Molina-Martinez v. United States
| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-8913 | 5th Cir. | Jan 12, 2016 | Apr 20, 2016 | 8-0 | Kennedy | OT 2015 |
Holding: Courts reviewing use of an incorrect Federal Sentencing Guidelines range cannot apply a categorical "additional evidence" rule requiring a showing that use of the incorrect range affected a defendant's sentence in cases in which a district court applied an incorrect range but sentenced the defendant within the correct range.
Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 8-0, in an opinion by Justice Kennedy on April 20, 2016. Justice Alito filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Thomas joined.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Opinion analysis: To guideline err is human, to review is now de norm (Douglas Berman, April 20, 2016)
- Argument analysis: Will defendant lose the battle but win the war in sentencing case? (Douglas Berman, January 13, 2016)
- Argument preview: Justices take on “plain error” review and guideline-range mistakes (Douglas Berman, January 8, 2016)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| Mar 16 2015 | Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due April 17, 2015) |
| Apr 8 2015 | Order extending time to file response to petition to and including May 18, 2015. |
| Apr 24 2015 | Order further extending time to file response to petition to and including June 18, 2015. |
| Jun 10 2015 | Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed. |
| Jun 11 2015 | Reply of petitioner Saul Molina-Martinez filed. |
| Jun 25 2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of September 28, 2015. |
| Oct 1 2015 | Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED. |
| Nov 16 2015 | Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed) |
| Nov 16 2015 | Brief of petitioner Saul Molina-Martinez filed. |
| Nov 24 2015 | SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 |
| Dec 4 2015 | Record requested from U.S.C.A. 5th Circuit. |
| Dec 15 2015 | CIRCULATED. |
| Dec 16 2015 | Brief of respondent United States filed. (Distributed) |
| Jan 4 2016 | Reply of petitioner Saul Molina-Martinez filed. (Distributed) |
| Jan 12 2016 | Argued. For petitioner: Timothy Crooks, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Houston, Tex. For respondent: Scott A.C. Meisler, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. |
| Jan 19 2016 | Record from the U.S.D.C. Southern District of Texas is electronic and also received in hard copy. (1 Envelope) |
| Apr 20 2016 | Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Kennedy, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan, JJ., joined. Alito, J., filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Thomas, J., joined. |
| May 23 2016 | JUDGMENT ISSUED |
