No. 25-6138

Michael Chance v. United States

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2025-11-17
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP Experienced Counsel
Tags: circuit-split federal-sentencing life-expectancy parsimony-principle sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation
Latest Conference: 2026-01-09
Question Presented (from Petition)

Where 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) mandates that federal courts "shall impose a sentence sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with [its] purposes," does a sentence significantly longer than the defendant's life expectancy fail to comply with that command?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a sentence significantly longer than a defendant's life expectancy fails to comply with the parsimony principle under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)

Docket Entries

2026-01-12
Petition DENIED.
2025-12-11
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/9/2026.
2025-12-03
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-12-03
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2025-11-13
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due December 17, 2025)

Attorneys

Michael Chance
Janice L. BergmannFederal Public Defender's Office, Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent