May 26, 2026·25-3273·Panel Decision·By James Taylor
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentence imposed on Marcius Haywood following his guilty plea to a drug offense. The court granted counsel's motion to withdraw after finding no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
Marcius Haywood appealed his sentence after pleading guilty to a drug offense pursuant to a written plea agreement. His counsel moved to withdraw and filed a brief under Anders v. California, challenging the substantive reasonableness of the sentence.
The court’s reasoning
The court concluded the district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing Haywood. After independently reviewing the record under Penson v. Ohio, the court found no non-frivolous issues for appeal.
What it means going forward
Counsel is allowed to withdraw from the case, and the original sentence stands affirmed.
