United States v. Todd Handy ( 1998 )


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  •                      United States Court of Appeals
    FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
    _____________
    No. 98-1979NE
    _____________
    United States of America,                *
    *
    Appellee,            * Appeal from the United States
    * District Court for the District of
    v.                                 * Nebraska.
    *
    Todd J. Handy,                           *       [UNPUBLISHED]
    *
    Appellant.           *
    _____________
    Submitted: September 11, 1998
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    _____________
    Before FAGG, BEAM, and LOKEN, Circuit Judges.
    _____________
    PER CURIAM.
    Todd J. Handy appeals the fine imposed by the district court following Handy's
    guilty plea to a firearms violation. Because Handy failed to object to the fine at
    sentencing, we review only for plain error. See United States v. Prendergast, 
    4 F.3d 560
    , 561 (8th Cir. 1993) (per curiam). Although the district court failed to make
    detailed findings on the factors it considered in setting the amount of the fine, the
    district court explained the fine was geared to Handy's ability to pay the fine from his
    prison and postsupervised release earnings, see United States v. Johnston, 
    973 F.2d 611
    , 615 (8th Cir. 1992), and Handy failed to show any impediment to his ability to
    pay the fine sometime in the future, see United States v. Berndt, 
    86 F.3d 803
    , 808 (8th
    Cir. 1996). In these circumstances, we cannot say a fine based on Handy's future
    earning potential was plainly erroneous. We thus affirm the fine imposed by the district
    court. Additionally, we encourage the district court to compare condition 16 of
    Handy's supervised release with this court's decision in United States v. Hines, 
    88 F.2d 661
    , 663-64 (8th Cir. 1996), to make sure the condition conforms with Hines if Handy
    is unable fully to pay the fine out of his prison earnings.
    A true copy.
    Attest:
    CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.
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