Originally published April 30, 2021. Statements about the law were updated in October 2026; the box below gives today’s rules.
Outcomes vary. A past result does not predict or guarantee the outcome of any other case.
In April 2021, a federal judge in Southern California granted Raul Jose Perez’s request for a sentence reduction. Perez, 68, has end-stage kidney disease, and the court let him serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement.
United States v. Perez
United States District Court for the Southern District of California
2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80569
Release to home confinement granted due to terminal illness
Background of the case
On October 10, 2008, Raul Jose Perez was charged with three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, plus possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Because of his prior convictions, his guideline sentencing range was 120 to 135 months. In April 2010, the court sentenced him to 120 months, the mandatory minimum. As the law required, it added 60 months for the firearm charge, for a total of 180 months.
Why the judge said yes
Perez asked for a sentence reduction based on his health. He is 68 and has many medical conditions. The most serious is end-stage renal (kidney) disease, which requires dialysis three times a week.
The court recognized his illness as a “deteriorating medical condition.” Based on his medical history, it noted that Perez may have a “steeper than average end-of-life trajectory.”
Given his age and physical condition, the court also found that Perez is a “low security risk.” It noted the support he will have from his wife and son outside prison.
Because his terminal illness is so serious, the court granted his request and allowed him to serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement.
Read the court’s order granting compassionate release
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