By: Derek Hawkins//July 11, 2018//
United States Supreme Court
Case Name: Rosales-Mireles v. United States
Case No.: 16-9493
Focus: Sentencing Guidelines
Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 52(b) provides that a court of appeals may consider errors that are plain and affect substantial rights, even though they are raised for the first time on appeal. This case concerns the bounds of that discretion, and whether a miscalculation of the United States Sentencing Guidelines range, that has been determined to be plain and to affect a defendant’s substantial rights, calls for a court of appeals to exercise its discretion under Rule 52(b) to vacate the defendant’s sentence. The Court holds that such an error will in the ordinary case, as here, seriously affect the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings, and thus will warrant relief.
Reversed and Remanded
Dissenting: THOMAS, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which ALITO, J., joined.
Concurring: