United States v. Zachary Mayes

This ease involves only a few ounces of crack cocaine. Congress drastically cut sentences in such cases in the Fair Sentencing Act finding that the old sentences were irrational and racially discriminatory.

The majority seems to recognize that the defendant Mayes was sentenced after the Fair Sentencing Act went into effect, not before, but they give no effect to this crucial fact. Post-Act sentencing should mean that under Dorsey v. United States, — U.S. -, 132 S.Ct. 2321, 183 L.Ed.2d 250 (2012), Mayes should be given the benefit of the new, reduced crack penalties reduced from the penalties…