United States v. Patillo

817 F. Supp. 839 (1993)

From our private database of 46,500+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

United States v. Patillo

United States District Court for the Central District of California
817 F. Supp. 839 (1993)

  • Written by Arlyn Katen, JD

Facts

In 1992, Johnny Patillo (defendant) pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute about 681 grams of crack cocaine (or cocaine base). Patillo claimed that a neighbor offered him $500 to mail a package. Patillo admitted that he knew the package contained illegal drugs but maintained that he did not know the type or amount of drugs. Patillo suffered extraordinary financial pressures at the time he mailed the package due to debts from student loans, credit cards, phone bills, and unpaid rent. At the time Patillo was sentenced, Patillo was a 27-year-old Black man who had a college degree, a steady job until he was incarcerated, and no criminal record. Based solely on the type and quantity of drugs that Patillo possessed, the United States Sentencing Guidelines (the guidelines) suggested a standard-sentencing range from 12 years and seven months to 15 years, and a federal statute, 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A), imposed a 10-year mandatory-minimum sentence. The district court postponed Patillo’s sentencing hearing several times, seeking any reasoned basis for finding that the court was not required to impose the 10-year mandatory-minimum sentence.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Letts, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 832,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,500 briefs - keyed to 994 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership