Search | Punch and Jurists

U.S. v. Hurn, No. 06-3666 (7th Cir.) (496 F.3d 784) (August 3, 2007) (Judge Joel L. Flaum)

Article • July 1, 2007 • from P&J July, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Acquitted Conduct/Uncharged Crimes/Dismissed Counts

U.S. v. Hurn, No. 06-3666 (7th Cir.) (496 F.3d 784) (August 3, 2007) (Judge Joel L. Flaum) by Judge Hugh Bownes of the First Circuit once commented on the insidious effect of using acquitted conduct to increase a defendant’s sentence by stating: “[W]e believe that a defendant's Fifth and Sixth …

U.S. v. Brika, No. 05-4537 (6th Cir.) (487 F.3d 450) (May 23, 2007) (Judge Danny J. Boggs)

Article • April 1, 2007 • from P&J April, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Acquitted Conduct/Uncharged Crimes/Dismissed Counts

U.S. v. Brika, No. 05-4537 (6th Cir.) (487 F.3d 450) (May 23, 2007) (Judge Danny J. Boggs) by Here the Court rejected a number of constitutional and Booker challenges to a sentence significantly enhanced by the "the district court's consideration of conduct on which a jury could not agree." Among …

U.S. v. Willis, No. 04-CR-190 (E.D.Wisc.) (479 F.Supp.2d 927) (March 28, 2007) (Judge Lynn S. Adelman)

Article • March 1, 2007 • from P&J March, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Willis, No. 04-CR-190 (E.D.Wisc.) (479 F.Supp.2d 927) (March 28, 2007) (Judge Lynn S. Adelman) by Leave it to Judge Adelman to sort through the maze of conflicting decisions and confounding directions from the appellate courts to find and describe a clearly-delineated path around some of the craziness generated …

Richardson v. U.S., No. Civ. No. 06-10993-WGY (D.Mass.) (477 F.Supp.2d 392) (March 19, 2007) (Judge William G. Young)

Article • February 1, 2007 • from P&J February, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Blakely/Booker

Richardson v. U.S., No. Civ. No. 06-10993-WGY (D.Mass.) (477 F.Supp.2d 392) (March 19, 2007) (Judge William G. Young) by

U.S. v. Williams, No. 6:04-cr-111 (M.D.Fla.) (481 F.Supp.2d 1298) (March 1, 2007) (Judge Gregory A. Presnell)

Article • February 1, 2007 • from P&J February, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Williams, No. 6:04-cr-111 (M.D.Fla.) (481 F.Supp.2d 1298) (March 1, 2007) (Judge Gregory A. Presnell) by

U.S. v. Mueffelman, No. 05-2616 (1st Cir.) (470 F.3d 33) (November 28, 2006) (Judge Michael Boudin)

Article • January 1, 2007 • from P&J January, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Sentences - Adjustments and Departures

U.S. v. Mueffelman, No. 05-2616 (1st Cir.) (470 F.3d 33) (November 28, 2006) (Judge Michael Boudin) by

U.S. v. Mercado, No. 05-50624 (9th Cir.) (474 F.3d 654) (January 22, 2007) (Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez)

Article • January 1, 2007 • from P&J January, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Acquitted Conduct/Uncharged Crimes/Dismissed Counts

U.S. v. Mercado, No. 05-50624 (9th Cir.) (474 F.3d 654) (January 22, 2007) (Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez) by Robert Mercado and Daniel Bravo were each charged with RICO and drug conspiracies and a slew of other gun, murder and racketeering crimes in a case against alleged members of the Mexican …

U.S. v. Gobbi, No. 06-1643 (1st Cir.) (471 F.3d 302) (December 28, 2006) (Judge Bruce M. Selya)

Article • January 1, 2007 • from P&J January, 2007

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Acquitted Conduct/Uncharged Crimes/Dismissed Counts

U.S. v. Gobbi, No. 06-1643 (1st Cir.) (471 F.3d 302) (December 28, 2006) (Judge Bruce M. Selya) by Here, in affirming a sentence increase based on the district court's use of conduct underlying a count for which the defendant had been acquitted, the Court stated: "It is true that the …

U.S. v. Spears, No. 05-4468 (8th Cir.) (469 F.3d 1166) (December 5, 2006) (Judge William J. Riley)

Article • November 1, 2006 • from P&J November, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Spears, No. 05-4468 (8th Cir.) (469 F.3d 1166) (December 5, 2006) (Judge William J. Riley) by In a decision that contains an excellent review of the history and purpose of the 100:1 crack vs. power cocaine ration, the Eighth Circuit declined to grant en banc review of that …

U.S. v. Williams, No. 05-13205 (11th Cir.) (472 F.3d 835) (December 13, 2006) (Judge Stanley F. Jr. Birch)

Article • November 1, 2006 • from P&J November, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Williams, No. 05-13205 (11th Cir.) (472 F.3d 835) (December 13, 2006) (Judge Stanley F. Jr. Birch) by U.S. v. Spears, 469 F.3d 1166 (8th Cir. Dec. 5, 2006) (En banc) (Judge Riley) U.S. v. Williams, 472 F.3d 835 (11th Cir. Dec. 13, 2006) (En banc) (Per Curiam) Ever …

