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United States v. Williams

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

474 F.3d 1130 (2007)

Facts

Amanda Williams (defendant) was charged in a conspiracy to sell methamphetamine in a drug-free zone. She pled guilty and substantially assisted authorities in investigating and prosecuting others. In exchange, the government requested a reduction in her sentence under U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1 and 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e), which allow departure below the guideline range and the statutory minimum for substantial assistance. The court reduced the minimum 120-month sentence to 78 months. Then the court invoked another subsection, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), to reduce the sentence further to 60 months, based on Williams’s young age, medical history, drug use, and limited criminal history. The government appealed, challenging only the second reduction on the ground that the court could not further reduce Williams’s sentence based on factors other than substantial assistance.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Colloton, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
A summary of the majority or plurality opinion, using the CREAC method; and
The procedural disposition (e.g., reversed and remanded, affirmed, etc.).

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