drug-distribution

63 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-6751 Jeffrey W. Young, Jr. v. United States Sixth Circuit 2026-02-06 Pending IFP appellate-review controlled-substances drug-distribution medical-practice regulatory-definition subject-matter-jurisdiction Whether the lower federal court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the defendant, who was an authorized practitioner with the authority to admini…
25-6397 Mark Dyer v. United States Sixth Circuit 2025-12-18 Pending Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP burden-of-proof conspiracy criminal-intent drug-distribution statutory-interpretation supreme-court-precedent Whether a conspiracy conviction under 21 U.S.C. § 846 predicated on the § 841 unlawful distribution offense requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt t…
25-5652 Federico Jose Maldonado-Aleman v. United States Fifth Circuit 2025-09-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-court conspiracy drug-distribution jury-trial sentencing-guidelines sixth-amendment Whether the Fifth Circuit's decision that a defendant may be sentenced for drugs that he was not shown to have agreed to distribute violates the Court…
24A778 Frank H. Bynes, Jr. v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2025-02-11 Presumed Complete controlled-substances criminal-intent drug-distribution healthcare-fraud medical-practice prescription-fraud Whether a physician's prescription of controlled substances outside the usual course of professional medical practice constitutes a knowing and intent…
24-5869 Shawn Eric Durrah, Jr. v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-10-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure dangerous-weapon-enhancement drug-distribution firearm-possession sentencing-guidelines Whether mere presence of a firearm and nexus to narcotic activity is sufficient to apply the dangerous weapon enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1)…
24-5027 Jovan Marquis Harris v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-07-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP burrage-v-united-states causation-of-harm criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-distribution evidentiary-hearing federal-statute heroin-distribution jury-instruction jury-instructions overdose sentencing-enhancement Did the trial court err when it refused to instruct the jury that the heroin distributed by the defendant was the same heroin that caused the victims'…
23-7676 Romone Raphael Jackson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2024-06-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP career-offender career-offender-enhancement circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances-act drug-distribution federal-law sentencing-guidelines state-law Whether a state conviction for distributing a drug that includes substances not regulated under the federal Controlled Substances Act qualifies as a '…
23A1090 Victor Vargas v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2024-06-06 Presumed Complete clear-error constitutional-rights drug-distribution post-indictment-delay sixth-amendment speedy-trial Whether the Sixth Amendment speedy trial right requires dismissal of an indictment when there is a 35-month delay between indictment and trial
23-7156 Robert Shields v. United States Sixth Circuit 2024-04-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP chain-of-custody chemical-identity constitutional-rights criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-distribution due-process evidence evidence-standard Does the Constitutional right to due process of law require some evidence that a drug that resulted in death was chemically identical to the drug a De…
23A734 Dalibor Kabov and Berry Kabov v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-02-07 Presumed Complete brady-challenge controlled-substances drug-distribution ninth-circuit ruan-standard supreme-court-precedent Whether the Ninth Circuit improperly applied the Supreme Court's Ruan decision by vacating only some drug convictions and refusing to apply the 'knowi…
23-6400 Michael Hewitt v. United States Second Circuit 2024-01-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP conspiracy criminal-law double-jeopardy drug-distribution evidence jury-instructions Should the trial court have acquitted Petitioner of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
23A598 Lillian Akwuba v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-12-29 Presumed Complete controlled-substances criminal-intent drug-distribution good-faith jury-instructions mens-rea Whether the jury instructions for a controlled substances distribution charge improperly defined the good faith standard and mens rea elements under 2…
23-6087 Ronell Whitehead v. United States Third Circuit 2023-11-21 Denied IFP 21-usc-841 21-usc-846 circuit-split conspiracy-law controlled-substances drug-conspiracy drug-distribution mandatory-minimum sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation How is the quantity of controlled substances 'involved' determined for purposes of sentencing for conspiracy under 21 U.S.C. § 846, when the offense o…
