United States v. Westine
6th Cir. No. 20-5233
Rights Behind Bars represented John Westine Jr. in an appeal of a district court's denial of his motion for compassionate release. Mr. Westine is a terminally ill patient seeking compassionate release from a federal prison that had at the time of his motion 267 active cases of COVID-19 between patients and staff. He wishes to die with his family at home instead of in the medical unit of a prison during a COVID-19 lockdown. The district court abused its discretion in denying his pro se motion for compassionate release, relying on impermissible sentencing factors, and Rights Behind Bars has explained why the Sixth Circuit should both reverse the district court for denying Mr. Westine compassionate release.
Rights Behind Bars succeeded in getting the district court's order vacated, with the Sixth Circuit remanding the case back to the district court to reconsider whether Mr. Westine is entitled to compassionate release.
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