First Circuit: Prosecutor’s Breach of Plea Agreement Requires Government’s Specific Performance of Agreement, Not Specific Performance by District Court by David Reutter The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated a defendant’s sentence due to the prosecutor’s breach of the parties’ plea agreement, and the Court ordered …

Fourth Circuit: District Court Erred in Imposing ‘Managerial Role’ Enhancement Under Guidelines § 3B1.1(b) Without Making ‘Particularized Findings’ Regarding Scope of Criminal Activity and Number of Participants as Required by Guidelines §1B1.1 by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that …

First Circuit Announces It Has Authority to Raise Claim of Error Sua Sponte for Violation of ‘Mandate Rule’ by Sentenc-ing Court on Remand by Richard Resch by Richard Resch In a case of first impression, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that it may raise sua …

Fourth Circuit Reinstates Relief From Death Penalty, Citing State’s Forfeiture of Argument Against Relief by Dale Chappell by Dale Chappell Refusing to uphold an unconstitutional death sentence, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held on March 22, 2023, that the State’s forfeiture of a procedural defense in …

Tenth Circuit: Unreasonable Determination of Downward Variance of Guidelines Resulted in Plain Error by David Reutter by David M. Reutter The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit held that the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming committed plain error in applying the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines (“Guidelines”) …

Michigan Supreme Court Announces Forfeited Structural Error Automatically Satisfies Third Prong of Plain Error Standard Without a Showing of Prejudice by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney The Supreme Court of Michigan announced that a forfeited structural error automatically satisfies the third prong of the plain error standard without a showing …