23-5602 Curtis Morris Hartsfield, Jr. v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-09-15 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP attempted-crime attempted-distribution attempted-transfer circuit-split controlled-substances criminal-law drug-distribution drug-trafficking drug-transfer federal-criminal-law statutory-interpretation Whether an 'attempted transfer' of drugs under 21 U.S.C. § 802(8) includes any conduct that would also constitute an 'attempted distribution' of drugs…
23A106 Patrick Andrew Groves v. United States Fourth Circuit 2023-08-07 Presumed Complete aiding-and-abetting categorical-approach controlled-substances drug-distribution predicate-offense statutory-interpretation Whether the categorical approach to determining whether a prior conviction constitutes a predicate offense requires courts to compare the specific con…
23-5266 Mantell Alabi Stevens v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-08-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substance criminal-conviction criminal-law drug-distribution due-process jury-instructions reasonable-doubt sentencing sentencing-enhancement sufficiency-of-evidence Can a court send a case to the jury when the evidence is only sufficient to give them a choice between probabilities instead of being sufficient to pr…
22-7500 Safara Echo Shortman v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-05-09 Denied Response WaivedIFP continuing-offense controlled-substances-act criminal-charging distribution drug-distribution plain-error plea-bargaining possession-with-intent possession-with-intent-to-distribute statutory-interpretation Whether 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) permits the government to charge a continuing offense of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance bas…
22-7437 Kevin Darrell Miller v. United States Ninth Circuit 2023-05-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP contemporaneous-conduct criminal-procedure drug-distribution drug-use evidence evidence-admissibility intent-standard mens-rea possession Whether evidence of a defendant's drug use and simple possession is admissible to prove mens rea in a drug distribution trial
22-7137 Eric Deangelo Griggs v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-03-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP burrage-v-united-states criminal-conviction cross-examination drug-distribution due-process heroin-distribution jury-instruction perjured-testimony strict-liability Whether a person can be convicted for distribution of heroin causing death using a jury instruction that makes the offense a strict liability crime
22-6834 Michael Laury v. United States Third Circuit 2023-02-22 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split controlled-substance crackhouse-statute drug-activity drug-distribution purpose purpose-element statutory-interpretation title-21-section-856 Whether the Government is required to show that drug activity constitutes the primary or principal purpose of the property, or only that drug distribu…
22-6825 Richie Lee Edmonds, III v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-02-21 Denied Relisted (2)IFP controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-history criminal-law drug-distribution due-process federal-sentencing federalism sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a prior state conviction for drug distribution qualifies as a 'controlled substance offense' under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b)
22-6211 In Re Patricia Ann Solomon 2022-12-02 Denied IFP civil-rights conspiracy conspiracy-charge controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law drug-distribution heck-v-humphrey legitimate-purpose medical-prescription prescribing-authority prescription-drugs Can Ms. Patricia Solomon, a physician assistant who never prescribed any drug, be convicted under 21 U.S.C. §846 in the Eastern District of Kentucky L…
22-5472 Aaron Michael Shamo v. United States Tenth Circuit 2022-08-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP anti-drug-abuse-act chemical-compound chemical-compounds controlled-substance counsel-waiver cruel-and-unusual-punishment drug-distribution drug-sentencing eighth-amendment essential-elements fentanyl statutory-interpretation Whether Petitioner's counsel's actions constituted a waiver or forfeiture of the argument that the government failed to prove Petitioner distributed t…
22-5378 Robert Collazo, Lino Delgado-Vidaca, Julio Rodriguez, and Steven Amador v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-08-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP conspiracy controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law criminal-penalties drug-distribution due-process mandatory-minimum mens-rea sentencing Whether, to prove conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance triggering mandatory-minimum and increased-maximum penalties, the Government must sh…
