News & Events

On December 20, 2024, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee granted an opposed motion for a sentence reduction for a 50-year-old Black man suffering from very serious heart conditions. He had been incarcerated since 2011 serving a 262-month sentence for nonviolent marijuana offenses. The court found it “worrying” that our client had “received only infrequent, disjointed treatment despite his well-documented, symptomatic, and potentially fatal heart condition.” Moreover, the court found that what little treatment our client did receive was “inadequate at best and dangerous at worst.” The court held that our client had demonstrated an extraordinary and compelling reason for a sentence reduction.

The court found that our client would “not pose a threat to the public if released,” as both of his prior offenses “were non-violent and both occurred more than 20 years ago.” The court emphasized that our client’s post-sentence conduct had been “extremely positive,” with an extensive record of educational and vocational programming and work assignments and just one disciplinary sanction from over a decade ago. In addition, the court pointed to our client’s strong relationships with family and friends who “intend to support him upon release.”

The court ordered our client’s immediate release. Our client is now home and enjoying the company of his children, his grandchildren, and his devoted girlfriend of many years. He plans to get much-needed care for his heart condition.

The Simpson Thacher team included Joshua A. Levine and Nihara K. Choudhri.