Federal Defenders of New York Second Circuit Blog

Alford Plea Allowed Court To Conclude That Defendant Violated Supervised Release By Committing a New Crime

United States v. Glenn, No. 13-0231-cr (2d Cir. Mar. 12, 2014) (Jacobs, Livingston, and Lynch), available here Glenn appealed from an order of the District of Connecticut revoking his supervised release. The district court concluded that Glenn committed “another federal, state or local offense” in violation of the conditions of his supervised release, based solely … Read more

Term of Imprisonment May Not Run Concurrently With a Discharged Term of Imprisonment

United States v. Lucas, Nos. 12-4840-cr(L), 13-0743(Con), 13-1075(Con) (2d Cir. Mar. 17, 2014) (Parker, Lynch, and Droney) (per curiam), available here This published (and, therefore, precedential) decision reiterates what the Circuit had previously held only in non-precedential summary orders: that USSG 5G1.3(b) and 18 U.S.C. 3584 empower district courts to run sentences concurrently only to “undischarged” terms … Read more

Waiver in Plea Agreement Barred Collateral Attack on Sentence

Tellado v. United States, No. 11-3227-pr (2d Cir. Mar. 12, 2014) (Hall, Livingston, and Berman), available here This published decision affirms the denial of petitioner’s Section 2255 motion to vacate his sentence. The Court held that petitioner knowingly waived his right to collaterally attack his sentence and that the district court properly denied petitioner’s motion to … Read more

District Court Should Reconsider Consecutive Sentences for Aggravated Identity Theft

United States v. Chibuko, No. 12-0039-cr (2d Cir. Mar. 7, 2014) (Katzmann, Kearse, and Wesley) (per curiam), available here This published decision offers guidance on the procedures to be followed before a district court may impose consecutive sentences for multiple counts of aggravated identity theft, 18 U.S.C. 1028A. Chibuko was convicted at trial of various fraud … Read more

Divided Panel Reverses Judgment of Acquittal; Dissent Calls Ruling “Erroneous and Dangerous”

United States v. Anderson (Hakimi), No. 11-5364-cr (2d Cir. Mar. 4, 2014) (Hall, Carney, and Scheindlin), available here A jury convicted Roohid Hakimi of conspiracy and attempt to possess and distribute controlled substances. After the verdict, the district court (Judge Hurd) entered a judgment of acquittal, holding that the evidence was insufficient to establish guilt. This … Read more

Circuit Grants Rehearing and Vacates Three Convictions Tainted by Involuntary Confession and Ineffective Redactions Under Bruton

United States v. Taylor, Nos. 11-2201(L), 11-2426(CON), 11-2639(CON) (2d Cir. Mar. 4, 2014) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Carney), available here In this published decision, the Circuit granted the government’s petition for panel rehearing and withdrew its original opinion vacating the convictions of all three defendants. Unfortunately for the government, the Court, on rehearing, not only again vacated the defendants’ … Read more

Summary Order Upholds Denial of Suppression Motion

United States v. Lee, No. 13-1432-cr (2d Cir. Feb. 27, 2014) (Wesley, Droney, and Abrams) (summary order), available here This summary was provided by noted criminal defense lawyer Francisco Celedonio, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of Federal Defenders of New York, Inc.: In this summary order, the Circuit upheld a decision … Read more

Erroneous Advice Concerning Deportation Consequences Prompts Circuit to Grant Writ and Vacate Conviction

Kovacs v. United States, No. 13-0209 (2d Cir. Mar. 3, 2014) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Parker), available here Kovacs, an Australian national, pled guilty in 1999 to misprision of felony (18 U.S.C. § 4). His lawyer advised him at the time — and stated on the record — that the plea would have no immigration consequences. Many … Read more

Restitution Under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act Is Improper for Harms Not Listed in the Statute

United States v. Maynard, No. 12-5106-cr (2d Cir. Feb. 24, 2014) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Parker), available here This important decision holds that, under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act of 1996 (“MVRA”), 18 U.S.C. §§ 3663-64, restitution may be awarded only for the harms enumerated in the statute. The facts were simple: Maynard and Ludwig robbed five … Read more