22-5183 Douglas Emmanuel Carey, III v. United States Sixth Circuit 2022-07-26 Denied Response WaivedIFP constructive-possession drug-distribution drug-quantity evidence-reliability expert-testimony opinion-witness sentencing-determination voice-identification wiretap-evidence wiretap-necessity Whether the district court improperly allowed the admission of lay witness testimony identifying the defendant's voice, and whether the appellate cour…
21-8162 Darnell Pearson v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-06-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 controlled-substances criminal-law drug-distribution mens-rea reasonable-foreseeability serious-bodily-injury statutory-interpretation Whether a charge of drug distribution requires proof of defendant's knowledge of drug type and reasonable foreseeability of death/injury
21-8020 Ronald Mitchell v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-06-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP §2255-motion 21-usc-841 certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure drug-abuse drug-distribution heroin-possession ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel serious-bodily-injury Was trial counsel constitutionally ineffective for failing to consult or hire an expert witness in drug abuse
21-6915 Maxwell Gaffney v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-01-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof causation criminal-law criminal-statute drug-distribution drug-trafficking federal-law foreseeability judicial-review jury-instructions proximate-cause sentencing Whether the enhanced penalty provision of 21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(C) requires a showing of proximate causation
21-6111 Jonas Ross, III v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-10-29 Denied Response WaivedIFP burrage-standard burrage-v-united-states but-for-causation causation circuit-split controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law drug-distribution eighth-circuit evidence Whether the Eighth Circuit's conclusion that Mr. Ross distributed the controlled substance that resulted in the death of K.P. is in conflict with Burr…
21-5661 Raymond Moya v. United States Tenth Circuit 2021-09-14 Denied Response WaivedIFP causation causation-of-death criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-distribution evidence evidence-suppression expert-testimony motion-in-limine motion-to-dismiss Whether the District Court erred in denying Moya's Motion to Dismiss Count 2
21-5595 Jovan Marquis Harris v. United States Eighth Circuit 2021-09-08 Denied Response WaivedIFP burrage-standard burrage-v-united-states causation criminal-law criminal-statute drug-crimes drug-distribution due-process overdose proximate-cause sentencing sentencing-enhancement whether-the-enhanced-penalty-for-death-resulting-from-use-of-a-substance-requires-proof-of-proximate-cause
21-5518 John Perez v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-08-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP atascosa-county base-offense-level criminal-procedure drug-distribution drug-quantity mass-marketing relevant-conduct sentencing-enhancement sentencing-guidelines traffic-stop Was it improper for the Court to find the base offense level was 34 because Mr. Perez should only have been held accountable for the 15 pounds of 'bot…
21-5266 Alla V. Stepanets v. United States First Circuit 2021-07-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP causation-chain chain-of-causation criminal-misdemeanor drug-dispensing drug-distribution federal-drug-laws medical-facility proximate-cause statutory-interpretation strict-liability Whether a defendant 'dispenses' drugs pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 353(b)(1)(B) when they are shipped to a medical facility where a physician will write a …
20-8231 Kevin Thomas Seigler v. United States Fourth Circuit 2021-06-04 Denied IFP appellate-review burden-of-proof circuit-split conspiracy criminal-conspiracy criminal-law drug-distribution due-process federal-courts single-transaction Is evidence of a single sale of illegal drugs, from one seller to one buyer, sufficient to support a conviction for conspiracy to distribute illegal d…
20-8189 Heather Dawn Griffith v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-06-02 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-procedure drug-distribution federal-rule federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure plea-agreement plea-bargaining sentencing statutory-interpretation Whether, in a prosecution under 21 U.S.C. § 846, Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(b)(3) requires a statement sufficient to show an agreement to d…
20-8020 Charleston Pierre Wiggins v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-05-13 Denied IFP categorical-approach circuit-split controlled-substance-offense drug-distribution guideline-commentary sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation USSG-4B1.2(b) Whether an offense-matching categorical approach applies to the determination of a 'controlled substance offense' under the USSG § 4B1.2(b)?
