Federal Defenders of New York Second Circuit Blog

UNITED STATES V. TAYLOR, ET. AL., NOS. 11-2201(L), 11-2426(CON), 11-2639(CON) (2D CIR. DEC. 4, 2013) (KEARSE, JACOBS, AND CARNEY), AVAILABLE HERE This published decision vacated three defendants’ convictions for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery of a Manhattan pharmacy in 2008 and brandishing of a firearm. The Court remanded for new trials after determining that interrogating … Read more

UNITED STATES V. SOLTREN, NO. 12-4755-cr (2D CIR. DEC. 2, 2013) (KEARSE, JACOBS, AND PARKER) (AMENDED SUMMARY ORDER), AVAILABLE HERE On appeal a second time from the imposition of sentence, this defendant challenged the district court’s decision to impose fifteen years’ custody with the possibility of parole after five years as procedurally and substantively unreasonable pursuant to Booker.  He pleaded … Read more

United States v. McGeoch, No. 12-5012-cr (2d Cir. Dec. 3, 2013) (Walker, Cabranes, and Parker) (summary order), available here The defendant was convicted of using a facility of interstate commerce to persuade a 15-year-old and a person he believed to be a 13-year-old to engage in illegal sexual activity. He was sentenced principally to 151 months … Read more

United States v. Cardona, No. 12-4612-cr (2d Cir. Dec. 3, 2013) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Parker) (second amended summary order), available here Convicted after trial of cocaine trafficking, the defendant argued on appeal that the district court should have suppressed various pieces of evidence because his arrest and the ensuing search of his vehicle lacked probable cause. … Read more

United States v. Grimm, et al., Nos. 12-4310-cr; 12-4365-cr; 12-4371-cr (2d Cir. Nov. 26, 2013) (Kearse, Jacobs, Straub) (unpublished one-page order) In a one-page order dated November 26, 2013, just one week after hearing oral argument, the Court reversed the conspiracy convictions of Steven Goldberg, Peter Grimm, and Dominick Carollo. The three men had been … Read more

United States v. Quintieri, No. 13-464-cr (2d Cir. Dec. 2, 2013) (Kearse, Jacobs, and Parker) (summary order) (as amended), available here A writ of audita querela is an extraordinary remedy under the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. Section 1651(a), and is generally available only if the absence of any avenue of collateral attack would raise serious … Read more

UNITED STATES V. RESTREPO, NO. 12-2246-cr (2D CIR. NOV. 27, 2013) (LYNCH, CARNEY, AND DRONEY) (SUMMARY ORDER), AVAILABLE HERE This detailed summary order affirmed defendant’s conviction after trial for a drug related conspiracy and denied seven separate claims of error.  First, the Court disagreed with the defendant’s jury selection challenge, which alleged that the trial court erroneously … Read more

United States v. Murray, No. 11-0351-cr (2d Cir. Nov. 27, 2013) (Leval, Sack, and Hall), available here This published decision holds that the district court’s refusal to allow the defendant to present surrebuttal evidence to respond to new evidence introduced by the government on rebuttal denied  him his right to present a meaningful defense. Judge Hall dissents. … Read more

UNITED STATES V. LEE, NO. 12-2020-cr (2D CIR. NOV. 26, 2013) (KEARSE, JACOBS, AND PARKER) (SUMMARY ORDER), AVAILABLE HERE This defendant appealed his 235-month prison term for drug related offenses, which the district court imposed on remand from an earlier appeal.  The Court vacated an earlier judgment and remanded for re-sentencing due to the erroneous denial of a third point for … Read more

UNITED STATES V. WHITE, NO. 12-68-cr (2D CIR. NOV. 26, 2013) (SACK, HALL, AND LIVINGSTON) (SUMMARY ORDER), AVAILABLE HERE The defendant appealed from his 18 U.S.C. § 1001 conviction and claimed three errors.  First, he was deprived of a fair trial when the prosecutor acted as an “unsworn witness” by eliciting testimony about the prosecutor’s decision not … Read more