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Huge Win for Inmates in Dorsey/Hill Decisions

Fair Sentencing Act of 2010

Crack Cocaine Pipeline Cases Decided by SCOTUS

Its a big day at the United States Supreme Court. Inmates have been waiting for nearly two years for the high court to decide on a Circuit Court split that meant decades in longer sentences for crack cocaine “Pipeline” cases.

Read our prior post on the Hill case and “Pipeline” cases.

The Supreme Court handed down an extremely divided decision today in a 5-4 ruling for the defendants. Below is a quick recap of the issues.

The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010: This law, passed by Congress, lowered the penalties on crack cocaine offenses to be close to those of powder cocaine sentences.

Pending Cases: Defendants whose cases which started before the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 took effect 1August of 2010, but were sentenced afterwards were sometimes given the new, lower sentences. Some, however, got the older and longer sentences. These cases were in the pipeline when the law took effect.

Most Circuit Courts who decided this issue granted the lower sentences to the Appellants. 2See the Third and First Circuit cases The Seventh (surprise, surprise) and Sixth Circuit 3United States v. Carradine, ___ F.3d ___, No. 08-3220, 2010 WL 3619799, at *4-*5 (6th Cir. Sept. 20, 2010 went the other direction and decided that the older (and “unfair”) sentences were appropriate.

What Happens Now

At this point, all inmates who were charged with crack cocaine offenses before August of 2010, but sentenced afterward need to take a close look at their sentences. If sentenced under old rules, they could be eligible for years in sentence reductions with a simple 3582 motion.

Let Us Help You!

Call us at (480) 382-9287 for a free consultation to find out how we can help you and your incarcerated loved one get sentences reduced.

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References

References
1 August of 2010
2 See the Third and First Circuit cases
3 United States v. Carradine, ___ F.3d ___, No. 08-3220, 2010 WL 3619799, at *4-*5 (6th Cir. Sept. 20, 2010

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