Search | Punch and Jurists

U.S. v. Dawn, No. 96-3585 (7th Cir.) (129 F.3d 878) (November 4, 1997) (Judge Ilana Diamond Rovner)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

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

U.S. v. Dawn, No. 96-3585 (7th Cir.) (129 F.3d 878) (November 4, 1997) (Judge Ilana Diamond Rovner) by Court held that a sentencing court may properly look to uncharged crimes in fixing the appropriate sentence for a criminal defendant, regardless of whether the defendant was ever charged with or convicted …

U.S. v. Stein, No. 96-30150 (9th Cir.) (127 F.3d 777) (October 7, 1997) (Judge Alfred T. Goodwin)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Factual Disputes/Findings

U.S. v. Stein, No. 96-30150 (9th Cir.) (127 F.3d 777) (October 7, 1997) (Judge Alfred T. Goodwin) by Case rejected need for an evidentiary hearing to resolve disputed factors at sentencing. United States v. Berndt, 127 F.3d 251 (2nd Cir. 1997) (Judge Kearse) United States v. Stein, 127 F.3d 777 …

U.S. v. Rodriguez, No. 3:95CR772 (N.D.Ohio) (977 F.Supp. 1320) (May 30, 1997) (Judge John W. Potter)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Prior Conviction/Sentence/Incarceration

U.S. v. Rodriguez, No. 3:95CR772 (N.D.Ohio) (977 F.Supp. 1320) (May 30, 1997) (Judge John W. Potter) by Here the Court disagreed with Second Circuit's decision in U.S. v. Collado, 106 F.3d 1097 (2nd Cir. 1997) that 21 USC § 851(a)(2) was ambiguous; and thus applied sentencing enhancement.

U.S. v. Meza, No. 95-2184 (7th Cir.) (127 F.3d 545) (October 17, 1997) (Judge Michael S. Kanne)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Sentencing Disparity

U.S. v. Meza, No. 95-2184 (7th Cir.) (127 F.3d 545) (October 17, 1997) (Judge Michael S. Kanne) by Departing from the norm, the Seventh Circuit ruled, in this case, that "unjustified" sentencing disparities between co-conspirators (i.e., disparities resulting from an an improper application of the guidelines) might warrant a downward …

U.S. v. Torres, No. 96-1535, No. 1587 (2nd Cir.) (128 F.3d 38) (October 9, 1997) (Judge Guido Calabresi)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Evidence - Newly Discovered

U.S. v. Torres, No. 96-1535, No. 1587 (2nd Cir.) (128 F.3d 38) (October 9, 1997) (Judge Guido Calabresi) by United States v. Torres, 128 F.3d 38 (2nd Cir. 1997) (Judge Calabresi) United States v. Slaughter, 128 F.3d 623 (8th Cir. 1997) (Judge Rosenbaum) Buried deep in two cases this week …

U.S. v. Cardoza, No. 96-1470 (1st Cir.) (129 F.3d 6) (October 27, 1997) (Judge Hugh H. Bownes)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Possession or Use of Firearms

U.S. v. Cardoza, No. 96-1470 (1st Cir.) (129 F.3d 6) (October 27, 1997) (Judge Hugh H. Bownes) by United States v. Williams, 128 F.3d 1128 (7th Cir. 1997) (Judge Kanne) United States v. Cardoza, 129 F.3d 6 (1st Cir. 1997) (Judge Bownes) Here are two more cases that show the …

U.S. v. Wells, No. 93-3924 (8th Cir.) (127 F.3d 739) (October 14, 1997) (Judge Michael J. Melloy)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Loss - Calculation/Determination of

U.S. v. Wells, No. 93-3924 (8th Cir.) (127 F.3d 739) (October 14, 1997) (Judge Michael J. Melloy) by United States v. Wells, 127 F.3d 739 (8th Cir. 1997) United States v. Banta, 127 F.3d 982 (10th Cir. 1997) Both of these cases deal with the calculation of "loss" under U.S.S.G. …

Barry v. Bergen County Probation Office, No. 96-5577 (3rd Cir.) (128 F.3d 152) (October 22, 1997) (Judge Robert E. Cowen)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Authority/Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Barry v. Bergen County Probation Office, No. 96-5577 (3rd Cir.) (128 F.3d 152) (October 22, 1997) (Judge Robert E. Cowen) by Petitioner under obligation to perform community service qualifies for the "in custody" jurisdictional requirement for habeas corpus actions/. One interesting holding in this case was that, for purposes of …

Smith v. S.E.C., No. 95-5862 (6th Cir.) (129 F.3d 356) (November 12, 1997) (Judge Danny J. Boggs)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Tape Recordings

Smith v. S.E.C., No. 95-5862 (6th Cir.) (129 F.3d 356) (November 12, 1997) (Judge Danny J. Boggs) by Court held that grant of preliminary injunction that barred SEC from prosecuting civil enforcement action was an abuse of discretion.

U.S. v. Salemme, No. 94-10287 (D.Mass.) (978 F.Supp. 386) (June 26, 1997) (Judge Mark L. Wolf)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Franks Hearing

U.S. v. Salemme, No. 94-10287 (D.Mass.) (978 F.Supp. 386) (June 26, 1997) (Judge Mark L. Wolf) by This series of six Orders bristles with intrigue, coverups and undercurrents of serious Government misconduct. For example, in an ex parte submission to the Magistrate Judge initially involved in this case, the Government …

U.S. v. Hoffer, No. 96-4354 (11th Cir.) (129 F.3d 1196) (November 21, 1997) (Judge Edward E. Carnes)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

U.S. v. Hoffer, No. 96-4354 (11th Cir.) (129 F.3d 1196) (November 21, 1997) (Judge Edward E. Carnes) by Joining holdings from the Third, Fourth, Seventh and Ninth Circuits, this case holds that civil forfeiture, whether contested or not, does not constitute a valid basis for a sentencing departure.

Galtieri v. U.S., No. 97-3593 (2nd Cir.) (128 F.3d 33) (October 29, 1997) (Judge Jon O. Newman)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

Galtieri v. U.S., No. 97-3593 (2nd Cir.) (128 F.3d 33) (October 29, 1997) (Judge Jon O. Newman) by In this case the Court expressly declined to discuss the question of retroactivity and whether it barred the application of the AEDPA to prisoners who had filed their first writ prior to …

U.S. v. Corrigan, No. 96-5477 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 330) (October 15, 1997) (Judge Nathaniel R. Jones)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Combination of Factors/Totality of Circumstances

U.S. v. Corrigan, No. 96-5477 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 330) (October 15, 1997) (Judge Nathaniel R. Jones) by The Koon case (Koon v. U.S., 135 L.Ed.2d 392 (1996)) continues to carve out significant new changes in the manner that courts will analyze the propriety of sentencing departures under the Guidelines. …

U.S. v. Cropp, No. 95-5908 (4th Cir.) (127 F.3d 354) (October 10, 1997) (Judge Sam J. III Ervin)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

U.S. v. Cropp, No. 95-5908 (4th Cir.) (127 F.3d 354) (October 10, 1997) (Judge Sam J. III Ervin) by United States v. Davis, 127 F.3d 68 (D.C. Cir. 1997) (Judge Garland) United States v. Cruz, 127 F.3d 791 (9th Cir. 1997) (Judge Tashima) Among the many cases this week that …

U.S. v. Torres-Echevarria, No. 97-1116 (2nd Cir.) (129 F.3d 692) (November 3, 1997) (Judge Dennis G. Jacobs)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Double Counting

U.S. v. Torres-Echevarria, No. 97-1116 (2nd Cir.) (129 F.3d 692) (November 3, 1997) (Judge Dennis G. Jacobs) by Court rejected claim that aggravated felony conviction under § 2L1.2 was double counting to criminal hostory points added under § 4A1.2.

U.S. v. Avery, No. 95-5232 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 974) (November 3, 1997) (Judge Nathaniel R. Jones)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Equal Protection Clause/Claims

U.S. v. Avery, No. 95-5232 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 974) (November 3, 1997) (Judge Nathaniel R. Jones) by QUOTE OF THE WEEK - The "unconscious racism" syndrom that prevails in America. In recent times, there probably has been no more thought-provoking judicial analysis of the "unconscious racism" that exists in …

U.S. v. Fernandez, No. 96-1673 (2nd Cir.) (127 F.3d 277) (October 10, 1997) (Judge Amalya Lyle Kearse)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Refusal to file motion

U.S. v. Fernandez, No. 96-1673 (2nd Cir.) (127 F.3d 277) (October 10, 1997) (Judge Amalya Lyle Kearse) by In this case the Court held that the Government's refusal to make a § 5K1.1 motion is justified where the defendant has breached his cooperation agreement in a way that damaged the …

U.S. v. Monus, No. 95-4326 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 376) (October 21, 1997) (Judge Cornelia G. Kennedy)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Factual Disputes/Findings

U.S. v. Monus, No. 95-4326 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 376) (October 21, 1997) (Judge Cornelia G. Kennedy) by Here the Court held that a district court violates Rule 32 when it merely "adopts" the findings of the PSR, or "accepts" the PSR's recommended sentencing level without making any findings of …

U.S. v. Ravitch, No. 96-21002 (5th Cir.) (128 F.3d 865) (November 7, 1997) (Per Curiam)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Plain Error

U.S. v. Ravitch, No. 96-21002 (5th Cir.) (128 F.3d 865) (November 7, 1997) (Per Curiam) by The Court wrote "Where we have concluded that 'if the case were remanded the trial judge could reinstate the same sentence', we have upheld the defendant's sentence although the district court's stated reasons for …

U.S. v. Hunt, No. 96-50639 (5th Cir.) (129 F.3d 739) (November 17, 1997) (Judge Emilio M. Garza)

Article • December 1, 1997 • from P&J December, 1997

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Simple Possession/Personal Use versus Distribution

U.S. v. Hunt, No. 96-50639 (5th Cir.) (129 F.3d 739) (November 17, 1997) (Judge Emilio M. Garza) by Court vacated a drug conviction for distribution on the grounds that the Government failed to prove anything but simple possession. This is an interesting drug case in which the Fifth Circuit first …