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U.S. v. Hamlin, No. 02-4252 (4th Cir.) (319 F.3d 666) (February 11, 2003) (Judge Karen J. Williams)

Article • January 1, 2003 • from P&J January, 2003

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Hamlin, No. 02-4252 (4th Cir.) (319 F.3d 666) (February 11, 2003) (Judge Karen J. Williams) by Here the Court held that 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(D) provides the applicable statutory maximum sentence for offenses involving an indeterminate amount of marijuana - rather than the one year period specified in …

U.S. v. Sandlin, No. 00-5827 (6th Cir.) (313 F.3d 351) (December 13, 2002) (Per Curiam)

Article • January 1, 2003 • from P&J January, 2003

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Sandlin, No. 00-5827 (6th Cir.) (313 F.3d 351) (December 13, 2002) (Per Curiam) by Here the Court colcnuded that the district court had committed plain error that was reversible when it imposed a mandatory sentence on a drug defendant by aggregating the drugs he manufactured on three different …

U.S. v. Leachman, No. 01-5494 (6th Cir.) (309 F.3d 377) (October 9, 2002) (Judge Richard F. Suhrheinrich)

Article • September 1, 2002 • from P&J September, 2002

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Leachman, No. 01-5494 (6th Cir.) (309 F.3d 377) (October 9, 2002) (Judge Richard F. Suhrheinrich) by Here, based on Harris v. U.S., 122 S.Ct. 2406 (2002), the Supreme Court vacated its line of cases (including Flowal, Ramirez and Strayhorn) which had held that Apprendi applied to the imposition …

U.S. v. Smith, No. 01-10017 (5th Cir.) (296 F.3d 344) (June 26, 2002) (Judge Edith Brown Clement)

Article • August 1, 2002 • from P&J August, 2002

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Smith, No. 01-10017 (5th Cir.) (296 F.3d 344) (June 26, 2002) (Judge Edith Brown Clement) by Both of the Appellants in this case were convicted of four counts of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 18 U.S.C. § 924 (c)(1)(A) imposes …

Harris v. U.S., No. 00-10666 (U.S. Supreme Court) (536 U.S. 545; 122 S.Ct. 2406) (June 24, 2002) (Justice Kennedy)

Article • June 1, 2002 • from P&J June, 2002

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

Harris v. U.S., No. 00-10666 (U.S. Supreme Court) (536 U.S. 545; 122 S.Ct. 2406) (June 24, 2002) (Justice Kennedy) by In this case the Supreme Court addressed an important and much debated Apprendi issue: whether its landmark Apprendi decision applies to mandatory minimum sentences. In Apprendi, the Court held that …

U.S. v. Agramonte, No. 00-3098 (D.C. Cir.) (276 F.3d 594) (December 28, 2001) (Judge A. Raymond Randolph)

Article • February 1, 2002 • from P&J February, 2002

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Agramonte, No. 00-3098 (D.C. Cir.) (276 F.3d 594) (December 28, 2001) (Judge A. Raymond Randolph) by Here the Court refused to extend the Supreme Court's ruling in Apprendi to cover situations in which the district court's findings trigger a mandatory minimum sentence. The defendant was convicted of various …

Gibson v. U.S., No. 99-6382 (6th Cir.) (271 F.3d 247) (November 6, 2001) (Judge Algenon L. Marbley)

Article • December 1, 2001 • from P&J December, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

Gibson v. U.S., No. 99-6382 (6th Cir.) (271 F.3d 247) (November 6, 2001) (Judge Algenon L. Marbley) by The petitioner/defendant in this case was convicted of manufacturing and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute; and the district court imposed a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years based on its determination …

U.S. v. Lujan, No. 00-2016 (10th Cir.) (268 F.3d 965) (October 9, 2001) (Judge William J. Jr. Holloway)

Article • November 1, 2001 • from P&J November, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Lujan, No. 00-2016 (10th Cir.) (268 F.3d 965) (October 9, 2001) (Judge William J. Jr. Holloway) by

U.S. v. Lopez, No. 00-20506 (5th Cir.) (264 F.3d 527) (August 29, 2001) (Judge Fortunato P. Benavides)

Article • October 1, 2001 • from P&J October, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Lopez, No. 00-20506 (5th Cir.) (264 F.3d 527) (August 29, 2001) (Judge Fortunato P. Benavides) by After the defendant in this case pled guilty to various drug trafficking and money laundering offenses, he filed an unopposed motion to waive the preparation of a presentence report in which he …

U.S. v. Antonakeas, No. 99-10002 (9th Cir.) (255 F.3d 714) (June 19, 2001) (Judge Proctor Jr. Hug)

Article • August 1, 2001 • from P&J August, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Antonakeas, No. 99-10002 (9th Cir.) (255 F.3d 714) (June 19, 2001) (Judge Proctor Jr. Hug) by In this decision, the panel held that the Apprendi rule does not apply to the imposition of mandatory minimum sentences - a decision that appears to have ignored another panel's decision in …

U.S. v. Watts, No. 00-4008 (7th Cir.) (256 F.3d 630) (July 5, 2001) (Judge Richard D. Cudahy)

