{"id":889,"date":"2023-07-28T16:37:58","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T20:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tampacriminallawyer.net\/?p=889"},"modified":"2026-01-08T10:15:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:15:03","slug":"florida-court-examines-sentence-reductions-under-the-first-step-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.criminalattorneytampa.net\/blog\/florida-court-examines-sentence-reductions-under-the-first-step-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Court Examines Sentence Reductions Under the First Step Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, certain people convicted of certain drug offenses were unjustly punished more harshly than those found guilty of similar crimes. In an effort to rectify such inequities, the United States government enacted the First Step Act<\/a>, which among other things, reduces the sentencing disparity between similar drug crimes. The Act applies retroactively, meaning many people convicted of covered drug offenses are eligible to have their sentences reduced. In a recent Florida opinion, the court discussed the Act and what constitutes a qualifying offense for purposes of sentence reduction. If you are charged with a drug crime, it is smart to meet with a Tampa drug crime defense attorney to examine your potential defenses as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

History of the Case<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It is reported that the defendant moved for a sentence reduction under the First Step Act. The court denied his motion, and he appealed. He then filed a motion for reconsideration, which was denied as well. He filed a second appeal; in response, the government moved for summary affirmance.<\/p>\n

Sentence Reductions Under the First Step Act<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The court ultimately granted the government\u2019s motion. It noted that summary disposition is appropriate in cases where one party’s position is clearly correct as a matter of law. The court generally reviews de novo whether the district court had the authority to modify a defendant’s sentence under the First Step Act, but the denial of a motion for reconsideration is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Continue Reading \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For decades, certain people convicted of certain drug offenses were unjustly punished more harshly than those found guilty of similar crimes. In an effort to rectify such inequities, the United States government enacted the First Step Act, which among other things, reduces the sentencing disparity between similar drug crimes. The Act applies retroactively, meaning many […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drug-crimes"],"yoast_head":"\nFL Court Reviews First Step Act Relief<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read how a Florida case explains what judges look at when reviewing First Step Act relief and whether you may qualify.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.criminalattorneytampa.net\/blog\/florida-court-examines-sentence-reductions-under-the-first-step-act\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"FL 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