safety-valve

44 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-6568 James Dorelus v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2026-01-13 Pending Response WaivedIFP constitutional-rights double-jeopardy drug-trafficking firearm-offense safety-valve sentencing-reduction Where a defendant pleads guilty to the crime of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime in violation of 18 USC § 924(c)(…
24-7082 Edgar Llausas-Silva v. United States Ninth Circuit 2025-04-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP burden-of-proof criminal-procedure judicial-review prosecutorial-discretion safety-valve sentencing Whether the district court improperly relied upon the subjective belief of the prosecutor without support in the record that petitioner lied when he p…
24-5905 Huosheng Xian v. United States Tenth Circuit 2024-11-04 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-procedure jury-verdict mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing Whether a sentencing judge can make safety-valve findings when a defendant's statements are inconsistent with the jury's verdict
23-7705 Eric D. Johnson v. Mississippi Mississippi 2024-06-13 Denied IFP administrative-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process equal-protection judicial-relief retroactivity safety-valve sentencing-calculation statutory-interpretation Whether Sohnson's sentence was improperly calculated and should be reduced under the 'safety valve' (18 U.S.C. 3553(f)) sentencing law in effect at th…
23-7357 Jesus Robledo Aguilar v. United States Ninth Circuit 2024-05-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split constructive-possession criminal-law criminal-procedure drug-offense drugs firearms safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Does simultaneous constructive possession of drugs and firearms disqualify a defendant for safety-valve-relief
23-6382 Francisco Batista-Reyes v. United States First Circuit 2023-12-28 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law due-process equal-protection first-time-offenders mdlea-offenses safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Do the MDLEA first time offenders charged for the violation of both the MDLEA as well as §§ 960 (b) and 963 statutes have a right to safety valve reli…
23-6029 Brianna Irene Bustam v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-11-16 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history drug-offenses first-step-act rule-of-lenity safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the 'and' in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) means 'and' or 'or' for determining eligibility for the 'safety valve' provision
23-6012 Rafael Espinal-Mieses v. United States First Circuit 2023-11-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(f) 21-usc-960(b) criminal-sentencing federal-statute maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act retroactivity safety-valve sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Did the First Circuit correctly interpret the pre-amendment version of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) as excluding MDLEA offenses from safety-valve relief?
23-5691 Ricardo Garcia, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-10-02 Denied Relisted (3)IFP circuit-split criminal-history due-process mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant is ineligible for relief from a mandatory minimum sentence if his criminal history runs afoul of any one of the disqualifying crit…
23-5304 Jaquantious Hutchison v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-08-09 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Whether the 'and' in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) is conjunctive or disjunctive
23-5149 Javier Escalera, Jr. v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-07-20 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history fifth-circuit mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant is ineligible for relief from a mandatory minimum sentence if his criminal history runs afoul of any one of the disqualifying crit…
23-46 United States v. Cassity Danielle Jones Fourth Circuit 2023-07-17 GVR Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) criminal-history criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant must meet certain criminal history criteria to qualify for 'safety-valve' sentencing relief under 18 U.S.C. 3553(f)(1)
22-7807 Chayna Holguin v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-16 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history federal-sentencing first-step-act rule-of-lenity safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the 'and' in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) means 'and' or 'or' for determining eligibility for the 'safety valve' provision
22-7792 Diante Turman v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-06-15 Denied IFP appellate-review armed-career-criminal-act circuit-court-review circuit-split controlled-substance-offense criminal-conviction criminal-procedure district-court-discretion drug-offense drug-schedule drug-schedules federal-sentencing federal-sentencing federal-sentencing 22-7791" mcneill-precedent mcneill-v-united-states safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction Whether the district court erred at sentencing in Does McNeill require courts to define 'controlled substance offenses' under Section 4B1.2(b) to include convictions under laws encompassing substances…
22-7791 Clark Downs v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2023-06-15 Denied Response WaivedIFP 15-year-old circuit-court-review criminal-procedure drug-offense federal-sentencing interstate-commerce safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reduction sexual-exploitation visual-depiction WHETHER THE EVIDENCE WAS LEGALLY INSUFFICIENT AS TO THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE ELEMENT ON COUNT ONE, WHICH CHARGED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A FIFTEEN YEAR …
22-7756 Andre Zeno v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-12 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation statutory-minimum Whether the 'and' in § 3553(f)(1) means 'and' or 'or'
