Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Government May Withdraw Rule 35(b) Motion

US v. Hartwell: Hartwell pleaded guilty to an information charging him with "murder-for-hire resulting in death" (as opposed to murder-for-hire that doesn't result in death?). As part of the plea agreement, he agreed to cooperate with the Government in other cases, while the Government agreed not to seek the death penalty and possibly seek reduction of Hartwell's sentence under Rule 35(b). Hartwell entered his plea, was sentenced to life in prison, and filed no appeal.

A year later, the Government filed a "placeholder" 35(b) motion to toll the running of the statue of limitations for sentence reductions. The Government and Hartwell agreed to have the district court delay acting on the motion until cooperation was complete. Hartwell agreed that if he failed to live up to his responsibilities under the plea agreement, the Government could withdraw its motion. A year and a half later, at the urging of the district court, the Government filed a memorandum outlining Hartwell's troubled assistance to date (he admittedly perjured himself) and hopes for further cooperation. The Government recommended a sentence reduction to 38 years in prison. A few months later, Hartwell filed a motion with an attached affidavit in which he claimed that the Government has agreed, at the time of his plea, to a reduction to an 18-year sentence. The Government responded by saying that such a promise was never made and sought to withdraw the 35(b) motion. The district court granted the Government's motion to withdraw.

Hartwell appealed. After concluding that it did have jurisdiction to review the case, the Fourth Circuit rejected Hartwell's argument. First, it rejected the argument that the district court had no subject-matter jurisdiction over his case because he was charged in an information, rather than indictment, for a capital crime. Second, the court rejected Hartwell's argument that once the Government filed its Rule 35(b) motion it could not withdraw it. Finally, the court rejected Hartwell's argument that the district court should have held an evidentiary hearing prior to dismissing the Rule 35(b) motion. Judge Williams concurred, but argued that Hartwell waived the information argument by not making it at the time of his plea.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Alternate Sentence Cures Sixth Amendment Violation (Again)

US v. Shatley: Shatley pleaded guilty to vote buying and conspiracy to buy votes in connection with a North Carolina sheriff's race. At his pre-Booker sentencing, his offense level was enhanced after the district court concluded that he was a leader in the vote buying scheme and that he obstructed justice. As a result, his Guideline range jumped from 10 to 16 months to 27 to 33 months. The district court imposed a sentence of 33 months. Following the Fourth's recommendation in Hammoud, the district court imposed an alternate sentence of 33 months as well.

Shatley appealed, arguing that this sentence violated the merits portion of Booker and could not be salvaged by the imposition of an alternate sentence. This was a direct application of the court's decision in Revels from two weeks ago (why it merited a published opinion is beyond me). While the Guideline sentence imposed by the district court violated Booker, the 33-month alternate sentence did not, as the district court had "presciently followed" the procedure for post-Booker sentencing set forth in Hughes to arrive at the alternate sentence. As the court concluded:
it is not the length of the sentence that offends the Sixth Amendment, but rather the process used to determine its length. If the jury had found the facts used to justify the 33-month sentence, Shatley surely would have no complaint [surely not! - JDB]. Similarly, if the sentence range was determined pursuant to facts found by the district court but the Sentencing Guidelines were taken only as advisory, Shatley could have no complaint as long as the sentence was entered under 3553(a).
And so it goes.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Convictions Sustained When 17 Years Old Are "Adult" Convictions for Career Offender Determination

US v. Allen: Allen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack and was sentenced as a career offender. Allen objected to the career offender determination, arguing that he did not have the requisite number of prior felonies. Specifically, he argued that three convictions for distribution of cocaine sustained in 1995 in North Carolina when he was 17 were not "adult convictions" and the three consecutive six-to-eight month sentences imposed for those offenses could not be aggregated into a single felony conviction for career offender purposes. On appeal, Allen also argued that his sentence violated Booker.

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Allen's sentence. The court held that Allen's 1995 convictions were supported a career offender determination, for two reasons. First, those convictions were "adult" convictions. Because they were entered in the Superior Court of North Carolina rather than the District Court and only District Courts have jurisdiction over juvenile proceedings, Allen must have been treated as an adult for purposes of his 1995 convictions.

Second, the 1995 convictions were felonies as defined by USSG 4B1.2. Allen argued that the 1995 convictions, sustained when he was 17, could only be considered based on the sentences actually imposed (6-8 months) rather than potential sentence (30 months) under Application Note 7 of USSG 4A1.2 ("for offenses committed prior to age eighteen, only those that resulted in adult sentence of imprisonment exceeding one year and one month are counted"). The court rejected that argument, distinguishing US v. Bacon, 94 F.3d 158 (4th Cir. 1996), and US v. Mason, 284 F.3d 555 (4th Cir. 2002), which held that it was proper to look to the definitions in 4A1.2 when determining career offender status. The court held that there was no need to resort to 4A1.2 in this case because 4B1.2 was clear that qualification for career offender status is based on the maximum sentence that could have been imposed for the offense, rather than the sentence actually imposed. Thus, there was no reason to consult 4A1.2.

The court also rejected Allen's Booker argument, holding that his sentence was not plainly erroneous. The court did conclude that it was error and the error was plain for the district court to consider the proffer of the Government as to what a probation officer would testify to regarding the prior convictions. Specifically, the probation officer spoke with officials in North Carolina who confirmed that Allen's 1995 convictions were treated as adult proceedings. Reliance on such information, the court held, violated Shepard v. US, 544 U.S. 13 (2005), and US v. Washington, 404 F.3d 834 (4th Cir. 2005). However, because the plea documents themselves showed that the 1995 convictions were in adult proceedings, the err did not affect Allen's substantial rights. The court also concluded that Allen did not show that the district court would have imposed a different sentence under a post-Booker advisory Guideline scheme to support remand for resentencing under White.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Alternate Sentence Saves Pre-Booker Enhancement; Defendant Silence OK Basis for Post-Booker Guidelines Enhancement

US v. Revels: Revels robbed a convenience store of $800 at gunpoint. After he turned himself in, he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His pre-Booker Guideline calculations included a four-level increase under USSG 2K2.1(a)(2) for possessing the gun in connection with another felony offense (the robbery). Revels objected to the enhancement on Blakely grounds, which the district court overruled. The district court then sentenced Revels to 120 months in prison - the top of the Guidelines and the statutory maximum for the offense. Nonetheless, in accordance with Hammoud, the district court also announced that it would impose an alternate sentence of 120 month in prison treating the Guidelines as mandatory. Revels appealed.

The court affirmed the sentence, although it found that a Booker Sixth Amendment violation had taken place. Specifically, the court applied the recent Milam decision, holding that Revel's Blakely objection and his failure to object to the facts supporting the enhancement could not be used in a pre-Booker mandatory Guidelines scheme to increase his sentence. The maximum sentence which Revels could have received in that system was only 115 months. Nonetheless, the court found the error harmless because of the 120-month alternative sentence set forth by the district court. Judge Luttig concurred, arguing that Milam did not apply because Revels was specifically asked whether he had any objections to the presentence report and answered "no" and thus had not stood silent.

While relying on Milam to conclude that Sixth Amendment error had taken place, the court also took a step to limit the application of Milam in a post-Booker advisory Guidelines scheme. In fn2, the court states:

Nothing in our decision today disables district courts from using undisputed (though not affirmatively admitted) facts in calculating an advisory Guidelines range. Whereas silence may not render a fact admitted for Booker purposes, it will suffice to render a fact undisputed. . . . In other words, nothing about this decision or Milam affects in any way the district court's calculation of an advisory Guidelines range after the Booker decision.

(citations omitted).