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A remarkable concurrence in the affirmance of a long mandatory minimum sentence

By Douglas A. Berman

Late Friday the First Circuit affirmed the application of a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence in a single-page per curiam opinion in US v. Cirilo-Munoz, No. 08-1830 (1st Cir. Sept. 4, 2009) (available here). The opinion in Cirilo-Muno is blog-worthy because of a remarkable five-page concurrence by Judge Torruella, which starts and ends this way: This case, and its outcome, is a notorious example of oppressive injustice culminating in an outrageous adjudication.  It is a stain on the robes of American justice.  Appellant Cirilo-Muñoz was convicted of aiding and abetting the murder of an on-duty police officer.  He was convicted even though his co-defendant Lugo- Sánchez, the murderer himself, who initially tried to pin Cirilo-Muñoz for the murder and was the government's star witness, "testified unequivocally that Cirilo[-Muñoz] had no advance knowledge about his plan to murder ...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on September 07, 2009 (boomark / email).