Case Explained: USA V. GRAY

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-10 Docket: 2:09-cr-00170-JCC-1 The ninth-circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of a second petition for a writ of coram nobis seeking to vacate a 2010 conviction for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The court held that relief is unavailable because the petitioner failed to show valid reasons for not attacking the conviction earlier, particularly since his prior petition sought relief only for a separate firearm charge under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and the court prohibits piecemeal litigation. Additionally, the vacatur of the firearm conviction did not constitute an error of the most fundamental character sufficient to satisfy the coram nobis standard, as the factual basis for the marijuana count was separate from the firearm count. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.