UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. GEORGE WESLEY SHORT - Articles

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. GEORGE WESLEY SHORT

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 14, 2025

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Conrad Benjamin Kahn, FEDERAL DEFENDER SERVICES OF EASTERN TENNESSEE, INC., Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellant.

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Luke A. McLaurin, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellee.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Conrad Benjamin Kahn, FEDERAL DEFENDER SERVICES OF EASTERN TENNESSEE, INC., Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellant.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Luke A. McLaurin, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellee.

Judge(s): THAPAR, NALBANDIAN, and RITZ, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville

THAPAR, Circuit Judge. When police officers saw George Short driving twenty-five miles per hour over the speed limit and without a car hood, they tried to initiate a traffic stop. But Short refused to obey their orders and led the officers on a high-speed chase. When the officers caught and arrested Short, they found a rifle in his car. Short wasn’t allowed to have the rifle since he had several prior felonies, so he pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Given Short’s prior violent felonies, he was sentenced as an armed career criminal. But Short argues that the factual basis in support of his plea agreement was insufficient. It wasn’t, so we affirm.

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