United States v. Gatson

Officers learned that a school-bus driver had reported that a man was approaching young girls. The man was described as black, with medium-toned skin and short hair, driving a black GMC SUV on Euclid Avenue between Rally’s restaurant and Eastham Avenue. Officers arrived within a minute, drove into an area parking lot, and saw a dark grey GMC SUV with Gatson, a black male with short hair and medium-brown skin in the driver’s seat. The officers noticed that Gatson’s speech was slurred and his movements sluggish. He admitted that he had been drinking and talking to young girls. Officers asked for identification, then saw Gatson push something between his seat and center console. With Gatson locked in the police cruiser, they walked around the SUV and saw a pistol handle protruding from between the seat and console. Indicted as a misdemeanant with a domestic-violence conviction and a felon (arson) in possession of a firearm, Gatson moved to suppress evidence of the pistol. The district court denied the motion and determined that Gatson was subject to a 15-year mandatory minimum under the ACCA. Gatson’s Guidelines range was, therefore, 180 to 210 months. Following his guilty plea, the court sentenced Gatson to 180 months’ imprisonment. The Sixth Circuit affirmed denial of the motion to suppress and the sentence View "United States v. Gatson" on Justia Law