22-7709 Ashley Latreece Thackerson v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-05 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history first-step-act safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Did the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals err by finding that Petitioner did not qualify for safety valve relief under the First Step Act 18 U.S.C. § 355…
22-7702 Antonio Montero v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-06-05 Denied Relisted (2)IFP 18-usc-3553(f) criminal-history criminal-procedure federal-sentencing safety-valve sentence-reduction sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation whether-the-trial-judge-must-find-montero-violated-all-conditions-to-be-eligible-for-sentence-reduction
22-7650 Nolan Washington v. United States Fifth Circuit 2023-05-26 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-procedure mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation supreme-court Whether the Fifth Circuit erred in its interpretation of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1)
22-7059 Aaron M. Haynes v. United States Sixth Circuit 2023-03-21 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history-points criminal-justice federal-sentencing first-step-act mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines sentencing-reform statutory-interpretation Whether the 'and' in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) means 'and' or 'or'
22-851 United States v. Julian Garcon Eleventh Circuit 2023-03-08 Dismissed Response RequestedRelisted (2) criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure due-process federal-sentencing federal-sentencing-guidelines jurisdiction safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Whether the defendant satisfies the prerequisites for 'safety-valve' sentencing relief under 18 U.S.C. 3553(f)(1)
22-828 Roger E. Pace v. United States Seventh Circuit 2023-03-01 Denied Relisted (2) circuit-split criminal-history federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the 'and' in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) means 'and' or 'or' for safety-valve relief from mandatory-minimum sentences
22-6803 Mario C. Thomas v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-02-16 Denied Relisted (2)IFP criminal-history criminal-history-points criminal-procedure federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the 'and' in 18 U.S.C. §3553(f)(1) means 'and' or 'or'
22-6536 Antoine D. Jackson v. United States Eighth Circuit 2023-01-13 Denied Relisted (2)IFP circuit-split criminal-history due-process safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-construction statutory-interpretation Whether the word 'and' in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) should be interpreted in the disjunctive or conjunctive
22-6391 Nonami Palomares v. United States Fifth Circuit 2022-12-23 Denied Amici (1)Relisted (3)IFP criminal-history drug-crimes drug-offense federal-sentencing mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant is ineligible for relief from a mandatory minimum sentence if her criminal history runs afoul of any one of the disqualifying crit…
22-6076 Joseph Rauber v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-11-16 Denied Relisted (3)IFP circuit-split criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing drug-offenses mandatory-minimum safety-valve sentencing-statute statutory-interpretation Whether 'and' means 'and' for the purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1)
22-5962 Marquis Donte Brown v. United States Ninth Circuit 2022-11-01 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing due-process judicial-review post-booker-hearing safety-valve sentencing-discretion sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the district court erred by imposing an unlawful sentence contrary to the mandates of § 3553(a) and §3553(f)(5) which preclude use of informat…
22-340 Mark E. Pulsifer v. United States Eighth Circuit 2022-10-12 Judgment Issued Amici (4)Relisted (3) circuit-conflict circuit-split criminal-history criminal-justice-reform first-step-act mandatory-minimum rule-of-lenity safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether the 'and' in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) means 'and' or 'or' for determining eligibility for the federal sentencing 'safety valve
21-6578 Gregory Leri v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2021-12-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-history downward-adjustment drug-trafficking first-step-act safety-valve sentencing-guidelines statutory-minimum Whether the safety valve criteria under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) are conjunctive or disjunctive
21-6166 Ángel De la Cruz v. United States First Circuit 2021-11-03 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split criminal-law drug-offense due-process first-step-act maritime-drug-law safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation terry-v-united-states Whether pre-First Step Act Safety Valve covers Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act offenses since those offenses' punishment elements are defined by 21 …
21-5723 Juan Manuel Pardo-Oseguera v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-09-20 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-procedure plain-error presentence-report safety-valve sentencing sentencing-reduction statutory-minimum weapons-enhancement Whether the failure to include a safety-valve reduction is a plain error that should be corrected by the district court and appellate court
21-5690 Pedro Zavala-Armendariz v. United States Seventh Circuit 2021-09-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-usc-3553(f) appellate-review criminal-procedure criminal-sentencing district-court judicial-discretion safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation Did the District Court err by not adequately explaining its ruling in applying or not applying the safety valve in connection with 18 U.S.C. §3553(f)?
