Topic
Every decision we've filed under Sentencing Guidelines.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed an eighty-month prison sentence for a convicted felon found in possession of a firearm. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in upwardly departing from the Sentencing Guidelines based on the defendant's serious uncounted criminal history.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a defendant's sentence after determining that a high-speed car chase constituted violence under the federal sentencing safety valve. The court held that fleeing at speeds exceeding one hundred thirty-five miles per hour and striking another vehicle satisfied the statutory bar to relief.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a consecutive sentence imposed on a defendant who threatened a federal officer. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in balancing sentencing factors under the Guidelines.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's revocation sentences for supervised release violations. The court held that the district judge did not plainly err by considering retributive purposes when sentencing the defendant.
The Sixth Circuit vacated a restitution order because the district court calculated losses based on a time period broader than the charged conduct. The court held that mandatory restitution must be confined to losses caused within the specific period identified in the charging document.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's decision to revoke supervised release and impose consecutive sentences for a defendant who absconded from a halfway house. The court held that the district court did not plainly err by considering the seriousness of the violation conduct as a breach of trust, even though it used language referencing punitive goals.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of a motion for early termination of supervised release. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion despite the defendant's stable employment and housing.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of three defendants under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act for trafficking cocaine on a vessel without nationality. The court rejected challenges to subject matter jurisdiction and the substantive reasonableness of the sentence.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed convictions under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act for three defendants arrested on a vessel without nationality. The court held that a State Department certification confirming a lack of nationality is conclusive proof of jurisdiction.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of three defendants under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. The court held that the vessel was subject to United States jurisdiction because the claimed nation of registry failed to affirmatively assert the vessel's nationality.