United States v. Cassity Jones — 4th Cir. (Oct 29, 2026)

No. 25-4084 Argued October 29, 2026 Published October 30, 2026

We hear United States versus Cassity Jones in the Fourth Circuit. The case grew out of methamphetamine trafficking and a car chase. Jones initially received one hundred months in prison, below the ten-year minimum, under the safety valve: an exception that lets eligible drug defendants be sentenced without that minimum. The Supreme Court later sent her case back in light of its decision in Pulsifer. She now appeals her resentencing. The question is whether a criminal-history point added for committing a new crime while under another criminal-justice sentence can disqualify her from the safety valve. The statute excludes points resulting from one-point offenses; the dispute is whether that exclusion reaches this status point. The lawyers also debate which version of the sentencing guidelines applies at resentencing.

United States v. Cassity Jones (No. 25-4084) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, argued October 29, 2026.

Sources

Argument audio — Fourth Circuit:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/OAarchive/mp3/25-4084-20261029.mp3

Argument date and question — official court calendar:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/cal/internetcalOct272026.pdf

Earlier sentencing and appeal — prior Fourth Circuit opinion (later vacated):https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/214605.P.pdf

Case background — United States certiorari petition:https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-06/jones_071323.3.pdf

Earlier Supreme Court remand — docket 23-46:https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/23-46.html

Safety-valve statute — 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f):https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3553

Criminal-history guideline — USSC Chapter Four:https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/guidelines-manual/2025/CHAPTER_4.pdf

0:00Introduction