Freeman v. United States

Holding: When, pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1)(C), a defendant enters into a plea agreement that recommends a particular sentence as a condition of a guilty plea, he may be eligible for a sentence reduction if the U.S. Sentencing Commission later lowers the sentencing range.

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 5-4, in an opinion by Justice Anthony Kennedy on June 23, 2011. Justice Sotomayor filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, which is controlling. She would hold that if a plea agreement pursuant to Rule 11(c)(1)(C) expressly uses a Sentencing Guidelines sentencing range applicable to the charged offense to establish the term of imprisonment, and that range is subsequently lowered by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the term of imprisonment is then ‘based on” the range employed and the defendant is eligible for sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c). Because the petitioner’s plea agreement expressly ties the recommended range to the Guidelines sentencing range, she would allow the petitioner in this case to seek a sentence reduction. The Chief Justice filed a dissenting opinion, which Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Alito joined.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

• This week at the Court in Plain English (Lisa McElroy)
• Argument preview: Are sentences fixed by a plea agreement “based on” a guideline sentencing range? (Adam Schlossman)

Briefs and Documents

Merits briefs

• Brief for Petitioner William Freeman
• Brief for Respondent United States of America
• Reply Brief for Petitioner William Freeman

Certiorari-stage documents

• Opinion below (6th Circuit)
• Petition for certiorari (unavailable)
• Brief in opposition (unavailable)
• Petitioner's reply (unavailable)