May 23, 2007 - Certiorari Petition Mentioned in BNA Criminal Law Reporter

May 23, 2007 -The BNA Criminal Law Reporter highlighted Mr. Kent's certiorari petition for his client Joseph Stratton.   The petition raises the following questions:

(1) Did application of United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 76 CrL 251 (2005), remedy result in de facto Sixth Amendment violation? (2) Under reasoning of Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 67 CrL 459 (2000), Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 71 CrL 373 (2002), Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 75 CrL 284 (2004), and Booker, must any fact essential to imposition of sentence be established by proof beyond reasonable doubt? (3) Did use of 100:1 crack to powder cocaine ratio in determining guideline range on facts of defendant's case result in unreasonable sentence and did district court err in concluding that under Booker it was not free to disregard guideline-mandated disparity? [June 11, 2007 the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Kimbrough v. United States, which raises the crack v. powder cocaine disparity issue.] The Supreme Court later granted certiorari on this petition and remanded the case for further consideration in light of Kimbrough.