Munson Hunter III
Coverage of Munson Hunter III in the Nexus archive.
- Gorsuch's recent opinions stress need to preserve civil liberties
The Supreme Court ruled that appeal waivers in plea bargains are unenforceable if they cause a miscarriage of justice and determined that geofence warrants analyzing cellphone location data qualify as a Fourth Amendment 'search'. Justice Neil Gorsuch agreed with both outcomes but emphasized broader concerns about coercive plea bargaining and problematic Fourth Amendment precedents.
- Hunter v. United States – the most important criminal case of the term
In Hunter v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that appeal waivers in federal criminal plea bargains are unenforceable if they result in a 'miscarriage of justice.' The case involved Munson Hunter III, who waived his right to appeal but argued that a court-ordered medication condition during supervised release violated his constitutional rights.
- Justices open escape hatch for far-out criminal sentences under appellate waivers
The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that appellate waivers in criminal cases are unenforceable if they result in a miscarriage of justice, such as when sentences involve unconstitutional factors or lack civilized procedure. The decision allows courts to override waivers in extreme cases, as seen in Munson Hunter III's case, where a judge mandated forced medication for mental health disorders as a supervised release condition.