United States v. Wilson ( 2016 )

FILED
United States Court of Appeals
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Tenth Circuit
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT January 27, 2016
_________________________________
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
v. No. 15-6187
(D.C. No. 5:11-CR-00154-M-10)
SHAWN PAUL WILSON, (W.D. Okla.)
Defendant - Appellant.
_________________________________
ORDER AND JUDGMENT*
_________________________________
Before MATHESON, MURPHY, and PHILLIPS, Circuit Judges.
_________________________________
Shawn Paul Wilson appeals from the denial of his motion to reduce his sentence
under Amendment 782 of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines (“U.S.S.G.”) and 18 U.S.C.
§ 3582(c). Exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we affirm.
*
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination of this
appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is therefore ordered
submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is not binding precedent,
except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may
be cited, however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and
10th Cir. R. 32.1.
I. BACKGROUND
A. Conviction and Original Sentence
On August 9, 2011, Mr. Wilson pled guilty to conspiring to distribute
methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 from approximately September 2010
to April 2011. At his sentencing hearing on April 5, 2012, the district court determined
Mr. Wilson’s sentencing guideline range was 120-50 months of imprisonment based on
the 2011 U.S.S.G., which was effective at the time of sentencing.1 The court imposed a
downward-variant sentence of 60 months in prison.
B. Amendment 782 and the Denial of Mr. Wilson’s Motion to Reduce His Sentence
The Sentencing Commission subsequently promulgated Amendment 782,
effective November 1, 2014, which provides a retroactive two-offense-level reduction for
certain drug offenses. Mr. Wilson moved for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C.
§ 3582(c), contending application of Amendment 782 would reduce his guideline range
from 120-50 (“original range”) to 100-25 months (“amended range”).
Under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) (“Modification of an Imposed Term of
Imprisonment”), a court must follow the instructions in U.S.S.G § 1B1.10 to determine a
“prisoner’s eligibility for a sentence modification and the extent of the reduction
authorized.” Dillon v. United States, 560 U.S. 817, 827 (2010). At issue in district court
was which § 1B.10 should apply: the 2010 version, which was in effect when Mr.
1
See U.S.S.G. § 1B1.11(a) (“The court shall use the Guidelines Manual in effect
on the date that the defendant is sentenced.”)
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Wilson committed the offense, or the 2014 version, which was in effect when Mr. Wilson
moved for a reduced sentence.
The United States contended the 2014 version should apply because the
Guidelines Manual instructs that “the court shall use the version of this policy statement
that is in effect on the date on which the court reduces the defendant’s term of
imprisonment as provided by 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2).” § 1B.10 cmt. n.1 (2014). It
argued Mr. Wilson was ineligible for a sentence reduction under the 2014 version
because (1) his original sentence of 60 months was less than his amended range of 100-
25 months, see § 1B1.10(b)(2)(A) (2014), and (2) the original variance was not based on
substantial assistance to the United States, see § 1B1.10(b)(2)(B) (2014).
Mr. Wilson contended the 2010 version should apply instead. He argued that,
under this version, he was eligible for a reduction below the amended range comparable
to the reduction he received below his original range. See § 1B1.10(b)(2)(B) (2010).
Because the 2014 version eliminated the possibility of such a comparable reduction, Mr.
Wilson argued application of the 2014 version would violate the Ex Post Facto Clause of
the Constitution, art. I, § 9, cl. 3.
The district court denied Mr. Wilson’s motion. The court applied the 2014 version
of § 1B.10 and determined his new total offense level under Amendment 782 was 25.
Applying his original criminal history category of V to his new total offense level, it
calculated a revised guideline range of 100 to 125 months. The court concluded Mr.
Wilson was ineligible for a sentence reduction under the 2014 version of § 1B.10 because
(1) his original sentence of 60 months was less than the 100-month minimum of the
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revised guideline range, see § 1B1.10(b)(2)(A) (2014), and (2) the original variance was
not based on substantial assistance to the United States, see § 1B1.10(b)(2)(B) (2014).
The district court rejected Mr. Wilson’s argument that application of the 2014
version of § 1B.10 violated the Ex Post Facto Clause, quoting United States v. Diggs,
768 F.3d 643 (7th Cir. 2014): “[b]y nature, a § 3582(c)(2) proceeding to reduce a
sentence does not have any bearing on the ex post facto clause, because it cannot increase
a punishment.” 768 F.3d at 645.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Standard of Review and Legal Background
“We review de novo the district court’s interpretation of a statute or the sentencing
guidelines.” United States v. Sharkey, 543 F.3d 1236, 1238 (10th Cir. 2008) (quotations
omitted).
Under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2),
in the case of a defendant who has been sentenced to a term of
imprisonment based on a sentencing range that has subsequently been
lowered by the Sentencing Commission pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 994(o), upon
motion of the defendant or the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, or on its
own motion, the court may reduce the term of imprisonment, after
considering the factors set forth in section 3553(a) to the extent that they
are applicable, if such a reduction is consistent with applicable policy
statements issued by the Sentencing Commission.
The applicable policy statement issued by the Sentencing Commission is U.S.S.G.
§ 1B1.10, entitled “Reduction in Term of Imprisonment as a Result of Amended
Guideline Range (Policy Statement).”
