Tenth Circuit Rejects Sentencing Bump for Off-Duty Officer

This Tenth Circuit case is interesting for two reasons. One, it accepts the government's concession that it's plain error to sentence an assault defendant more harshly simply because he was an off-duty police officer. Sentence vacated. Two, it's kind of the 1997 Julia Roberts movie My Best Friend's Wedding (but an R-Rated version where Rupert Everett almost gets shot).

The case is United States v. Thompson, No. 25-3019 (10th Cir. Apr. 13, 2026).

The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Kansas represented Mr. Thompson.