The court denied Mr. Adams's request for a hearing reviewing his detention order, holding that the order that he be detained until sentencing should remain intact. Mr. Adams had pled guilty to armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during the crime and faced a sentence of up to 32 years. He was not eligible for release under § 3143 "given the defendant’s guilty plea and the mandatory sentence[,]" but requested release under § 3145(c), which allowed for “exceptional reasons for release.” The court denied his request for a hearing because he did not have a sufficient reason for why "detention would not be appropriate[,]" as he had not shown why he was especially at risk from COVID-19 and had "failed to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he will not flee or be a danger." The court also noted the difficulties that the probation office would face in monitoring, stating that "[i]n light of the advice to practice social distancing, the probation office is simply unable to employ devices that require close personal interaction."
United States v. Adams, No. CR DKC 19-257-003, 2020 WL 1457916 (D. Md. Mar. 25, 2020)
DETAILS
Decision
Date
3/25/2020
Practice Area
Criminal (Federal Charges)
Relief Requested
Release
Type of Court
Federal District Court
Location
Maryland
Type of Case
Individual
Case Characteristics
Post-Conviction Detention [jail or prison], Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Release Granted
No
Compassionate Release Case
No
Case Tracking Number
1:19-cr-00257-DKC
MORE CASE INFORMATION
Court Name
D. Md.
Decision
Motion Denied
Legal Authority
Bail Reform Act, Bail Pending Sentence or Appeal, 18 U.S.C. § 3143, First Step Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A), Other, 18 U.S.C. § 3145(c) (“Exceptional Reasons for Release”)
Convictions
Armed bank robbery; Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence
Case Status
Decision Made
Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Other, Sealed
COVID-19 Positive or Symptomatic
Not discussed
COVID-19 in Jail Prison or Detention Center
Not Discussed
Litigation Database
Crowdsourced legal documents from around the country related to COVID-19 and incarceration, organized, collected, and summarized for public defenders, litigators, and other advocates. Created and managed by Bronx Defenders, Columbia Law School’s Center for Institutional and Social Change, UCLA Law COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project, and Zealous. Mostly federal court opinions, but now expanding to states and legal filings, declarations, and exhibits.
This resource is designed to help lawyers, advocates, researchers, journalists, and others interested in challenging, remedying, or drawing attention to the grave risk that Covid-19 poses to individuals who are detained.