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Section 3582 “establishes a two-step inquiry.” Dillon, 560 U.S. at 826. “At step
one, § 3582(c)(2) requires the court to follow the Commission’s instructions in § 1B1.10
to determine the prisoner’s eligibility for a sentence modification and the extent of the
reduction authorized.” Id. at 827. “At step two of the inquiry, § 3582(c)(2) instructs a
court to consider any applicable § 3553(a) factors and determine whether, in its
discretion, the reduction authorized by reference to the policies relevant at step one is
warranted in whole or in part under the particular circumstances of the case.” Id.
On appeal, Mr. Wilson argues that the district court violated the Ex Post Facto
Clause because it applied the 2014 rather than the 2010 version of § 1B1.10(b)(2) at step
one.
1. 2010 Version of § 1B1.10
The 2010 version provides:
(a) Authority.
(1) In general. In a case in which a defendant is serving a term of
imprisonment, and the guideline range applicable to that defendant
has subsequently been lowered as a result of an amendment to the
Guidelines Manual listed in subsection (c) below, the court may
reduce the defendant’s term of imprisonment as provided by 18
U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). As required by 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), any
such reduction in the defendant’s term of imprisonment shall be
consistent with this policy statement.
(2) Exclusions. A reduction in the defendant’s term of imprisonment
is not consistent with this policy statement and therefore is not
authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) if—
(A) None of the amendments listed in subsection (c) is
applicable to the defendant; or
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(B) An amendment listed in subsection (c) does not have the
effect of lowering the defendant’s applicable guideline
range
...
(b) Determination of reduction in term of imprisonment.
....
(2) Limitations and prohibition on extent of reduction.
(A) In general. Except as provided in subdivision (B), the
court shall not reduce the defendant’s term of imprisonment
under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) and this policy statement to a
term that is less than the minimum of the amended guideline
range determined under subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(B) Exception. If the original term of imprisonment imposed
was less than the term of imprisonment provided by the
guideline range applicable to the defendant at the time of
sentencing, a reduction comparably less than the amended
guideline range determined under subdivision (1) of this
subsection may be appropriate. However, if the original term
of imprisonment constituted a non-guideline sentence
determined pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) and United States
v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005), a further reduction generally
would not be appropriate.
.....
(c) Covered amendments. Amendments covered by this policy statement
are listed in Appendix C as follows: 126, 130, 156, 176, 269, 329, 341, 371,
379, 380, 433, 454, 461, 484, 488, 490, 499, 505, 506, 516, 591, 599, 606,
657, 702, 706 as amended by 711, and 715.
§ 1B1.10 (2010) (emphasis added).
2. 2014 Version of § 1B1.10(b)(2)(B)
In 2011, § 1B1.10(b)(2) was amended to the following, which remained in the
2014 version:
(B) Exception for Substantial Assistance. If the term of imprisonment
imposed was less than the term of imprisonment provided by the guideline
range applicable to the defendant at the time of sentencing pursuant to a
government motion to reflect the defendant’s substantial assistance to
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authorities, a reduction comparably less than the amended guideline range
determined under subdivision (1) of this subsection may be appropriate.
§ 1B1.10(b)(2)(B) (2014) (emphasis added). In short, the 2010 version generally
permitted “a reduction comparably less than the amended guideline range.”
§ 1B1.10(b)(2)(B) (2010). The 2014 version allowed such a reduction only if it was
based on substantial assistance to the Government.
3. Amendment 782 and the 2014 Version of § 1B1.10(d) (“Covered amendments”)
The Commission issued Amendment 782, effective November 1, 2014, to provide
a retroactive two-offense-level reduction for certain drug offenses. It simultaneously
added Amendment 782 to the list of “Covered amendments” in § 1B1.10(d).2
B. Analysis
To violate the Ex Post Facto Clause, a change in law must present a “sufficient
risk of increasing the measure of punishment attached to the covered crimes.” Peugh v.
United States, 133 S. Ct. 2072, 2082 (2013) (quotations omitted). The district court’s
application of the 2014 version of § 1B1.10 could not have violated the Ex Post Facto
Clause because Mr. Wilson is ineligible for a reduction under both the 2010 and 2014
versions of § 1B1.10.
Mr. Wilson is ineligible for a reduction under the 2010 version because
Amendment 782, adopted in 2014, plainly was not listed in the 2010 version’s
§ 1B1.10(c)—“Covered amendments.” See § 1B1.10(A)(2) (2010) (“A reduction in the
2
Due to an unrelated amendment of § 1B1.10 in 2014, the “Covered amendments”
provision previously denominated § 1B1.10(c) became § 1B1.10(d).
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defendant’s term of imprisonment is not consistent with this policy statement and
therefore is not authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) if—(A) None of the
amendments listed in subsection (c) [“Covered amendments”] is applicable to the
defendant . . .”).
Mr. Wilson is also ineligible for a reduction under the 2014 version, which does
include Amendment 782, for the reasons indicated by the district court. His original
sentence of 60 months is less than his amended guideline range of 100-25 months of
imprisonment—a range he does not contest. See § 1B1.10(b)(2)(A) (2014). And his
original variance was not based on substantial assistance. See § 1B1.10(b)(2)(B) (2014).
III. CONCLUSION
Because Mr. Wilson is ineligible for a reduction under either version of § 1B1.10,
we affirm the district court’s denial of his motion for a reduced sentence.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT,
Scott M. Matheson, Jr.
Circuit Judge
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