Search | Punch and Jurists

U.S. v. Spencer, No. 96-1460, No. 1031 (2nd Cir.) (129 F.3d 246) (October 30, 1997) (Judge John M. Jr. Walker)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Judicial or Administrative Orders

U.S. v. Spencer, No. 96-1460, No. 1031 (2nd Cir.) (129 F.3d 246) (October 30, 1997) (Judge John M. Jr. Walker) by Here the Court upheld an enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2F1.1(b)(4)(B) (formerly codified as § 2F1.1(b)(3)(B)) for violating a "judicial or administrative order" of the Department of Transportation even though …

U.S. v. Valdez-Arieta, No. 97-8014 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 1267) (October 29, 1997) (Judge David M. Ebel)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Aggravating Role

U.S. v. Valdez-Arieta, No. 97-8014 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 1267) (October 29, 1997) (Judge David M. Ebel) by Case held that role as "organizer" does not require proof that defendant exercised control over subordinates. The principal issue raised on this appeal was whether the district court had erred by imposing …

U.S. v. Graham, No. 96-3056 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 372) (October 21, 1997) (Judge Damon J. Keith)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Speedy Trial Rights

U.S. v. Graham, No. 96-3056 (6th Cir.) (128 F.3d 372) (October 21, 1997) (Judge Damon J. Keith) by Convictions reversed on grounds that eight year hiatus between indictment and trial violated the Sixth Amendment's call for a speedy trial. This gem of a case is noted because it shows how …

U.S. v. Banta, No. 96-4030 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 982) (October 20, 1997) (Judge Bobby R. Baldock)

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

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

U.S. v. Banta, No. 96-4030 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 982) (October 20, 1997) (Judge Bobby R. Baldock) 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. …

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, More than Minimal Planning

U.S. v. Stein, No. 96-30150 (9th Cir.) (127 F.3d 777) (October 7, 1997) (Judge Alfred T. Goodwin) by Case held that a combination of "more than minimal planning" and "scheme to defraud more than one victim" did not warrant and upward departure.

Pratt v. U.S., No. 97-1579 (1st Cir.) (129 F.3d 54) (November 6, 1997) (Judge Bruce M. Selya)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

Pratt v. U.S., No. 97-1579 (1st Cir.) (129 F.3d 54) (November 6, 1997) (Judge Bruce M. Selya) by Here the Court held that if a prisoner filed a § 2255 petition prior to the AEDPA's effective date, then lost on the merits, a subsequent § 2255 petition filed after the …

U.S. v. Gallegos, No. 96-2240 (10th Cir.) (129 F.3d 1140) (November 14, 1997) (Judge Stephen H. Anderson)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Sentencing Disparity

U.S. v. Gallegos, No. 96-2240 (10th Cir.) (129 F.3d 1140) (November 14, 1997) (Judge Stephen H. Anderson) by In the December 1, 1997 issue of Punch and Jurists, we reported on a case, U.S. v. Meza, 127 F.3d 545 (7th Cir. 1997), which we noted was the first published case …

U.S. v. Proctor, No. 97-2064 (11th Cir.) (127 F.3d 1311) (November 13, 1997) (Per Curiam)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Sentences - Authorized

U.S. v. Proctor, No. 97-2064 (11th Cir.) (127 F.3d 1311) (November 13, 1997) (Per Curiam) by Incarceration upon revocation of supervised release is proper even when the total incarceration, including the time served for the substantive offense, exceeds the maximum incarceration permissible under the substantive statute. United States v. Proctor, …

U.S. v. Williams, No. 96-2557 (7th Cir.) (128 F.3d 1128) (October 30, 1997) (Judge Michael S. Kanne)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Restoration of Civil Rights

U.S. v. Williams, No. 96-2557 (7th Cir.) (128 F.3d 1128) (October 30, 1997) (Judge Michael S. Kanne) 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. Castro, No. 96-40687 (5th Cir.) (129 F.3d 752) (November 19, 1997) (Judge Henry A. Politz)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Probable/Proximate Cause

U.S. v. Castro, No. 96-40687 (5th Cir.) (129 F.3d 752) (November 19, 1997) (Judge Henry A. Politz) by This is one of those outlandish cases in which Federal agents convinced local officials to "develop their own probable cause" to stop a target and search him because of their own admitted …

U.S. v. Christo, No. 96-2417 (11th Cir.) (129 F.3d 578) (December 1, 1997) (Per Curiam)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Check-Kiting/Bad Checks

U.S. v. Christo, No. 96-2417 (11th Cir.) (129 F.3d 578) (December 1, 1997) (Per Curiam) by This is an important money laundering case because it deals with the Government's contention that "every check kiting scheme involves conduct that is punishable under the money laundering statutes." (Id., at 579). In this …

U.S. v. Soliz, No. 96-50685 (9th Cir.) (129 F.3d 499) (November 12, 1997) (Judge A. Wallace Tashima)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Searches - Home/Curtilage

U.S. v. Soliz, No. 96-50685 (9th Cir.) (129 F.3d 499) (November 12, 1997) (Judge A. Wallace Tashima) by Case reviewed the Supreme Court's four factor test to determine what constitutes the curtilage of a home, as set forth in U.S. v. Dunn, 480 U.S. 294 (1987).

U.S. v. Padilla-Pena, No. 97-1297 (8th Cir.) (129 F.3d 457) (November 6, 1997) (Judge John R. Gibson)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Minimal/Minor Participation

U.S. v. Padilla-Pena, No. 97-1297 (8th Cir.) (129 F.3d 457) (November 6, 1997) (Judge John R. Gibson) by Here the Court held that a downward adjustment for minimal participation should be "used infrequently" and is "appropriate, for example, for someone who played no other role in a very large drug …

U.S. v. Weekly, No. 96-1513 (8th Cir.) (128 F.3d 1198) (July 23, 1997) (Judge John R. Gibson)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Polygraph Evidence/Testing

U.S. v. Weekly, No. 96-1513 (8th Cir.) (128 F.3d 1198) (July 23, 1997) (Judge John R. Gibson) by United States v. Weekly, 128 F.3d 1198 (8th Cir. 1997) (Per Curiam) United States v. Washman, 128 F.3d 1305 (9th Cir. 1997) (Judge Molloy) In 1994, Congress enacted the so-called "safety valve" …

Kikumura v. U.S., No. 96-3781(AJL) (D.N.J.) (978 F.Supp. 563) (August 28, 1997) (Judge Alfred J. Jr. Lechner)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Evidence - Newly Discovered

Kikumura v. U.S., No. 96-3781(AJL) (D.N.J.) (978 F.Supp. 563) (August 28, 1997) (Judge Alfred J. Jr. Lechner) by The Granddaddy of all Sentencing Guidelines cases is back for another test of Judge Lechner's iron will and steel fist - and that's always a losing proposition. The original series of Kikumura …

U.S. v. Hankins, No. 96-5207 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 932) (October 14, 1997) (Judge Paul J. Jr. Kelly)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

U.S. v. Hankins, No. 96-5207 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 932) (October 14, 1997) (Judge Paul J. Jr. Kelly) by United States v. Sobrilski, 127 F.3d 669 (8th Cir. 1997) (Judge Friedman) United States v. Hankins, 127 F.3d 932 (10th Cir. 1997) (Judge Kelly) These cases are noted because they explore …

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 QUOTE OF THE WEEK - Sentences that can't be explained, justified or defended! "[T]he fundamental problem with the guidelines is not their attempt to guide judicial discretion or their severity, but their …

U.S. v. Harris, No. 96-4539 (4th Cir.) (128 F.3d 850) (October 29, 1997) (Judge J. Harvie III Wilkinson)

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

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

U.S. v. Harris, No. 96-4539 (4th Cir.) (128 F.3d 850) (October 29, 1997) (Judge J. Harvie III Wilkinson) by Sale of alcohol to a minor, for which the defendant received a $340 fine, is not excludable from Criminal History Category as a "similar" crime as used in Sec. 4A1.2(c)(1). Case …

U.S. v. Lopez-Iraeta, No. 96-35151 (11th Cir.) (129 F.3d 1206) (November 21, 1997) (Judge Joseph Woodrow Hatchett)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists, Exculpatory No Doctrine

U.S. v. Lopez-Iraeta, No. 96-35151 (11th Cir.) (129 F.3d 1206) (November 21, 1997) (Judge Joseph Woodrow Hatchett) by Case held that "exculpatory no" doctrine (which is a judicially created affirmative defense to prosecutons under 18 USC § 1001 for providing false statements) does not apply to 18 USC § 911.

U.S. v. Hankins, No. 96-5207 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 932) (October 14, 1997) (Judge Paul J. Jr. Kelly)

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

Filed under: Punch And Jurists

U.S. v. Hankins, No. 96-5207 (10th Cir.) (127 F.3d 932) (October 14, 1997) (Judge Paul J. Jr. Kelly) by Court held that defense of factual impossibility is not a defense to a sentence enhancement where defendant intends to obstruct justice.