Case Explained: United States of America v. Chelsea Monique Taken Alive

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-11 The eighth-circuit dismissed the defendant’s appeal enforcing her plea agreement’s appeal waiver. The court applied the standard that an appeal waiver must be enforced if the defendant knowingly and voluntarily agreed to it, the issue falls within the scope of the waiver, and enforcement would not result in a miscarriage of justice. While a miscarriage of justice exception exists for illegal sentences not authorized by law, the court held that a miscalculation of the Sentencing Guidelines range constitutes a procedural error that does not qualify as an illegal sentence under this exception. Because the defendant’s challenge concerned the application of USSG § 2D1.1(b)(13)(A) and the resulting sentence was below both the statutory maximum and the calculated Guidelines range, the error fell within the scope of the waiver. Consequently, the appeal is dismissed without reaching the merits of the sentencing enhancement argument. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.