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Sixth Circuit: District Court Committed Procedural Error by Impermissibly Ceding Its Discretion to Congress to Determine Guidelines’ Crack-to-Powder Ratio at Sentencing
by David M. Reutter
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held a District Court commits “procedural error by failing to appreciate the scope of its discretion” and by indicating that policy “disagreements are not a proper basis to vary” from the Sentencing Guidelines. The Court also found ...
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More from this issue:
- Dangerous Encounters: Interactions Between Autistic Individuals and Law Enforcement, by Casey Bastian
- Natural Language Processing Software Can Identify Biased Jury Selection, Has Potential to Be Used in Real Time During Voir Dire, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Louisiana Sheriffs Repeatedly and Conveniently Destroy Public Records, by Benjamin Tschirhart
- Eleventh Circuit Announces Defendant May Not Be Sentenced to Home Confinement for Violating Terms of Supervised Release When Sentenced to Statutory Maximum Period of Imprisonment for the Violation, by Douglas Ankney
- CBP Promises Not to Buy Location Data – But Is It a Hollow Promise?, by Michael Thompson
- Use of Forensic Genetic Genealogy Searches to Identify Suspects Needs Regulation and Can Be Challenged, by Matthew Clarke
- Chicago Cop Lied So Many Times Under Oath That Prosecutors Are Dismissing Cases That Relied on His Testimony, by Jordan Arizmendi
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Clarifies Application of ‘Estoppel’ in Plea Bargain Context and Holds Trial Court Lacked Jurisdiction to Revoke Community Supervision After Statutory Term Expired, by Richard Resch
- Report Finds Effective Text Message Reminders Can Reduce Community Supervision Violations, by Jordan Arizmendi
- Third Circuit: Pennsylvania Conviction for First-Degree Aggravated Assault Does Not Require Physical Force so Is Not Qualifying Predicate for ACCA Purposes, by Douglas Ankney
- First Circuit: Justification for Upward Sentencing Departure Following Supervised Release Revocation Must Be Ade-quately Explained, by Matthew Clarke
- Sixth Circuit: District Court Committed Procedural Error by Impermissibly Ceding Its Discretion to Congress to Determine Guidelines’ Crack-to-Powder Ratio at Sentencing, by David Reutter
- Indiana Supreme Court Reverses Involuntary Manslaughter Conviction Where Trial Court Denied Defense Counsel Opportunity to Directly Voir Dire Prospective Jurors, by Douglas Ankney
- We the Targeted: How the Government Weaponizes Surveillance to Silence its Critics 2372, by Nisha Whitehead, John W. Whitehead
- Fourth Circuit: Disparate Sentence of 30 Years for Two § 924(c) Convictions Constitutes ‘Extraordinary and Compelling Reason’ for Early Release and § 3553(a) Sentencing Factors ‘Overwhelmingly’ Favor Sentence Reduction, by Douglas Ankney
- Massachusetts Supreme Court: Defense Counsel’s Overt Bias Against Own Client Constitutes Actual Conflict of Interest Requiring New Trial Without Need to Prove Prejudice, by Anthony Accurso
- New Mexico Ends Juvenile Life Without Parole, Retroactively Applies Rule to Previously Convicted Minors, by Anthony Accurso
- Fourth Circuit Reverses § 924(c) Conviction Because Kidnapping No Longer Qualifies as Predicate Offense and ‘Critical Record Documents’ Do Not Show Firearm Charge Was ‘Expressly Predicated Upon’ Any Other Offense, by Douglas Ankney
- Texas Using Highly Sophisticated Israeli Phone Tracking Software, by Jo Ellen Nott
- New York Court Rules Police Allowed to Use Familial DNA Searches, by Jordan Arizmendi
- ‘Criminal Courteaucracy’: Understanding the Unique Role of Criminal Court Administrators in Implementing Social Con-troll, by David Reutter
- Fifth Circuit: Fourth Amendment Seizure Occurred When Officer Pulled Behind Parked Vehicle, Activated Emergency Lights, and Simultaneously Ordered Suspect to Remain in Vehicle, by Douglas Ankney
- The EFF Is Tackling Border Towers, Facilitating Research into Impact of Mass Surveillance, by Anthony Accurso
- Kentucky Supreme Court Clarifies When Lesser-Included Offense Instruction Must Be Provided, Reverses Convictions Based on Trial Court’s Failure to Properly Instruct Jury, by Matthew Clarke
- After Mississippi Supreme Court Announcement, Courts Unprepared to Ensure Poor Defendants Have a Lawyer Throughout the Criminal Process, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Seventh Circuit Announces Procedures for Addressing ‘Facially Questionable Warrant’ Due to ‘Material Handwritten Alterations’ Unsigned or Initialed by Issuing Judge, by Richard Resch
