ct. 586 (2007), this Court held that appellate courts must review the substantive reasonableness of all sentences und…
21-6207 Philip Bernard Friend v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review comparable-cases comparative-sentencing criminal-procedure federal-sentencing-guidelines juvenile-offenders sentencing-disparities sentencing-reasonableness sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness substantive-review The question presented is whether an appellate court reviewing a sentence for substantive reasonableness should consider, when presented, a comparison…
21-6135 Jesus Ramirez-Barrera v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-11-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP bail community-danger criminal-procedure detention district-court-review due-process extraordinary-reasons judicial-discretion public-safety relief-standard sentencing sentencing-review I. WHETHER THE DISTRICT COURT ERRED IN DECIDING THAT PETITIONER HAS NOT SHOWN EXTRAORDINARY AND COMPELLING REASONS; AND THAT HE WAS A DANGER TO THE CO…
21-5999 Steven Dewayne Gilbert v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-10-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure career-offender-guideline circuit-split criminal-sentencing district-court-discretion guideline-interpretation holguin-hernandez procedural-reasonableness sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness 1. This Court in Holguin-Hernandez recently held that a defendant's argument in the district court for a lower sentence preserves appellate review to …
21-5899 Joseph Vasquez, Jr. v. United States Ninth Circuit 2021-10-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender guidelines individualized-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reasonableness sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness substantive-review Whether a below guidelines sentence can still result in a substantively unreasonable sentence?
21-5812 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…
21-5634 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…
21-5475 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…
21-5324 Michael Dasean Robinson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-08-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure district-court due-process harmless-error rule-32 sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review At sentencing, Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(i)(3)(B) gives a district court two options for addressing any "controverted matter": "rule on th…
21-5229 Jevante Marcus Richmond and Arthur Gene Evans, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-07-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-sentencing district-court fourth-circuit procedural-reasonableness sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness Whether the Fourth Circuit failed to apply substantive reasonableness review of the sentences imposed by the district court?
21-5210 Trojan Hart v. United States Second Circuit 2021-07-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process evidentiary-restrictions jury-instructions right-to-counsel sentencing sentencing-review shackling (1) Whether the district court erred when it shackled Hart and co-defendant Sharpe? (2) Whether the district court interfered with the right to couns…
20-8405 Robert Allen Vestal v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deference federal-courts judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
20-8334 Jerome Williams v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-06-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2255-motion acca armed-career-criminal-act burden-of-proof eleventh-circuit habeas-corpus johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states legal-landscape section-2255 sentencing-review Where a § 2255 movant relies on evidence of the legal background at the time of his sentencing to prove he was sentenced under an unconstitutional law…
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…
20-7956 Bryan Montalvo v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-05-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP advisory-guidelines appellate-jurisdiction criminal-procedure downward-departure federal-courts judicial-discretion motion-for-departure sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation I. Whether a circuit court of appeals has jurisdiction to review the denial of a motion for downward departure?
