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A (questionable?) Eighth Circuit reversal of a reduction in crack guideline retroactivity case

By Douglas A. Berman

The implementation of the retroactive crack guidelines has produced a lot of federal circuit court rulings, though most have involved a circuit affirming a district court's decision to deny a reduction to a defendant.  But the Eighth Circuit has a ruling today in US v. Collier, No. 08-3306 (8th Cir. Sept. 21, 2009) (available here), in which a panel, upon the  government's appeal reverses a district court's decision to grant the defendant a sentencereduction based on the crack retroactivity provisions. The particulars of Collier are complicated, but the case especially draws my attention because it would seem ripe for a viable cert petition because the defendant (a) seems relatively sympathetic, (b) prevailed in the district court by getting a lower sentence, and (c) had his reduced sentenced reversed by the Eighth Circuit upon the government's appeal...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on September 21, 2009 (boomark / email).