The court granted Tony Collins’ motion seeking compassionate release under the First Step Act of 2018. Weighing against Collins' application was that he was sentenced as a career offender (due to convictions for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine and 5 kilograms or more of powder cocaine within 1000 feet of a public housing facility, 1999 robbery conviction, two drug convictions in 2003 and 2004). Nevertheless, since Collins had served most of his sentence (10 years out of 160 months) and had shown rehabilitative progress while in the BOP (successfully completed significant drug programs, maintained employment while incarcerated, limited number of infractions, reentry plan), the court found that the factors overall favored release. Lastly, the court also considered the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in granting release, although Collins did not have preexisting health conditions and was therefore not especially susceptible to the effects of the virus.
United States v. Collins, No. CR CCB-10-336, 2020 WL 1506176 (D. Md. Mar. 30, 2020)
DETAILS
Decision
Date
3/30/2020
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], Pretrial Detention [jail]
Release Granted
Yes
Compassionate Release Case
Yes
Compassionate Release Specific Characteristics
Has a significant criminal history, Was sentenced as a Career Offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines
Home confinement; supervision by the Probation Office for a substantial period of time
Convictions
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute both 50 grams or more of crack cocaine and 5 kilograms or more of powder cocaine within 1000 feet of a public housing facility; robbery conviction in 1999; two drug convictions in 2003 and 2004
Case Status
Decision Made
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.
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