20-7703 Gary Lamont Robinson v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-04-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court fourth-amendment fourth-circuit individualized-assessment judicial-discretion procedural-reasonableness sentencing-review Whether the Fourth Circuit's decision is in conflict with the Court's decision in Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38 (2007), because the Fourth Circui…
20-7409 Eduardo Pena-Garcia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-03-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deference federal-courts judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
20-7306 Agustin Madrid, aka Augustin Madrid v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-03-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure case-preservation circuit-split criminal-procedure holguin-hernandez-v-united-states judicial-interpretation legal-objection preservation-of-error procedural-unreasonableness sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review 1. Whether Holguin-Hernandez v. United States, __U.S.__, 140 S.Ct. 762 (2020), is relevant to the objections necessary to preserve claims of procedura…
20-7276 Russell Lawayne Montague v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-03-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance criminal-procedure due-process protective-order sentencing-disparities sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review supervised-release 1) Whether the district court ordered an unreasonably long 114-month prison sentence. 2) Whether the district court erred by finding Mr. Montague gui…
20-7091 Ray Anthony Chaney v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-02-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act johnson-decision johnson-v-united-states jurisdictional-challenge residual-clause section-2255 sentencing sentencing-review violent-felony The overall issue is whether, under law set forth in Johnson, Mr. Chaney should be resentenced without applying the armed career criminal provisions o…
20-6971 Jason Alfred Martinez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure plain-reasonableness revocation-of-supervised-release revocation-sentence sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness I. Did the court of appeals err when it reviewed the district court's sentence for plain reasonableness? II. Did the district court impose a plainly …
20-6883 Christopher Brent Garner v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-01-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure constitutional-challenge due-process federal-authority jury-trial legal-error sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review supervised-release trial-by-jury Whether 18 U.S.C. §3583(g) unconstitutionally deprives federal supervised releasees of the right to trial by jury? Whether courts of appeals reviewin…
20-6808 Thomas Traficante v. United States Second Circuit 2021-01-08 Denied IFP constitutional-challenge constitutional-challenges courts-of-appeals direct-appeal due-process ripeness risk-condition second-circuit sentencing-reform-act sentencing-review supervised-release Whether the Second Circuit Court of Appeals erred, in violation of U.S. Const. V and Congress' intent to provide a streamlined scheme of sentencing re…
20-6743 Neil Dussard v. United States Second Circuit 2020-12-31 Denied IFP circuit-split constitutional-challenge criminal-procedure due-process federal-jurisdiction plain-error sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation united-states-v-davis Whether the Supreme Court should correct the Second Circuit's split from other Circuit Courts in addressing the recurring question of the validity of …
20-6474 Pedro Fermin Barajas v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
20-6437 Tommy Pena v. United States Tenth Circuit 2020-11-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review circuit-split criminal-sentencing reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review upward-variance Mr. Peña's 360-month sentence was an upward variance of 222 months, or 160%, from the high end of the total advisory guideline range of 123-138 months…
20-6417 Edwin Omar Almonte-Nunez v. United States First Circuit 2020-11-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-2112 abuse-of-discretion counsel-substitution crime-of-violence double-jeopardy due-process party-presentation resentencing sentencing-review Did the district court adequately vet Mr. Almonte-Nuñez's dissatisfaction with his counsel? Was the denial of his request for substitution an abuse of…
20-6425 Scott Meece v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-24 Denied IFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-924(c) bank-robbery brandishing-a-firearm crime-of-violence dimaya-precedent firearm-brandishing johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states sentencing-review sessions-v-dimaya Whether under this Court's rulings in Johnson and Dimaya, Mr. Meece's conviction and sentence for brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of viol…
20-6213 J. Santos Mondragon-Benitez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure federal-authority imprisonment-revocation plain-error reasonableness reasonableness-standard revocation sentencing-review standard-of-review supervised-release Whether sentences of imprisonment following the revocation of supervised release should be reviewed for reasonableness or plain unreasonableness?
20-5851 John Christopher Badgett v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review circuit-court criminal-procedure due-process fifth-circuit judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness united-states-v-haymond I. Whether this Court should grant certiorari, vacate the sentence and remand to the Fifth Circuit for reconsideration in light of United States v. Ha…
20-5825 Larry Lamar Nance v. United States Fourth Circuit 2020-09-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review central-thesis circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion mitigation mitigation-arguments sentencing sentencing-review Whether it is sufficient for a sentencing court to address the "central thesis" of a defendant's arguments in mitigation or whether, as a majority of …
20-5655 Casye Necole Richardson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-11 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
20-5488 Franklin Rafael Lopez Toala v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-08-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 5th-Amendment appellate-record due-process evidentiary-hearing fifth-amendment Gardner-v-Florida judicial-procedure presentence-investigation sentencing sentencing-review 1. In reviewing a sentencing judgment, may the Eleventh Circuit consider new materials that were never introduced to the sentencing judge? (A 9-2 spli…
20-5433 Gregory Wind v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-08-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-deference circuit-split deference district-court federal-courts-of-appeals federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Did the district court impose a substantively unreasonable sentence upon Mr. Wind?
