1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Fibbing to Get a Lawyer: Circuits Split on Punishment Updated November 27, 2017 The lower federal appellate courts do not agree on whether a defendants sentence may be increased because he lied in order to beco
2、me eligible for a court-appointed attorney. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Fifth Circuit) in United States v. Iverson recently joined the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits when it upheld a sentencing enhancement recommended in the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The Second Circuit h
3、as taken a different view. Iverson was charged with failure to register as a sex offender. In the financial statement that he filed with the Pretrial Services office, Iverson estimated the value of his motorcycle and other vehicles at $5,500. After his conviction, Iverson told the probation officer
4、that he had estimated the value of his vehicles with an eye to qualifying for appointed counsel. The probation officers presentence report valued the vehicles at $18,500 and noted that Iverson “admitted to intentionally lying to U.S. Pretrial Services regarding the value of his assets with intention