20-7177 Sandra Doyle v. United States Fifth Circuit 2021-02-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP acceptance-of-responsibility criminal-procedure due-process post-arrest-interview prosecutorial-discretion relevant-conduct safety-valve sentencing witness-testimony Is it a denial of due process to sentence petitioner based on a finding that she lied or minimized in her safety-valve interview?
20-5740 Edward Mahan v. United States Fifth Circuit 2020-09-17 Denied Response WaivedIFP 18-USC-3553a appeal criminal-procedure downward-adjustment drug-offense due-process government-misconduct plea-agreement safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines Did the district court err by allowing the government to violate the plea agreement?
20-5041 Justin L. Sain v. United States Sixth Circuit 2020-07-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP alleyne-standard Alleyne-v-United-States burden-of-proof criminal-sentencing drug-statute federal-drug-statute mandatory-minimum Mullaney-v-Wilbur safety-valve Whether the government, instead of the individual, is required to prove at least one safety-valve fact beyond a reasonable doubt pursuant to Alleyne-v…
19-7154 In Re Corey Devon Eaton 2020-01-02 Denied Response WaivedRelisted (2)IFP actual-innocence cause-and-prejudice constitutional-infirmity due-process plea-agreement plea-agreement-involuntary plea-waiver procedural-default retroactive-relief safety-valve whether-plea-agreement-involuntary
19-6230 Claudius L. Fincher v. United States Seventh Circuit 2019-10-09 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP criminal-procedure due-process factual-question jury-determination jury-trial mandatory-minimum safety-valve safetyvalve-statute sentencing sixth-amendment Does the district court's resolution of a contested factual question under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) (safety-valve statute) for the purpose of determining w…
19-5641 David Anthony Gordon v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-08-19 Denied Response WaivedIFP appeal-waiver due-process government-breach judicial-assignment judicial-procedure mandatory-minimum plea-agreement safety-valve sentencing sentencing-discretion Whether the Eleventh Circuit erroneously dismissed portions of the appeal based on an invalid plea agreement waiver
18-9328 Diego Portocarrero Valencia v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-05-17 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)IFP confrontation-rights criminal-procedure drug-trafficking due-process high-seas-offense jurisdiction maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law safety-valve sentencing stateless-vessel Is the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA) unconstitutional because no minimum contacts between the accused and the United States are required t…
18-8051 Yeison Valencia Torres v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2019-02-21 Denied Response WaivedIFP circuit-split conflict-of-laws criminal-procedure drug-enforcement drug-offense due-process equal-protection maritime-drug-law maritime-law safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation Whether the exclusion of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (46 U.S.C. § 70503) from eligibility for safety valve violates equal protection
18-7000 Luis Rolando Bueno Jimenez v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-12-12 Denied IFP 18-usc-3553(f) circuit-split criminal-law drug-enforcement mandatory-minimum maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law safety-valve sentencing sentencing-guidelines statutory-interpretation Whether a defendant convicted of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act is eligible for relief from a mandatory minimum sentence under the 's…
18-6482 Roger Alfred Anchundia-Espinoza v. United States Fifth Circuit 2018-10-29 Denied IFP 18-usc-3553(f) criminal-law criminal-sentencing drug-enforcement mandatory-minimum maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation statutory-safety-valve united-states-v-mosquera-murillo Whether a criminal defendant convicted of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, 46 U.S.C. § 70501 et seq., and subject to a mandatory minim…
18-374 Wuilson Estuardo Lemus Castillo v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-09-21 Denied 18-usc-3553(f) 21-usc-960 circuit-split criminal-law criminal-sentencing drug-enforcement mandatory-minimum mandatory-minimum-sentences maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act safety-valve sentencing statutory-interpretation Whether a criminal defendant convicted of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act is eligible for relief from a mandatory minimum sentence und…
18-5221 Aquilino Guizamano-Cortes v. United States Eleventh Circuit 2018-07-12 Denied Response WaivedIFP criminal-law drug-offense due-process equal-protection maritime-drug-law maritime-drug-law-enforcement-act maritime-law rational-basis safety-valve sentencing sentencing-relief statutory-interpretation territorial-jurisdiction Whether the exclusion of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (46 U.S.C. § 70503) from eligibility for safety valve relief violates equal protection,…