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Sekhar v. U.S., No. 12-357 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 729; 133 S.Ct. 2720) (June 26, 2013) (Justice Scalia)

Article • July 15, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Extorted Property

Sekhar v. U.S., No. 12-357 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 729; 133 S.Ct. 2720) (June 26, 2013) (Justice Scalia) by This case represents another example of Federal prosecutors seeking to push a criminal statute beyond the limits of its language to reach conduct that Congress never contemplated. The statute at …

U.S. v. Yang Chia Tien, No. 11-3835-cr (L) (2nd Cir.) (720 F.3d 464) (June 26, 2013) (Judge John F. Keenan)

Article • July 15, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Knowingly and Voluntarily Made

U.S. v. Yang Chia Tien, No. 11-3835-cr (L) (2nd Cir.) (720 F.3d 464) (June 26, 2013) (Judge John F. Keenan) by District Judge Gary Sharpe of the N.D.N.Y. is no novice. He was appointed to the Federal bench in 2004; and has served as the Chief Judge of his district …

U.S. v. Palillero, No. 12-1363 (3rd Cir.) (2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 10287) (May 22, 2013) (Judge Theodore A. McKee)

Article • July 15, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Lack of Empirical Support for Guidelines Sentence

U.S. v. Palillero, No. 12-1363 (3rd Cir.) (2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 10287) (May 22, 2013) (Judge Theodore A. McKee) by Although this unpublished decision may have little precedential value, it is has persuasive argumentative value for any defendant seeking to challenge the Guidelines high sentences for methamphetamine offenses. The defendant …

Kwong v. Bloomberg, No. 12-1578-cv (2nd Cir.) (723 F.3d 160) (July 9, 2013) (Judge Jose A. Cabranes)

Article • July 15, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

Kwong v. Bloomberg, No. 12-1578-cv (2nd Cir.) (723 F.3d 160) (July 9, 2013) (Judge Jose A. Cabranes) by In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s landmark Second Amendment decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570, 595 (2008), advocates of less gun regulation have deluged the courts with …

Descamps v. U.S., No. 11-9540 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 254; 133 S.Ct. 2276) (June 20, 2013) (Justice Kagan)

Article • July 1, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

Descamps v. U.S., No. 11-9540 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 254; 133 S.Ct. 2276) (June 20, 2013) (Justice Kagan) by In an important sentencing decision involving the scope of the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”) (18 U.S.C. § 924(e)), the Court emphatically cut back on the ability of prosecutors to …

Peugh v. U.S., No. 12-62 (U.S. Supreme Court) (569 U.S. 530; 133 S.Ct. 2072) (June 10, 2013) (Justice Sotomayor)

Article • July 1, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

Peugh v. U.S., No. 12-62 (U.S. Supreme Court) (569 U.S. 530; 133 S.Ct. 2072) (June 10, 2013) (Justice Sotomayor) by The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual directs a court to “use the Guidelines Manual in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced” (U.S.S.G. § 1B1.11(a)), unless the court “determines that …

U.S. v. Kebodeaux, No. 12-418 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 387; 133 S.Ct. 2496) (June 24, 2013) (Justice Breyer)

Article • July 1, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

U.S. v. Kebodeaux, No. 12-418 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 387; 133 S.Ct. 2496) (June 24, 2013) (Justice Breyer) by In 1999 a special court-martial convicted Anthony Kebodeaux, a member of the United States Air Force, of statutory rape for having consensual sex with a 15-year old girl; and it …

Salinas v. Texas, No. 12-246 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 178; 133 S.Ct. 2174) (June 17, 2013) (Justice Alito)

Article • July 1, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Unequivocal Invocation of Privilege

Salinas v. Texas, No. 12-246 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 178; 133 S.Ct. 2174) (June 17, 2013) (Justice Alito) by In a decision that is noteworthy mostly for its continued erosion of criminal defendant’s Miranda rights, a plurality of the Court held that, in the context of a non-custodial, pre-arrest …

Alleyne v. U.S., No. 11-9335 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 99; 133 S.Ct. 2151) (June 17, 2013) (Justice Thomas)

Article • July 1, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Jury Determinations

Alleyne v. U.S., No. 11-9335 (U.S. Supreme Court) (570 U.S. 99; 133 S.Ct. 2151) (June 17, 2013) (Justice Thomas) by In Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000), the Supreme Court started a modern day sentencing revolution by holding that "other than the fact of a prior conviction, any …

U.S. v. Davila, No. 12-167 (U.S. Supreme Court) (569 U.S. 597; 133 S.Ct. 2139) (June 13, 2013) (Justice Ginsburg)

Article • July 1, 2013 • from P&J July, 2013

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Harmless Error

U.S. v. Davila, No. 12-167 (U.S. Supreme Court) (569 U.S. 597; 133 S.Ct. 2139) (June 13, 2013) (Justice Ginsburg) by This decision involved the interrelationship of two provisions of Rule 11 of the Fed.R.Crim.P., which governs guilty pleas. Rule 11(c)(1) states that “[t]he court must not participate in [plea] discussions.” …

Davis v. U.S. Sentencing Com'n, No. 11-5264 (D.C. Cir.) (716 F.3d 660) (May 28, 2013) (Judge Thomas Beall Griffith)