20-71 Stephen P. Brown v. United States Second Circuit 2020-07-24 Denied Response Waived appeal-waiver certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure due-process fifth-amendment ineffective-assistance section-2255 sentencing sentencing-review sixth-amendment Should this Court vacate and remand the Februar y 12, 2020 Order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denying a certificate of appealab…
20-5007 Anthony Ray Foley v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review appellate-standard booker-standard circuit-split due-process federal-sentencing sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review supervised-release 1. Is the "reasonableness" standard, under United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), the proper standard for appellate review of a sentence impose…
19-8897 David Lee Smith v. North Carolina North Carolina 2020-07-05 Denied Relisted (2)IFP civil-rights constitutional-challenge covid-prison-conditions due-process emergency-relief fair-trial ineffective-assistance-of-counsel prisoner-rights pro-se pro-se-petition sentencing sentencing-review ARE PRO-SE PETITIONER'S ENTITLED TO COURTS' LIBERAL CONSTRUCTION OF THEIR COURT PAPERS OR FAIR AMENDMENT? IF PROSECUTOR PRESENT ED NO EVIDENCE PETITI…
19-8563 Michael Lee v. United States First Circuit 2020-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure appellate-review criminal-law criminal-review due-process first-time-offender life-sentence sentencing sentencing-review sex-crimes 1. Should certiorari be granted to address whether a circuit court is presented with a substantial question, hence warranting full appellate review, r…
19-8530 Sacorey L. Clark v. United States Eighth Circuit 2020-05-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process government-duty government-liability judicial-remand legal-claims rehaif rehaif-precedent remand sentencing sentencing-review Whether CLARK's Affirmed Sentence & Judgment Must be Vacated in light of REHAIF, 139 S.Ct. 2191 (2019), Then Remanded, Where it is Warranted that CLAR…
19-8403 Juan Miguel Lopez v. Stuart Sherman, Warden Ninth Circuit 2020-05-05 Denied IFP appellate-jurisdiction constitutional-review criminal-justice-reform criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection judicial-oversight jurisdictional-challenge retroactivity sentencing-review How can the Court be impelled to use its' all encompassing jurisdiction to redress the imposition of time added to a primary base term, as an aggravat…
19-8390 Do Kyun Kim v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-05-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process federal-courts judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
19-7799 Desmond Baker v. Florida Florida 2020-02-27 Denied IFP criminal-procedure eighth-amendment fourteenth-amendment juvenile-offender juvenile-offenders juvenile-sentencing life-sentence life-without-parole mandatory-sentencing parole sentencing-review Do the Eighth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States juvenile homicide offender, who has certain nonhomicide felony convictions, to s…
19-7470 Agustin Martinez-Lopez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a appellate-review appellate-standard circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing criminal-sentencing,appellate-review,18-usc-3553(a federal-sentencing gall-v-united-states judicial-discretion sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-review statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness L When conducting their substantive-reasonableness review of sentences, can appellate courts reweigh the sentencing factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), as…
19-7427 Rodolfo Perez-Jimenez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deference due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
19-7293 Desmond Bowen v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(a) appellate-review booker-v-united-states federal-sentencing gall-v-united-states judicial-standard sentencing-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) states: "The court shall impose a sentence sufficient, but not greater than necessary." Indeed, there are factors found in § 3553(…
19-7182 Cirilo Mancilla Lopez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-01-06 Denied IFP appeal appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process legal-objection preservation-of-error sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-unreasonableness 1. Whether claims of substantive unreasonableness must be preserved by specific objection? SUB SIDIARY QUESTI ON: Whether the Court should hold the c…
