United States v. Ervin L. Jones and Chana D. Jones

Appellants appeal the district court’s orders denying their respective requests for release pending sentencing. 1 The sole issue presented on appeal is whether a district court has the authority to release a defendant pending sentencing or appeal pursuant to the “exceptional reasons” provision of 18. U.S.C. § 3145(c).

Appellants pled guilty to certain drug offenses that carried maximum penalties of forty years. Therefore, appellants were subject to the mandatory detention provisions of the Bail Reform Act. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 3142(f)(1)(C), 3143(a)(2), and (b)(2). Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §…