No. 20-7972

Gregory L. Roberson, Charles Matthews, and Dorothy Robinson v. United States

Lower Court: Third Circuit
Docketed: 2021-05-11
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP Experienced Counsel
Tags: circuit-split crack-cocaine fair-sentencing-act first-step-act retroactivity sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-penalties
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2021-09-27
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does the term 'covered offense' in the First Step Act include violations of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) involving crack cocaine to which apply the penalties in subsection (b)(1)(C)

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED Section 404 of the First Step Act of 2018 makes the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive, authorizing courts to impose reduced sentences for “covered offense[s].” Pub. L. No. 115-391, § 404(b), 182 Stat. 5194, 5222. A “covered offense” is “a violation of a Federal criminal statute, the statutory penalties for which were modified by section 2 or 3 of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.” Id. Section 2 of the Fair Sentencing Act amended 21 U.S.C. § 841 by altering the crack-cocaine quantities associated with the three tiers of penalties in Section 841(b)(1). The question presented is: Does the term “covered offense” in the First Step Act include violations of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) involving crack cocaine to which apply the penalties in subsection (b)(1)(C) (as the First, Fourth, and Seventh Circuits have determined) or not (as the Third, Sixth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits have held)? i

Docket Entries

2021-10-04
Petition DENIED.
2021-07-29
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/27/2021.
2021-07-12
Memorandum of respondent United States of America filed.
2021-06-03
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including July 12, 2021.
2021-06-02
Motion to extend the time to file a response from June 10, 2021 to July 12, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
2021-05-04
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due June 10, 2021)

Attorneys

Gregory Roberson, et al.
Frederick William UlrichFederal Public Defenders Office, Petitioner
United States of America
Brian H. FletcherActing Solicitor General, Respondent