20-7167 Elin Robinson Mejia Romero v. United States First Circuit 2021-02-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-intent criminal-law drug-distribution due-process mens-rea sentencing-enhancement statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant can be convicted and subjected to enhanced punishment under 21 U.S.C. § 841 without proof that he knew the drug type and quantity
20-6730 Jose Lupe Corrall v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-12-31 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-distribution due-process federal-scheduling guilty-plea knowledge-standard mens-rea plea-bargaining statutory-interpretation Whether, under McFadden v. United States, a defendant pleading guilty to knowingly distributing a controlled substance must admit that he knew the sub…
20-6424 Deloyd Jones v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-24 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-conflict common-purpose criminal-enterprise drug-distribution fifth-circuit legal-interpretation rico rico-statute shared-profits statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Is concerted criminal activity by individuals within a group sufficient to establish an 'enterprise' under RICO even if there is no evidence of shared…
20-6405 Joshua Cato v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-11-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-distribution due-process federal-scheduling guilty-plea knowledge-standard mens-rea plea-bargaining statutory-interpretation Whether, under McFadden v. United States, a defendant who pleads guilty to knowingly distributing a controlled substance must admit that he knew the s…
20-6311 Russell Davis v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP accomplice-liability co-conspirator-liability controlled-substance controlled-substances criminal-law drug-distribution due-process enhanced-penalty pinkerton-liability sentencing Whether the government must satisfy the evidentiary requirements for accomplice liability under 18 U.S.C. §2 or co-conspirator liability under Pinkert…
20-6243 Okeiba Sadio v. United States Second Circuit 2020-11-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights constitutional-rights covered-offense criminal-procedure drug-distribution due-process first-step-act sentencing sentencing-reduction sixth-amendment statutory-penalties Whether the Second Circuit Court of Appeals erred in dismissing Mr. Sadio's constitutional right to due process, when clearly Mr. Sadio is eligible fo…
19-8692 Robert Lee Shields v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-06-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP buyer-seller buyer-seller-relationship conspiracy criminal-procedure drug-distribution jury-instructions narcotics-law pinkerton-liability substantive-drug-charges When the evidence in a drug distribution case demonstrates only two sales, what additional factors support an inference of a drug distribution conspir…
19-1163 Bernard Rottschaefer v. United States Third Circuit 2020-03-23 Denied Response Waived appeals collateral-estoppel court-of-appeals criminal-procedure criminal-prosecution double-jeopardy drug-distribution due-process judicial-deference judicial-review jurisdiction medical-professional precedent standard-of-review substantial-question May the District Court overrule the previous unanimous Court of Appeals decision in the same case?
19-7986 Wesley Scott Hamm v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-03-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP bodily-injury conspiracy cooperation criminal-law-bodily-injury criminal-law-conspiracy criminal-law-cooperation criminal-law-sentencing criminal-law-withdrawal criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-acquittal drug-distribution due-process evidence judgment-of-acquittal law-enforcement-cooperation sentencing withdrawal Shouldn't a judgment of acquittal have been granted?
19-7952 Michael Deon Thompson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-03-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 criminal-law criminal-statute drug-distribution drug-trafficking proximate-cause sentencing serious-bodily-injury statutory-interpretation strict-liability Whether the language 'death or serious bodily injury results from' in 21 U.S.C. § 841 creates a strict liability crime, without a foreseeability or pr…
19-7731 Michael Herrold v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-02-21 Denied IFP armed-career-criminal-act burglary controlled-substance controlled-substances drug-distribution generic-burglary generic-definition intent intent-element overbreadth state-statute statutory-interpretation Where a state statute explicitly defines 'burglary' in a way that does not require proof of an intent to commit a crime, and thus lacks an element nec…
19-7364 Ernest William Singleton v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-01-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP brady-v-maryland brady-violation controlled-substances criminal-procedure drug-distribution drug-schedules drug-scheduling general-verdict ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel medical-pain-clinic money-laundering surveillance-footage Whether the jury relied on an invalid conviction for distributing Ultram in finding the defendant guilty of money laundering
19-7363 Richard Grady Romans v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2020-01-23 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act criminal-sentencing drug-conspiracy drug-distribution felony-enhancement occasions-different predicate-offense serious-drug-offense substantive-offense violent-felony Whether a drug conspiracy committed on an occasion different from the drug distribution offenses committed during and in furtherance of that same cons…
19-774 Marcus Terrelle Marsh v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-12-17 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (3) armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach criminal-sentencing drug-distribution drug-statute federal-sentencing predicate-offense state-law statutory-interpretation Whether a state drug statute that lists a variety of means by which it can be violated, including purchasing, which does not meet the definition of a …
19-6865 Delante L. Lunn v. United States Sixth Circuit 2019-12-05 Denied Response WaivedIFP but-for-causation but-for-test causation criminal-law criminal-sentencing drug-distribution drug-offenses drug-overdose mandatory-minimum overdose-causation sentencing statutory-interpretation Whether the but-for test in Burrage v. United States should be re-evaluated for mixed drug overdoses that result in death where no drug distributed by…
19-28 Kenneth Daniels v. United States Third Circuit 2019-07-02 Denied Relisted (2) aggravated-felony armed-career-criminal-act attempt controlled-substances-act criminal-attempt drug-distribution immigration-and-nationality-act immigration-law solicitation uniform-administration Whether solicitation can by itself constitute an 'attempt' within the meaning of the Controlled Substances Act
18A1355 Richard Johnson v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-24 Presumed Complete crack-cocaine drug-distribution eleventh-circuit intent-to-distribute school-zone sentencing-guidelines Whether the sentencing guidelines for drug offenses near schools violate due process or constitute disproportionate punishment for crack cocaine posse…
18-9657 Joseph Howard Davis v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-06-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split confrontation-clause criminal-evidence criminal-procedure drug-dealer drug-distribution due-process evidence fourth-circuit hearsay informant methamphetamine-offense non-testifying-witness second-circuit Is an out-of-court statement by a non-testifying informant which identifies the defendant as a drug dealer hearsay?
