No. 23-736

Bernard Gadson v. United States

Lower Court: First Circuit
Docketed: 2024-01-08
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived Experienced Counsel
Tags: administrative-law agency-deference criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-review loss-calculation sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation
Key Terms:
Environmental AdministrativeLaw SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2024-02-16
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does deference to the Sentencing Commission's commentary to USSG § 2B1.1, cmt. n.3(A), expanding the meaning of 'loss' to include 'intended loss,' violate the applicable limitations on deference to agency interpretations?

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTION PRESENTED In Kisor v. Wilkie, the Court clarified that “the possibility of deference [to commentary or agency interpretation] can arise only if a regulation is genuinely ambiguous ... after a court has resorted to all the standard tools of interpretation.” 139 S. Ct. 2400, 2414 (2019). The courts of appeals are deeply divided regarding the deference owed to the commentary of unambiguous Sentencing Guidelines under Kisor. Mr. Gadson’s sentence was enhanced due to Sentencing Guidelines commentary that expanded the definition of “loss’—an unambiguous term—to include “intended loss.” Had Mr. Gadson been in one of the circuits holding that deference to commentary is inappropriate where a Guideline’s text is unambiguous, his Guidelines sentencing range would have been two to four levels lower. Indeed, the Third Circuit has already invalidated the Guideline application note that was used to enhance Mr. Gadson’s sentence. The question presented is as follows: Does deference to the Sentencing Commission’s commentary to USSG § 2B1.1, cmt. n.3(A), expanding the meaning of “loss” to include “intended loss,” violate the applicable limitations on deference to agency interpretations?

Docket Entries

2024-02-20
Petition DENIED.
2024-01-24
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/16/2024.
2024-01-16
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2024-01-04
2023-11-01
Application (23A391) granted by Justice Jackson extending the time to file until January 6, 2024.
2023-10-27
Application (23A391) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from November 7, 2023 to January 6, 2024, submitted to Justice Jackson.

Attorneys

Bernard Gadson
William McGinley JayGoodwin Procter, LLP, Petitioner
William McGinley JayGoodwin Procter, LLP, Petitioner
United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent