Topic
Every decision we've filed under Sentencing Guidelines.
The First Circuit vacated a defendant's sentence for firearm possession by a prohibited person due to reliance on an invalid rationale. The court affirmed the defendant's supervised release revocation sentence because he waived his challenges to that ruling.
The Eleventh Circuit dismissed an appeal filed by a defendant challenging his sentence for drug conspiracy and money laundering. The court held that the defendant had knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to appeal under his plea agreement, and none of the waiver's exceptions applied to his claims.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 240-month statutory maximum sentence for child pornography possession, rejecting claims that the district court unreasonably weighed the defendant's prior sexual assault conviction. The court held that the district court properly considered the defendant's lack of remorse and the need to protect the public under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Jakeem Molik-Artrell Bennett's conviction and sentence, dismissing his appeal based on a valid plea agreement waiver. The court found no meritorious issues outside the waiver's scope after a full record review under Anders v. California.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a 78-month sentence for a felon-in-possession conviction, rejecting the defendant's challenge to a four-level sentencing enhancement. The court held that the district court did not clearly err in finding the defendant possessed a firearm in connection with a separate felony offense based on social media activity and the circumstances of a search warrant execution.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tyrone Hinton's sentence, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion by failing to explicitly address every nonfrivolous argument against the career offender Guidelines range. The appellate court held that the judge's explanation was sufficient to demonstrate a reasoned basis for the sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
The Fourth Circuit affirmed Keionta Shawn Hagens's conviction and sentence, ruling that any potential error in calculating his Sentencing Guidelines range was harmless. The court held that the district court would have imposed the same 156-month sentence regardless of the error and that the sentence remained substantively reasonable under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a 96-month sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting claims that the district court committed procedural errors by departing from sentencing guidelines. The court held that judges are not required to incrementally move through criminal history categories and that such factors are properly considered within the ultimate reasonableness analysis.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed Glenn Wooden's conviction and sentence, rejecting his novel argument that the Controlled Substances Act criminalizes only specific optical isomers of methamphetamine. The court held that federal law prohibits all forms of the drug regardless of molecular composition, rendering the government's expert testimony on purity sufficient.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 42-month prison sentence for a defendant who brandished a knife while fleeing a Border Patrol agent. The court held that the district court did not clearly err in finding the defendant intended to cause bodily injury, not merely frighten the officer.