The court granted an individual's request for compassionate release under the First Step Act on the basis of his pre-existing health conditions (severe obesity and hypertension) and conditions at the jail where he is being held. The government did not contest his request and at the time he was being held at a county jail waiting for transfer into a federal facility to complete his one-year prison term. The court noted the individual's risk for contracting COVID-19, due not only to his underlying health issues but also due to the fact that "there can be no dispute that COVID-19 is a present threat at the Santa Rita Jail." Thus, he was released into home confinement.
United States v. Madrigal, No. 5:18-CR-00356-EJD-3, 2020 WL 3188268 (N.D. Cal. June 15, 2020)
DETAILS
Decision
Date
6/15/2020
Practice Area
Criminal (Federal Charges)
Relief Requested
Release
Type of Court
Federal District Court
Location
California
Type of Case
Individual
Case Characteristics
Post-Conviction Detention [jail or prison], Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Release Granted
Yes
Compassionate Release Case
Yes
Compassionate Release Specific Characteristics
Only served a small portion of their sentence (less than 33%)
Immediate release into home confinement for one year followed by three years of supervised release; must quarantine for 14 days once he is released into home confinement
Convictions
Sale of a firearm and ammunition to a felon
Case Status
Decision Made
Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Hypertension (high blood pressure), Obesity
Pre-Existing Health Conditions Notes
Obesity (BMI not listed)
COVID-19 Positive or Symptomatic
No
COVID-19 in Jail Prison or Detention Center
Yes
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.