United States v. Freeman, No. 19-4104 (4th Cir. 2022)
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On rehearing en banc, the court vacated defendant's sentence for possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone and oxycodone. Instead of pursuing defendant's objections, counsel relied entirely on a motion to enter a drug court diversion program (the BRIDGE program) that could have permitted defendant, if admitted, to enter treatment instead of going to prison.
The court concluded that defendant clearly received ineffective assistance of counsel where counsel was unequivocally wrong on the law when he waived her meritorious objections to the PSR on the ground that none of those objections reduce the number that is relevant to this court. Rather, if successful, defendant's objections would have reduced the low end of her Sentencing Guidelines range by almost ten years. Because counsel's deficient performance prejudiced plaintiff, the court remanded for resentencing.
This opinion or order relates to an opinion or order originally issued on March 30, 2021.
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