19-7105 Miguel Jilberto Vazquez-Chavarria v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-12-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-discretion remand sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review statutory-interpretation substantive-reasonableness 1. Whether substantive reasonableness review requires or permits the courts of appeals to "reweigh the [18 U.S.C. §3553(a)] factors"? SUBSIDIARY QUES…
19-6882 Zackary Ikaika Bryton Thompson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-12-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deference due-process judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
19-6792 Victor Sanchez v. Patrick Nogan, Administrator East Jersey State Prison, et al. Third Circuit 2019-12-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights due-process habeas-corpus ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel judicial-intervention plea-bargaining procedural-due-process right-to-appeal sentencing sentencing-review Where trial counsel admits to ineffective advice that lead to this petitioner being sentenced to (5) five years more time than he would have received …
19-6758 Michael Tryance Anderson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-11-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP 14th-amendment appellate-standard booker-standard circuit-court civil-procedure civil-rights due-process equal-protection federal-sentencing sentencing-review standing substantive-reasonableness Whether the Eighth Circuit's substantive reasonableness review satisfies the standards set forth in United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), Gall…
19-6746 Michael Anthony Mitchell v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-11-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review due-process equal-protection fair-hearing ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel sentencing sentencing-disparities sentencing-disparity sentencing-review unwarranted-sentence waiver-of-rights Does a waiver of direct appeal rights and collateral rights excepting claims premised on ineffective assistance of counsel violate a defendant's "due …
19-6643 John Forrest v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 armed-career-criminal-act collateral-review constitutional-law criminal-procedure descamps-v-united-states mathis-v-united-states retroactive-precedent retroactivity sentencing sentencing-correction sentencing-review successive-motion supreme-court A successive motion to correct a sentence under 28 U.S.C. §2255(h)(2) must contain a "new rule of constitutional law, made retroactive to cases on col…
19-6600 Barry Lernard Davis v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 2255-motion 60b-motion abuse-of-discretion coa-brief court-of-appeals due-process evidentiary-hearing manifest-injustice procedural-due-process psr psr-challenge section-2255 sentencing-claim sentencing-evidence sentencing-issue sentencing-review 1. Where petitioner attacked evidence; Statens Certified Motion to Dismiss allegation in his PSR, of R.D., to his 2255 Motion, and argued his evidence…
19-6415 Jose Eleuterio Nava v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deference district-court due-process judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
19-6380 Emerson L. Beverly v. Sherry L. Burt, Warden Sixth Circuit 2019-10-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP 14th-amendment 6th-amendment criminal-procedure due-process eighth-amendment fair-trial fair-trial-14th-amendment fair-trial-6th-amendment fourteenth-amendment prosecutorial-misconduct red-herring sentencing-review sixth-amendment I. DID THE PROSECUTOR 'S REPEATED REFERENCE TO PETITIONER 'S DEFENSE AS A "RED HEARING " CONSTITUTE MISCONDUCT THEREBY DENYING PETITIONER A FAIR TRI…
19-6209 John Hudson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-10-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal armed-career-criminal-act certificate-of-appealability due-process federal-appellate-procedure johnson-precedent johnson-v-united-states prior-convictions resentencing section-2255 sentencing sentencing-review violent-felony The specific question presented for review is whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit erred by denying Mr. Hudson a Certifica…
19-6036 Arturo Eduardo Dominguez-Calderon v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-09-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review courts-of-appeals criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process holguin-hernandez-v-united-states judicial-discretion remand sentencing-factors sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review requires or permits the courts of appeals to "reweigh the sentencing factors"? SUBSIDIARY QUESTION: Whether…
19-5922 Pedro Munoz, aka Pedro Munoz Ruiz v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-09-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deference district-court federal-courts-of-appeals federal-sentencing judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
19-5796 Alfredo Beltran Leyva v. United States District of Columbia 2019-09-03 Denied Amici (1)Response WaivedIFP circuit-split confrontation-clause constitutional-review criminal-procedure due-process hearsay hearsay-evidence sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review After pleading guilty to federal narcotics charges, Petitioner was sentenced to life imprisonment based entirely on unverified in-court testimony by a…
19-5624 Zachary William Hicks v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-08-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process hicks-factors ineffective-assistance judicial-review sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review sixth-amendment trial-court-discretion Whether the Trial Court Imposed an Unreasonable Sentence by Failing to Adequately Consider Hicks' Factors and Whether Trial Counsel Rendered Ineffecti…
19-5516 Rayshawn Roshard Robertson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-08-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP 28-usc-2255 burden-of-proof constitutional-law constitutional-provision criminal-defendant criminal-procedure criminal-relief federal-procedure retroactive-application retroactive-constitutional-decision section-2255 sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation statutory-maximum I. Whether a criminal defendant moving for relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, based on a retroactive constitutional decision invalidating a federal statut…
19-5447 Erbey Botello, aka Erbey Botello-Alanis, aka Javier Garcia v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split constitutional-rights due-process federal-sentencing judicial-discretion plea-hearing plea-revocation reasonableness-of-sentence revocation-hearing sentencing sentencing-review supervisory-powers Whether the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit-which refused to unequivocally recognize the constitutional right to …
19-5448 Antolin Torres Abonza v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-08-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing deference due-process federal-courts judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness substantive-reasonableness-review Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
19-5269 Reginald Christopher Gilbert v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-07-22 Denied IFP appellate-procedure appellate-review criminal-law criminal-procedure defendant-rights federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure judicial-review jurisdiction objection reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-review Whether a formal objection after pronouncement of sentence is necessary to invoke appellate reasonableness review of the length of a defendant's sente…
19-5027 Eddie David Cox v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-07-01 GVR IFP criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-rehaif-v-united-states,sentenci double-jeopardy eighth-circuit guidelines-calculation procedural-error rehaif-standard rehaif-v-united-states resentencing section-2241 sentencing sentencing-review 1. Should the Court GVR the judgment of the Eighth Circuit so the appeals court may consider, in the first instance, whether Cox is entitled to relief…
19-5003 Roberto Cruz-Olavarria v. United States First Circuit 2019-06-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process heightened-scrutiny judicial-discretion offense-seriousness sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review statutory-maximum supervised-release 1. Whether there is a need for extensive justification and heightened scrutiny when imposing and reviewing sentences at the statutory maximum. 2. Whe…
18-9791 Luis David Moreno-Pena v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-27 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion leniency preservation-of-error sentencing-argument sentencing-reasonableness sentencing-review Whether challenges to the reasonableness of a sentence rooted in a court's
18-9804 Michael Zachariah Gomez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeals appellate-procedure circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process federal-courts federal-revocation plain-unreasonableness sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review I. Whether the standard of review in appeals of federal revocation sentences is limited to review for "plain unreasonableness"?