18-9574 Fayez Abu-Aish v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-06-06 Denied Response WaivedIFP 21-usc-841 21-usc-846 conspiracy controlled-substance criminal-intent distribution drug-distribution mcfadden-precedent specific-knowledge statutory-interpretation Whether the Government must prove that a defendant had specific knowledge of a controlled substance identified as XLR-11 in order to convict the defen…
18-9461 Antonio Tillmon v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-05-30 Denied Response WaivedIFP conviction criminal-evidence criminal-procedure drug-distribution due-process evidence fourth-amendment fourth-circuit-review insufficient-evidence judicial-review right-to-a-fair-trial sufficiency-of-evidence undercover-agent undercover-operations Whether the Fourth Circuit erred in affirming Mr. Tillmon's convictions on certain counts
18-9431 William Maurice Smith v. United States Ninth Circuit 2019-05-28 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-justice-reform criminal-procedure criminal-procedure-retroactivity,sentencing-reform drug-distribution due-process first-step-act griffith-v-kentucky ninth-circuit ninth-circuit-review resentencing retroactive-application retroactivity sentencing sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation Does Griffith v. Kentucky, 479 U.S. 314, (1987) apply to First Step Act of 2018?
18-9300 Devon Waters, aka Devon Jones v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-05-16 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver appellate-review career-offender crime-of-violence criminal-defendant-appeal-waiver criminal-procedure drug-distribution drug-distribution-offense sentencing sentencing-guidelines Does a criminal defendant's waiver of his right to appeal a within guidelines sentence bar appellate review where the district court improperly senten…
18-7579 David L. Price v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-01-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-enterprise drug-conspiracy drug-distribution due-process felon-in-possession heroin-conspiracy money-laundering restitution sentencing straw-purchaser Whether the district court erred in sentencing the petitioner to a 37-year sentence for a non-violent drug conspiracy and related offenses
18-851 Bryan Christopher Marshall v. United States Fourth Circuit 2019-01-04 Denied Response Waived armed-career-criminal-act categorical-approach criminal-sentencing drug-distribution drug-statute due-process federal-law first-amendment law-enforcement predicate-offense sentencing speech-protection statutory-interpretation Whether a state drug statute that lists a variety of means by which it can be violated, including one which does not meet the definition of a drug dis…
18-6858 Micah G. Pritchett v. United States Fourth Circuit 2018-11-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP categorical-approach controlled-substance criminal-law distribution drug-distribution federal-sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation virginia virginia-law Whether the Virginia offense of distribution of a controlled substance categorically qualifies as a 'controlled substance offense' under the U.S. Sent…
18-5497 Timothy Edmun Johnson v. United States Tenth Circuit 2018-08-07 Denied Response WaivedIFP armed-career-criminal-act controlled-substances criminal-history double-jeopardy drug-distribution federal-sentencing felony-possession occasions-different sentencing-enhancement separate-occasions serious-drug-offense Whether Oklahoma's crime of drug distribution is a 'serious drug offense' under the Armed Career Criminal Act when state law defines 'distribution' to…
18-5267 Arthur Waters v. United States Eighth Circuit 2018-07-18 Denied Response WaivedIFP 4th-amendment categorical-exception drug-distribution exigent-circumstances fourth-amendment in-home-arrest precedent protective-sweep reasonable-suspicion search-and-seizure Should Buie be expanded to permit protective sweeps in all cases involving in-home arrests of suspected drug distributors?