Article • August 1, 2001 • from P&J August, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Watts, No. 00-4008 (7th Cir.) (256 F.3d 630) (July 5, 2001) (Judge Richard D. Cudahy) by

U.S. v. Strayhorn, No. 99-5203 (6th Cir.) (250 F.3d 462) (May 22, 2001) (Judge Karen Nelson Moore)

Article • May 1, 2001 • from P&J May, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Strayhorn, No. 99-5203 (6th Cir.) (250 F.3d 462) (May 22, 2001) (Judge Karen Nelson Moore) by Here the Court held that Apprendi applies to findings of fact that trigger a mandatory minimum sentence under 18 USC § 841, even if the sentence actually imposed does not exceed the …

U.S. v. Harrison, No. 99-1642 (2nd Cir.) (241 F.3d 289) (March 5, 2001) (Judge Rosemary S. Pooler)

Article • February 1, 2001 • from P&J February, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Harrison, No. 99-1642 (2nd Cir.) (241 F.3d 289) (March 5, 2001) (Judge Rosemary S. Pooler) by Here the Court held that the enhanced sentence for drug violations involving at least 50 grams of cocaine base, as set forth in § 841(b)(1)(A), applies only to a single violation involving …

U.S. v. Ramirez, No. 98-6130 (6th Cir.) (242 F.3d 348) (February 16, 2001) (Judge Gilbert S. Merritt)

Article • January 1, 2001 • from P&J January, 2001

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Ramirez, No. 98-6130 (6th Cir.) (242 F.3d 348) (February 16, 2001) (Judge Gilbert S. Merritt) by From the beginning, Judge Merritt has been a strong proponent of a broad and far-reaching interpretation of the Supreme Court’s decision in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000). He dissented …

U.S. v. LaFreniere, No. 99-1318 (1st Cir.) (236 F.3d 41) (January 2, 2001) (Judge Salvador E. Casellas)

Article • December 1, 2000 • from P&J December, 2000

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. LaFreniere, No. 99-1318 (1st Cir.) (236 F.3d 41) (January 2, 2001) (Judge Salvador E. Casellas) by In this case the First Circuit held that a drug weight that requires a statutory mandatory minimum sentence need not be submitted to a jury nor proved beyond a reasonable doubt under …

U.S. v. Flowal, No. 99-5357 (6th Cir.) (234 F.3d 932) (December 11, 2000) (Judge Thomas A. Jr. Wiseman)

Article • November 1, 2000 • from P&J November, 2000

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Flowal, No. 99-5357 (6th Cir.) (234 F.3d 932) (December 11, 2000) (Judge Thomas A. Jr. Wiseman) by In 1996, following a jury trial, the defendant in this case, Michael Angelo Flowal, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for possession with intent to distribute 5.2 …

U.S. v. Keith, No. 99-50692 (5th Cir.) (230 F.3d 784) (October 17, 2000) (Per Curiam)

Article • October 1, 2000 • from P&J October, 2000

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Keith, No. 99-50692 (5th Cir.) (230 F.3d 784) (October 17, 2000) (Per Curiam) by This is the third of the Fifth Circuit’s trilogy of cases dealing with Apprendi v. New Jersey, 120 S.Ct. 2348 (2000). The other two were U.S. v. Meshack, 225 F.3d 556 (5th Cir. 2000) …

U.S. v. Aguayo-Delgado, No. 99-4098 (8th Cir.) (220 F.3d 926) (July 18, 2000) (Judge Pasco M. II Bowman)

Article • July 1, 2000 • from P&J July, 2000

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Aguayo-Delgado, No. 99-4098 (8th Cir.) (220 F.3d 926) (July 18, 2000) (Judge Pasco M. II Bowman) by United States v. Sheppard, 219 F.3d 766 (8th Cir. 2000) (Judge Loken) United States v. Aguayo-Delgado, 220 F.3d 926 (8th Cir. 2000) (Judge Bowman) In late June, the Supreme Court handed …

U.S. v. Santos, No. 98-1344 (10th Cir.) (195 F.3d 549) (September 8, 1999) (Judge Deanell R. Tacha)

Article • December 1, 1999 • from P&J December, 1999

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Santos, No. 98-1344 (10th Cir.) (195 F.3d 549) (September 8, 1999) (Judge Deanell R. Tacha) by We also reported this case in connection with another issue, namely the Tenth Circuit’s far-reaching holding that specific references in an indictment to statutes that set forth a sentencing cap do not …

U.S. v. Pillow, No. 98-4516 (4th Cir.) (191 F.3d 403) (September 7, 1999) (Judge Karen J. Williams)

Article • November 1, 1999 • from P&J November, 1999

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Mandatory Minimums

U.S. v. Pillow, No. 98-4516 (4th Cir.) (191 F.3d 403) (September 7, 1999) (Judge Karen J. Williams) by Here the Court held that the starting point for calculating a sentence reduction based on USSG § 5K1.1 is the statutory mandatory minumum, not the low end of the Guideline range that …