No. 24-7208

Cornell Slater v. United States

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-05-15
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP
Tags: appellate-review constitutional-interpretation judicial-discretion procedural-error sentencing-guidelines standard-of-review
Latest Conference: 2025-10-10 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Court of Appeals improperly allowed district courts to nullify sentencing guidelines through inoculating statements that latent errors would not affect sentencing

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

Whether the Court of Appeals opinion is in direct contravention of this Court's holdings in Peugh v. United States , 569 U.S. 530, 541 (2013); and Rosales-Mireles v. United States , 138 S. Ct. 1897 .(2018), when it allowed the district court to nullify the guidelines by way of a simple assertion that any latent errors in the guidelines calculation would make no difference to the choice of sentence? Such inoculating statements cannot override Section 3553(a) (4)(A), or this Court's holdings in Rita v. United States , 551 U.S. 338 (2007); Gall v. United States , 552 U.S. 38 (2007); Peugh v,' United States , 569 U.S. 530 (2013); and Rosales-Mireles v. United States, 138 S. Ct.1. 1897 (2018) Whether, should this Court find that district court's can use inoculating statements, such as "if there are any errors in the guidelines calculations it would make no difference to the choice of the sentence," to nullify the use of the guidelines, is there a criteria to ensure the court is midful of the guidelines in imposing it's sentence?2.

Docket Entries

2025-10-14
Petition DENIED.
2025-09-25
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/10/2025.
2025-09-08
Brief of United States in opposition submitted.
2025-09-08
Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
2025-07-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including September 8, 2025.
2025-07-29
Motion of United States for an extension of time submitted.
2025-07-29
Motion to extend the time to file a response from August 8, 2025 to September 8, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2025-07-10
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including August 8, 2025.
2025-07-09
Motion of United States for an extension of time submitted.
2025-07-09
Motion to extend the time to file a response from July 9, 2025 to August 8, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
2025-06-09
Response Requested. (Due July 9, 2025)
2025-05-28
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/12/2025.
2025-05-23
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-05-23
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2024-09-24
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due June 16, 2025)

Attorneys

Cornell Slater
Cornell Slater — Petitioner
Cornell Slater — Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent
Moez Mansoor KabaHueston Hennigan LLP, Respondent