A man serving a 71-month prison sentence for a gun offense lost his Seventh Circuit appeal challenging the denial of a motion to reduce his sentence, but the justices could not agree on the question of whether he was entitled to the assistance of a court-appointed lawyer.

While the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit unanimously upheld the district court’s rejection of Clarence Bonds’ request for early release, the justices failed to reach consensus on a second issue : Does the Criminal Justice Act authorize the appointment of counsel to represent defendants appealing a decision on a motion for early release under 18 US.C § 3582(c) .

THE …