Topic
Every decision we've filed under Sentencing Guidelines.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Lorin Kal Buckner, who represented himself while advancing sovereign-citizen arguments. The court rejected Buckner's claims that his waiver of counsel was invalid and that he was mentally incompetent.
The Eighth Circuit dismissed an appeal by a defendant who had pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. The court held that the defendant knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal his sentence under the terms of his plea agreement.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a wire fraud conviction and sentence after the defendant failed to show a fair and just reason for withdrawing his guilty plea. The court also rejected the defendant's claim that his sentence was substantively unreasonable given the significant downward variance already granted.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the sentence imposed on a defendant convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying a continuance for a mental health evaluation.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a fifty-one-month sentence for a defendant convicted of conspiring to create and distribute animal crush videos. The court rejected arguments that the district court erred in applying a role enhancement or in finding the sentence substantively unreasonable.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a motion for compassionate release. The panel held that the district court properly applied sentencing guidelines and did not abuse its discretion in finding the defendant's family circumstances were not extraordinary and compelling.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of a compassionate release motion filed by Jabari Hird. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing the statutory sentencing factors against the request for relief.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court's sentencing decision involving a defendant convicted of felony child abuse and assault. The court held that the Sentencing Guidelines commentary correctly defined aggravated assault to include strangulation, even when the victim is a child.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment in a federal drug case involving a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The court rejected claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and challenges to the sentencing guidelines calculation.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a twenty-four-month prison sentence for methamphetamine trafficking. The court found the sentence procedurally and substantively reasonable despite the defendant's argument for a shorter term.