Topic
Sentencing
11,938 published works
Illinois Post-Conviction Blog
Defendant who bribed a judge, was convicted of murdering a police officer, and was then sentenced to 600 years gets new chance to vacate sentence
By Nate Nieman
The appellant in People v. Carrasquillo, 2020 IL App (1st) 180534 appealed the trial court’s order dismissing his section 2-1401 petition and motion for leave to file his successive post-conviction…
Ohio Appellate Insights
Update: Supreme Court of Ohio Requests Additional Briefing in Kyle Patrick Case
Update: On December 22, 2020 the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. Read the analysis here. On April 28, 2020, the Supreme Court of…
Illinois Post-Conviction Blog
Order Denying Leave to File Successive Petition Reversed Where Firearm Enhancement Violated Proportionate Penalties Clause
By Nate Nieman
The appellant in People v. Womack, 2020 IL App (3d) 170208 appealed the trial court’s dismissing his motion for leave to file successive post-conviction petition, which alleged that Womack satisfied…
Ohio Appellate Insights
Governor DeWine Commutes Sentence of Sex-Trafficking Victim Alexis Martin
On April 17, 2020, Governor Mike DeWine commuted the sentence of sex-trafficking victim Alexis Martin. While a juvenile, Martin was involved in a robbery and house burglary gone awry in…
Sentencing Law and Policy
Catching up on lots of new recent (COVID-free) sentencing and punishment scholarship
As I have been consumed with COVID criminal justice issues over the last month, I have fallen behind in spotlighting new sentencing and punishment scholarship that has been posted to…
Illinois Post-Conviction Blog
Court holds that de facto life sentence rule did not apply to 23-year-old defendant sentenced to 110 years
By Nate Nieman
The appellant in People v. Suggs, 2019 IL App (2d) 170632 appealed the trial court’s order summarily dismissing his pro se post-conviction petition, which argued that the prohibition against the…
Sixth Circuit Appellate Blog
“Twisted” Path to New Trial for Dr. Paulus
A 2018 Sixth Circuit panel upheld a jury verdict convicting Dr. Richard Paulus of submitting fraudulent medical claims. That same panel, with 2020 hindsight(!), reversed that conviction. It held that…
Illinois Post-Conviction Blog
Order denying motion for leave to file successive petition was vacated and defendant received new sentencing hearing after receiving de facto life sentence
By Nate Nieman
The appellant in People v. Paige, 2019 IL App (1st) 161563 appealed the trial court’s order denying him leave to file a successive post-conviction petition, arguing that his 50-year prison sentence,…
Sentencing Law and Policy
Wondering again about pace and number of federal sentencings after another Varsity Blues defendant gets imprisonment term
This AP article, headlined "Mother Sentenced to 7 Months in College Admissions Scam," reports on the high-profile federal sentencing that went forward in Boston by video conference yesterday. Here are…
Sentencing Law and Policy
Check out and cite all (now free) <em>Federal Sentencing Reporter</em> content
The academic publisher of the Federal Sentencing Reporter, University of California Press, has responded to the impact of the coronavirus crisis by making all UC Press online journal content free…