- California Supreme Court Reinstates Petition for Resentencing Under SB 1437 Because Trial Court Misapprehended Le-gal Requirements for Proving Aiding and Abetting Implied Malice Murder, by Matthew Clarke
- Maine Supreme Judicial Court Announces Clarification of Test for Violation of Right to Speedy Trial Under Maine Constitu-tion, by David Reutter
- Sixth Circuit: Because Ohio’s Aggravated Robbery Statute Does Not Contain Mens Rea Requirement, Conviction Is Violent Felony Under ACCA Only if Underlying Theft in Robbery Contains Required Mens Rea, by Douglas Ankney
- News in Brief
More from David Reutter:
- California Court of Appeal: In SB 483, Legislature Intended to Prohibit Prosecution Withdrawing Plea Agreement for Any Sentence Reduction in § 1172.75 Resentencing Hearing, Even Reductions Based on Code Provisions Not Enacted by SB 483—Deepening Split in, Sept. 1, 2024
- BOP is Holding 12,000 Prisoners in Solitary Confinement, Aug. 15, 2024
- Florida Court Strikes $10 Million of $16 Million Judgment Against Armor Correctional Health in Jail Death, Aug. 15, 2024
- Settlements Total $3.85 Million for Nevada Prisoners Hit with Birdshot, Aug. 15, 2024
- $11 Million Settlement for Exonerated Michigan Prisoner, Aug. 15, 2024
- Condemned Alabama Prisoner Challenges Execution by Nitrogen Hypoxia, Aug. 15, 2024
- Bar Complaint Revives 10-Year-Old Question: Why No Charges Filed Against Florida Guards Who Killed Prisoner?, Aug. 15, 2024
- Kansas Supreme Court Severs ‘Noisy Conduct’ Law as Unconstitutionally Overbroad, Aug. 1, 2024
- Tenth Circuit: Counsel Advising Black Defendant No Minorities Would Be on Jury Is Material Misrepresentation About Right to Impartial Jury Rendering Guilty Plea Unknowing and Involuntary, Aug. 1, 2024
- California Court of Appeal Explains Qualification for Mental Health Diversion Under Pen. Code § 1001.36, Rules Defendant Qualified for Pretrial Mental Health Diversion, July 15, 2024
More from these topics:
- First Circuit Holds Government Breached Plea Agreement With Defendant by Failing to Explain Why It Agreed to Substantial Downward-Variant Sentence, Sept. 1, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Sentencing Goals/Purposes/Practices, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- First Circuit: District Court’s One-Sentence Explanation for 10-Year Upward Departure From Sentencing Guidelines Range Insufficient to Justify Significant Variance, Aug. 1, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Sentences - Adjustments and Departures.
- SCOTUS: Jury, Not Judge, Must Determine Whether Defendant’s Prior Offenses Were Committed on ‘Occasions Different From One Another’ for Enhanced Sentence Under Armed Career Criminal Act, Aug. 1, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Career Offenders, De Facto Career Offender, Guns - Type of.
- First Circuit: Sentencing May Not Be Based Upon Unreliable Hearsay Testimony, Aug. 1, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Unreliable and Unsubstantiated Assertions, Hearsay Evidence.
- Tenth Circuit Announces Assault Conviction Under 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(6) Not a Qualifying Predicate ‘Crime of Violence’ for Purposes of USSG § 2K2.1(a)(3), July 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Physical Force, Use of, Predicate Acts/Offenses.
- SCOTUS Announces Federal Sentence Under ACCA Based on Federal Classification of Drug at Time of State Court Proceeding, July 15, 2024. Career Offenders, Drug Laws/Offenses, Sentencing Findings.
- Federal Sentencing Guidelines Place Heavy Burden on Incarcerated Victims of Sexual Assaults, July 1, 2024. Staff-Prisoner Assault, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Prison Rape Elimination Act.
- U.S. Sentencing Commission Votes Unanimously to Restrict Use of Acquitted Conduct at Sentencing, June 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Acquitted Conduct/Uncharged Crimes/Dismissed Counts, Uncharged Crimes and Acquitted Conduct, Degree of connection to charged crimes.
- Fourth Circuit: Maryland’s First-Degree Assault Statute Is Indivisible so Conviction Is Not an ACCA Predicate for Sentencing Enhancement Purposes, May 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Career Offenders, Recidivist Enhancements.
- Seventh Circuit Announces Safety Valve Relief Under § 3553(f) Is Narrower Than Guidelines Firearms Enhancement Under § 2D1.1(b)(1), District Court Erred by Conflating Them, May 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Possession or Use of Firearms, Vicarious Liability, Safety Valve.