Topic
Every decision we've filed under Mandatory Minimum.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Jonathon Howard Beck's habeas motion, ruling that the record conclusively showed he received effective assistance of counsel. The court held that Beck's sworn statements during his plea colloquy created a formidable barrier to his claim that he did not understand his mandatory minimum sentences.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Leoncio Perez's motion for compassionate release, ruling that his advanced age and medical conditions did not constitute extraordinary and compelling reasons for sentence reduction. The court held that the district court properly weighed the sentencing factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and found Perez's history and the nature of his offenses precluded leniency.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied a certificate of appealability to a Colorado prisoner seeking federal habeas corpus relief. The court affirmed the district court's rejection of claims regarding excluded evidence, the invocation of the Fifth Amendment privilege by a witness, and ineffective assistance of counsel.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed in part and dismissed in part the conviction and sentence of a defendant who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The court held that the defendant's appellate waiver was valid and enforceable, barring review of sentencing issues raised under an Anders brief.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed Adam Power's conviction and sixty-year sentence for thirty-four counts of child pornography offenses. The court rejected claims that the district court lacked a factual basis for the pleas and found the sentence substantively reasonable given the heinous nature of the crimes.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of a sentence reduction for a defendant whose criminal history category was lowered by a Sentencing Guidelines amendment. The court held that a statutory mandatory minimum sentence prevented any further reduction of the term already being served.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of Alvis Damon Williams's third motion for compassionate release and his request for a sentence reduction under Amendment 821. The court found no abuse of discretion in the district court's determination that Williams failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling reasons for release and that statutory mandatory minimums precluded a sentence reduction.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a mandatory minimum sentence for a drug conspirator, ruling that joint occupancy of a residence where a firearm was found constitutes constructive possession. This finding rendered the defendant ineligible for the statutory safety valve that would have otherwise allowed the court to disregard the mandatory minimum.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Demetris Mackie's conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, rejecting his challenges to the admission of evidence regarding a prior shooting. The court also upheld Mackie's 360-month sentence, finding it reasonable given his extensive criminal history and gang affiliation.
The D.C. Circuit vacated Calvin Smith's life sentences for drug conspiracy and racketeering, finding the drug sentence exceeded statutory limits and the racketeering sentence lacked required factual findings. The court also vacated a felony murder conviction on double jeopardy grounds and remanded the case for a new sentencing hearing.