Archive | procedural reasonableness

United States v. Hernandez, No. 09-1421-cr (2d Cir. May 5, 2010) (Jacobs, Kearse, Calabresi, CJJ)

Here, the circuit found that the defendant’s sentence was procedurally unreasonable because it took the district court fifteen years to get around to imposing it.

Background

In 1991, Hernandez was convicted after a jury trial of drug trafficking and associated crimes of violence. Judge Platt sentenced him to 405 months’ imprisonment and a large fine. The sentence included an aggravating role enhancement. On Hernandez’ first appeal, decided in 1993, the court vacated the sentence because the judge had imposed the enhancement over objection but had made “no finding” with respect to Hernandez’ role.

Judge Platt did not act on the remand. In 1997, at the government’s request, he appointed counsel for Hernandez, but still did not resentence him. Finally, in 2008, fifteen years after the remand was ordered, Hernandez’ mother wrote the judge a letter …

United States v. Timewell, No. 07-4587-cr (2d Cir. June 1, 2009) (Miner, Raggi, Livingston, CJJ)

Here, the circuit held that the district court’s reasons for denying a Crosby remand rendered the sentence procedurally unreasonable. It remanded the case for reconsideration, with instructions.

Background

Gregory Timewell was a major international trafficker in marijuana and hashish. In the late 1990’s, he was prosecuted in the Eastern District of New York, where he cooperated with the government. In 1998, he signed a cooperation agreement, which included a list of his assets that he agreed to forfeit to the government. Three years later, it emerged that Timewell had misled the government about some of his assets – millions of dollars hidden in Switzerland. His explanation was that, at the time of his original cooperation, he believed that the money had been appropriated by one of his associates. He later learned that this was not …