Federal Defenders of New York Second Circuit Blog

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Second Circuit Grants Habeas Relief in State Murder Case Based on Right to Present a Complete Defense

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In Scrimo v. Lee, No. 17-3434 (2d Cir. Aug. 20, 2019), the Second Circuit ordered the grant of a writ of habeas corpus, undoing the defendant’s 2002 second-degree murder conviction. Defendant Paul Scrimo was convicted of second-degree murder following trial in New York state court and sentenced to 25 years to life. Briefly, the defendant … Read more

Steal This Footnote

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United States v. Johnson, No. 05-3811-cr (2d Cir. October 10, 2007) (Meskill, Cabranes, Wesley, CJJ) This is pretty much a case about nothing. The only real nugget is in footnote 4. Johnson appealed his 120-month gun sentence – the statutory maximum – on several grounds. As is often true, his case had begun in state … Read more