United States v. James McCandless

OPINION

James McCandless is a federal prisoner who seeks bail pending a decision by the district court on his petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. He is serving a 145-month sentence for a drug-related conspiracy conviction, with a projected release date of August 8, 2020. He contends that he should be released on bail because if he prevails on his habeas petition, he will likely receive a reduced sentence of only 71 months, a period of confinement he has already served.

McCandless’ habeas petition relies on the Supreme Court’s decision in Johnson v. United States, —…