18-9589 Nicholas Bradley Gilbert v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-06-07 GVR IFP appellate-review criminal-penalties criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-sentencing district-court district-court-discretion felon-possession interstate-commerce sentencing sentencing-factors sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness 1. Whether substantive reasonableness review requires or permits the courts of appeals to "substantively second guess" the district court and/or to "r…
18-9562 Shawn Michael Simms v. Mark Garman, Superintendent, State Correctional Institution at Rockview, et al. Third Circuit 2019-06-06 Denied IFP criminal-procedure due-process illegal-sentence pennsylvania-courts post-conviction-relief post-conviction-relief-act sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation void-ab-initio Ground I. Did the Pennsylvania Courts err in 'denying the instant Post Conviction Relief Act Petition for failing to recognize that the P.C.R.A. statu…
18-9576 Alvin Weekly v. United States Eighth Circuit 2019-06-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP actual-innocence blockburger-v-united-states cruel-and-unusual-punishment double-jeopardy eighth-amendment extraordinary-circumstances rule-60(b) rule-60b sentencing-review 1. Does the Court of Appeals commit clear error when declining to hear a defendant's claim of serving an unlawful sentence in violation of the Constit…
18-9459 Trinidad Nanez-Rivera v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-05-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process federal-common-law mitigating-circumstances sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness tenth-circuit within-guideline-sentences within-range-sentence Have the length of within-guideline sentences become effectively unreviewable in practice, and is Mr. Nanez-Rivera's sentence near the top of the rang…
18-9104 Kurt Zamor v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure common-carrier criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-rule-16 evidence evidence-sufficiency expert-testimony firearms firearms-regulation mens-rea sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation I. WHETHER THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT FAILED TO PROPERLY APPLY TITLE 18 U.S.C. SECTION 922(e) IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE EVIDENCE WAS SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLIS…
18-8834 José Amaya-Vasquez v. United States Third Circuit 2019-04-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure due-process judicial-discretion prior-bad-acts reasonableness reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-review 1. Whether the Court erred by considering the prior bad acts in the determination of the appropriate sentence? 2. Whether the sentence imposed by the…
18-8540 Eric David Bennett v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3742 appellate-review booker booker-standard circuit-split criminal-procedure sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review supervised-release united-states-v-booker Whether the appropriate standard of review for a sentence following the revocation of supervised release is the "plainly unreasonable " standard once …
18-8512 DaRen Kareem Gadsden v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process judicial-integrity judicial-proceedings multiplicitous-sentence plain-error remand rosales-mireles-standard sentencing sentencing-review substantial-rights In light of Rosales-Mireles v. United States, 138 S.Ct. 1897, 201 L. Ed. 2d 376 (2018), which, states, "[{fJailure to correct plain error that affecte…
18-8498 Oryan Yazzie v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-03-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure due-process guideline-range mental-health sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness supervised-release Is a supervised release revocation sentence of a length more than double the top of the advisory Guideline range substantively unreasonable if the dis…
18-8299 Walter Raynard Lingard v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-03-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP allocution-rights appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing downward-departure due-process judicial-discretion probation-revocation right-to-allocution sentencing-review DID THE COURT OF APPEALS ERR IN ITS DETERMINATION THAT THE DISTRICT COURT DID NOT ERR IN DECLINING TO VARY DOWNWARD BASED UPON LINGARD'S STATE PROBATI…
18-8181 Feliciano Soto-Lugo v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP abuse-of-discretion appellate-review criminal-procedure defendant-leniency district-court-discretion due-process judicial-response preservation-of-error reasonableness reasonableness-objection sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review Must challenges to the district court's failure to respond to a defendant's non-frivolous grounds for leniency be preserved by a separate "reasonablen…
18-8165 Michael J. Galvan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2019-02-27 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-procedure deference federal-courts judicial-discretion sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness Whether substantive reasonableness review necessarily encompasses some degree of reweighing the sentencing factors?
18-1109 James Erin McKinney v. Arizona Arizona 2019-02-26 Judgment Issued Amici (14)Relisted (2) aggravating-evidence arizona-supreme-court criminal-procedure death-penalty eddings-precedent eddings-v-oklahoma mitigating-evidence resentencing sentencing sentencing-review 1. Whether the Arizona Supreme Court was required to apply current law when weighing mitigating and aggravating evidence to determine whether a death …
18-7938 Alex Quintana-Torres v. United States Tenth Circuit 2019-02-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-history criminal-sentencing drug-addiction drug-offense presumption-of-reasonableness sentencing sentencing-guidelines sentencing-review substantive-reasonableness In Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338 (2007), this Court held that an appellate court could presume that a procedurally-reasonable, within-Guidelines…
18-7587 Biven Hudson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-25 Denied Response WaivedIFP 11th-circuit 28-usc-2255 certificate-of-appealability district-court eleventh-circuit magistrate-court mandatory-minimum minimum-mandatory-enhancement reasonable-jurists sentencing-enhancement sentencing-review Whether the appellate court erred in denying Mr. Hudson's motion for certificate of appealability as to the denial by the district court of his motion…
18-7453 Corey Kirkpatrick Sterling v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-01-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP collateral-review constitutional-law criminal-law due-process mandatory-guidelines pre-booker retroactive-effect retroactivity sentencing-guidelines sentencing-guidelines-vagueness sentencing-review vagueness vagueness-doctrine Whether U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(2)'s residual clause is void for vagueness vis-à-vis defendants sentenced under the pre-Booker mandatory Guidelines. Whet…
18-7360 Peter Mathis, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-01-10 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP appeals appellate-review circuit-court criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process final-judgment grand-jury insufficient-evidence sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation Did Congress' enactment of 18 USC § 3742 (a), allow for the review of an otherwise final sentence, if a defendant could showaviOlatiôn ofi1aw? Did th…
18-7140 Tommy Ray Hull, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-12-21 Denied IFP chavez-meza-precedent chavez-meza-v-united-states circuit-split district-court district-court-discretion due-process fifth-circuit fifth-circuit-standard mitigation mitigation-arguments sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review I. This Court should grant certiorari to resolve the apparent conflict between the Fifth Circuit and this Court's decision in Chavez-Meza v. United St…
18-7119 Stanley Grigsby v. Louisiana Louisiana 2018-12-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review criminal-justice criminal-procedure cruel-and-unusual-punishment due-process excessive-sentence judicial-error jurisdiction louisiana-law sentencing sentencing-review subject-matter-jurisdiction Whether the Louisiana Court's have erred in determining that the sentence was not excessive? Whether the Louisiana Court's have erred in failing to n…
18-7022 Ryan Lee Zater v. Kenny Atkinson, Warden Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-13 Denied IFP actual-innocence circuit-split federal-courts federal-jurisdiction federal-procedure habeas-corpus saving-clause sentencing sentencing-review statutory-interpretation What is the scope of the §2255(e) saving clause? And is it permissible for Zater to proceed thereunder?
18-6459 Cliserio Balmes-Cruz v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-10-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review appellate-standard circuit-split criminal-procedure due-process judicial-consideration non-frivolous-arguments procedural-reasonableness rita-v-united-states sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review In contrast with the Ninth Circuit, at least seven other circuits apply a standard which requires a sentencing judge provide some express treatment to…
18-6266 Ivan Rivera-Solis v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553a appellate-review circuit-split criminal-sentencing gall-standard gall-v-united-states sentencing-factors sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness When conducting their substantive reasonableness review of sentences, can appellate courts reweigh the sentencing factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), as t…
18-6269 Matthew Clayton Lloyd v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-10-10 Denied IFP 18-usc-2113 18-usc-924(c) armed-bank-robbery bank-robbery crime-of-violence extortion force-clause intimidation johnson-ruling johnson-v-united-states physical-force sentencing-review weapon-enhancement I.Is federal bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113, which can be accomplished by "intimidation" or "extortion" a crime of violence as defined …
18-6271 Sonny Scott v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-review appellate-standard booker-standard circuit-split criminal-procedure plain-error plain-error-review reasonableness-challenge reasonableness-standard sentencing sentencing-review standard-of-review substantive-reasonableness united-states-v-booker (1) When—if at all—must a defendant object to the reasonableness of a sentence to preserve that argument for appellate review? (2) What is the proper…
18-5797 Carlos Gutierrez-Torres v. United States Ninth Circuit 2018-08-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP appellate-procedure appellate-review circuit-split criminal-procedure judicial-discretion plain-error preservation-of-error sentencing sentencing-review The Circuits are split on whether a defendant has to re-object to the district court's explanation of its sentencing rationale in order to preserve th…