Case Explained: United States of America v. Marcus Lathez Nails

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-11 The eighth-circuit dismissed the defendant’s appeal because enforcing his plea agreement’s waiver of appellate rights did not result in a miscarriage of justice. The court applied the standard that an appeal waiver is enforceable unless its enforcement would constitute a miscarriage of justice, reviewing the validity and applicability of the waiver de novo. Although the defendant argued that the district court misinterpreted the plea agreement as imposing a mandatory 144-month minimum sentence when the agreement only prohibited him from arguing for a sentence below 12 years, the appellate court found no such misinterpretation. The court held that the district judge’s statement regarding the 144-month floor reflected an assessment of the appropriate sentence based on the statutory factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and the defendant’s sentencing history, rather than a belief that the court lacked discretion to impose a lower sentence. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed as barred by the valid waiver. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.