U.S. v. Ibanga, No. 2:04cr227 (E.D.Va.) (454 F.Supp.2d 532) (October 5, 2006) (Judge Walter D. Jr. Kelley)

Article • September 1, 2006 • from P&J September, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Acquitted Conduct/Uncharged Crimes/Dismissed Counts

U.S. v. Ibanga, No. 2:04cr227 (E.D.Va.) (454 F.Supp.2d 532) (October 5, 2006) (Judge Walter D. Jr. Kelley) by One of the most significant debates generated by the Supreme Court’s ruling in U.S. v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005) is whether or not that decision mandates any changes in the Guidelines’ …

U.S. v. Carty, No. 05-10200 (9th Cir.) (453 F.3d 1214) (July 17, 2006) (Judge Robert R. Beezer)

Article • August 1, 2006 • from P&J November, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Reasonableness of Sentence

U.S. v. Carty, No. 05-10200 (9th Cir.) (453 F.3d 1214) (July 17, 2006) (Judge Robert R. Beezer) by

U.S. v. Pope, No. 05-11552 (11th Cir.) (461 F.3d 1331) (August 22, 2006) (Judge Stanley Marcus)

Article • August 1, 2006 • from P&J August, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Pope, No. 05-11552 (11th Cir.) (461 F.3d 1331) (August 22, 2006) (Judge Stanley Marcus) by

U.S. v. Castillo, No. 05-3454-cr (2nd Cir.) (460 F.3d 337) (August 16, 2006) (Judge Robert A. Katzmann)

Article • July 1, 2006 • from P&J July, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Castillo, No. 05-3454-cr (2nd Cir.) (460 F.3d 337) (August 16, 2006) (Judge Robert A. Katzmann) by Joining the First, Fourth, Seventh and Eleventh Circuits, the Second Circuit has now held that district courts “do not have the authority to reject unilaterally the 100:1 [crack-cocaine] sentencing ratio on policy …

U.S. v. Hunt, No. 05-11671 (11th Cir.) (459 F.3d 1180) (August 10, 2006) (Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat)

Article • July 1, 2006 • from P&J July, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Reasonableness of Sentence

U.S. v. Hunt, No. 05-11671 (11th Cir.) (459 F.3d 1180) (August 10, 2006) (Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat) by Jermaine Hunt was arrested and charged with possession and intent to distribute 22 grams of crack cocaine. He subsequently pled guilty to the facts contained in his indictment, without any plea agreement. …

U.S. v. Jointer, No. 05-4632 (7th Cir.) (457 F.3d 682) (August 9, 2006) (Judge Kenneth F. Ripple)

Article • July 1, 2006 • from P&J July, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Jointer, No. 05-4632 (7th Cir.) (457 F.3d 682) (August 9, 2006) (Judge Kenneth F. Ripple) by This decision is another example of the many appellate sentencing cases that give little or no guidance to the lower courts and the criminal defense bar about what constitutes a “reasonable” sentence …

U.S. v. Diaz-Argueta, No. 05-10224 (9th Cir.) (447 F.3d 1167) (May 16, 2006) (Judge John T. Jr. Noonan)

Article • April 1, 2006 • from P&J April, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Section 3553(a) Factors

U.S. v. Diaz-Argueta, No. 05-10224 (9th Cir.) (447 F.3d 1167) (May 16, 2006) (Judge John T. Jr. Noonan) by In this decision, the Ninth Circuit emphasized the significance of the statutory factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) in the post-Booker sentencing process. The defendant appealed from a 46-month …

U.S. v. Tabor, No. 05-2169 (8th Cir.) (439 F.3d 826) (March 3, 2006) (Judge John R. Gibson)

Article • April 1, 2006 • from P&J April, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Crack v. Powdered Cocaine

U.S. v. Tabor, No. 05-2169 (8th Cir.) (439 F.3d 826) (March 3, 2006) (Judge John R. Gibson) by After a jury trial, defendant was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, in violation of …

U.S. v. Zapete-Garcia, No. 05-1352 (1st Cir.) (447 F.3d 57) (May 8, 2006) (Judge Norman H. Stahl)

Article • April 1, 2006 • from P&J April, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Reasonableness of Sentence

U.S. v. Zapete-Garcia, No. 05-1352 (1st Cir.) (447 F.3d 57) (May 8, 2006) (Judge Norman H. Stahl) by Since U.S. v. Booker was decided, we have only seen two cases in which courts have reversed an upward sentencing departure on the grounds that it was excessive and thus constituted an …

U.S. v. McVay, No. 04-13455 (11th Cir.) (447 F.3d 1348) (May 5, 2006) (Judge Stanley Marcus)

Article • March 1, 2006 • from P&J March, 2006

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Reasonableness of Sentence

U.S. v. McVay, No. 04-13455 (11th Cir.) (447 F.3d 1348) (May 5, 2006) (Judge Stanley Marcus) by In this case, the Eleventh Circuit addressed the reasonableness of downward departures in the post-Booker world; and its ruling gives credence to the wide-held belief that there are different standards for determining the …