United States v. Freeman, No. 12-2233 (2d Cir. Nov. 7, 2013) (Pooler, Wesley, and Droney) (as amended), available here In this important Fourth Amendment decision — required reading for anyone dealing with a search or seizure based on an anonymous tip — the Court held that the police, acting primarily on a pair of anonymous 911 … Read more
In United States v. Bethea, No. 12-961-cr (2d Cir. Oct. 13, 2013) (Winter, Jacobs, and Straub) (per curiam), available here, the Circuit vacated the district court’s decision denying the defendant’s motion to reduce his sentence under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c). Convicted of distributing cocaine, Bethea was originally sentenced in September 2010 to 80 months of imprisonment, … Read more
In United States v. Redd (Shue), No. 13-2971 (2d Cir. Nov. 5, 2013) (Jacobs, Straub, and Pauley) (per curiam), available here, the Circuit held that Alleyne v. United States, 113 S. Ct. 2151 (2013), does not apply retroactively to cases on collateral review. Alleyne held that “any fact that increases the mandatory minimum [sentence] is … Read more
In United States v. Nunez-Banuelos, No. 12-85-cr (2d Cir. Nov. 4, 2013) (summary order), the Circuit upheld the defendant’s convictions of misusing a social security number in violation of 42 U.S.C. 408(a)(7)(B) and of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1341. The evidence at trial showed that the defendant used a social security number that he had … Read more
United States v. Gyanbaah, No. 10-2441-cr (2d Cir. November 8, 2012) (Winter, Lynch, Carney, CJJ) The appellant here was part of a group that, for more than three years, stole names and other identifying information, then used it to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns in those victims’ names. The group expected that about half … Read more
United States v. Lacey, No. 11-2404-cr (2d Cir. November 7, 2012) (Winter, Straub, Lynch, CJJ) Defendants Lacey and Henry were convicted after a jury trial of various offenses resulting from their involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme. In the scheme a real estate company, MTC, would purchase “short-sale” properties from distressed homeowners, then resell them … Read more
United States v. Harrison, No. 11-1240-cr (2d Cir. November 6, 2012) (Cabranes, Chin, Carney, CJJ) (per curiam) The court’s latest per curiam opinion holds that the appellate waiver provision of the standard Southern District plea agreement is enforceable, even in the wake of Dorsey v. United States, 132 S.Ct. 2321 (2012). Thus, although the defendant … Read more
United States v. Wilson, No. 11-915 (2d Cir. October 25, 2012) (Jacobs, Calabresi, Pooler, CJJ) Defendant Wilson was subject to a car stop near New York’s border with Canada. He was just outside of the St. Regis Mohawk reservation, not a member of the tribe, and the officers who stopped the car – which was … Read more
United States v. Oehne, No. 11-2286 (2d Cir. October 25, 2012) (Kearse, Katzmann, CJJ, Gleeson, DJ) (per curiam) This latest per curiam looks at the pretrial ruling on a motion to suppress, and the long sentence imposed in a child pornography production and distribution case. Finding no error, the circuit affirms. The suppression issue involved … Read more
Young v. Conway, No. 11-830-cr (2d Cir. October 16, 2012) (Parker, Hall, Carney, CJJ) While decisions on state prisoners’ federal habeas corpus petitions are not consistently covered on this site, this particular case is fascinating. In it, the circuit agrees with the district court that the New York state courts misapplied federal law in finding that the … Read more