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United States v. Pittman

Citation: 320 F. App'x 193Docket: No. 08-8498

Court: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; April 9, 2009; Federal Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

Shontayne Dwayne Pittman appealed the district court’s decisions to deny his motion for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) based on Amendments 505 and 706 of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, as well as his motion for reconsideration. The appellate court reviewed the record and found no reversible error, affirming the district court's rulings for the reasons it provided. The court highlighted that Amendment 505 had already been considered in Pittman's original sentencing guideline calculation in 1997, rendering his claim for its benefit moot. Oral argument was deemed unnecessary as the facts and legal issues were adequately presented in the submitted materials. The decision was affirmed.

Legal Issues Addressed

Consideration of Sentencing Amendments

Application: The court determined that Pittman's claim for sentence reduction based on Amendment 505 was moot since it had already been incorporated in his original sentencing calculation.

Reasoning: The court highlighted that Amendment 505 had already been considered in Pittman's original sentencing guideline calculation in 1997, rendering his claim for its benefit moot.

Necessity of Oral Argument

Application: The court concluded that oral argument was unnecessary because the relevant facts and legal issues were sufficiently addressed in the submitted materials.

Reasoning: Oral argument was deemed unnecessary as the facts and legal issues were adequately presented in the submitted materials.

Sentence Reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)

Application: The appellate court upheld the district court's decision to deny Pittman's motion for a sentence reduction, noting that there was no reversible error in the district court's ruling.

Reasoning: The appellate court reviewed the record and found no reversible error, affirming the district court's rulings for the reasons it provided.