UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JULIANNA JENKINS HAWKINS (24-6002); JIMMY CRAFTON, JR. (25-5063) - Articles

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. JULIANNA JENKINS HAWKINS (24-6002); JIMMY CRAFTON, JR. (25-5063)

Posted by: Tanja Trezise on Jan 20, 2026

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ON BRIEF: Erin P. Rust, FEDERAL DEFENDER SERVICES OF EASTERN TENNESSEE, INC., Chattanooga, Tennessee, for Appellant Hawkins.

Attorneys 2: ON BRIEF: Brandon Douglas Raulston, Chattanooga, Tennessee, for Appellant Crafton.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Luke A. McLaurin, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellee.

Judge(s): GIBBONS, STRANCH, and DAVIS, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Winchester

JULIA SMITH GIBBONS, Circuit Judge. In this consolidated criminal appeal, Julianna Hawkins and Jimmy Crafton, Jr., challenge the sentences imposed upon them by the district court. Hawkins and Crafton both pled guilty to charges regarding their involvement in a conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The defendants now ask us to find that their sentences are unreasonable under our circuit’s precedent.

For the reasons discussed below, we affirm Crafton’s sentence as reasonable but reverse the district court’s order sentencing Hawkins and remand her case for resentencing.

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