The Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of a defendant who pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. The court rejected the defendant's arguments regarding sentencing guidelines and constitutional challenges to the statute.
Chadin Derron Kelly pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after a felony conviction in violation of federal law. He received a sentence of one hundred twenty-one months of imprisonment, which was above the recommended guidelines range.
The court’s reasoning
The court addressed two main arguments. First, it assumed for the sake of argument that the district court erred in calculating the sentencing guidelines but found the error harmless based on the record. Second, the court rejected constitutional challenges to the statute, noting that such arguments are foreclosed by existing Fifth Circuit precedent.
What it means going forward
The decision reinforces the finality of convictions for firearm possession by felons and limits the ability to challenge sentencing calculations or constitutional validity when precedent is clear.
