United States v. James Allen, II ( 2012 )

FILED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION JUL 24 2012
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U .S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 11-30244
Plaintiff - Appellee, D.C. No. 2:10-cr-00322-TSZ-1
v.
MEMORANDUM *
JAMES DAVID ALLEN, II,
Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Washington
Thomas S. Zilly, Senior District Judge, Presiding
Argued and Submitted July 10, 2012
Seattle, Washington
Before: SCHROEDER, REINHARDT, and M. SMITH, Circuit Judges.
James David Allen, II, appeals the denial of his motion to suppress
statements, the denial of his motion to suppress evidence (which includes a request
for a Franks hearing), and the sentence imposed following his conditional guilty
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
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plea to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He
was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
As to his statements, Allen argues that they followed the initial sweep of his
home, which occurred while Allen was standing outside and which the government
concedes was unconstitutional. The statements must therefore be suppressed,
United States v. Shetler, 665 F.3d 1150, 1157-58 (9th Cir. 2011), and Allen may
withdraw his conditional plea on remand.
As to the tangible evidence, Allen argues that it was seized pursuant to a
warrant based on an affidavit that did not support probable case. We find that
probable cause existed on the face of the affidavit, even with Allen’s statements
excised, because the witness upon whom the affidavit relied, Jessikah Ramsey, had
first-hand knowledge of the illegal activity and her statements provided probable
cause. See United States v. Miller, 753 F.2d 1475, 1480 (9th Cir. 1985).
We, however, grant Allen’s request for a Franks hearing. He has properly
alleged that the police knowingly or recklessly withheld material information from
the affidavit that, if included, would sufficiently undermine Ramsey’s reliability to
vitiate probable cause. Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154 (1978); United States v.
Stanert, 762 F.2d 775, 780-81 (9th Cir. 1985), amended, 769 F.2d 1410 (9th Cir.
1985). The record shows that the officer who prepared the affidavit, Betts, knew or
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should have known that Ramsey’s pending criminal charge for making false
statements to the police was for falsely accusing Allen of criminal conduct; the
record also shows that an officer, VanderWeyst, who supplied Betts with
information regarding Ramsey for the affidavit was aware that Ramsey’s false
statements related to Allen. The officers also knew but omitted from the affidavit
various inconsistencies in Ramsey’s story: that she changed her story as to when
gunshots were fired; that she was high on methamphetamine at the time of her
interview; that she did not flee Allen’s home fearing for her life; and that she hid a
backpack filled with drug paraphernalia a short distance from Allen’s home just
before the police arrived. These omissions “suggest[] the possibility that [Ramsey]
would lie to the police to frame an innocent man [here, Allen]” United States v.
Hall, 113 F.3d 157, 160 (9th Cir. 1997), and that her most recent report regarding
Allen was not reliable. We therefore remand for a Franks hearing.
As to sentencing, Allen argues that the enhancement for a stolen firearm,
U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(4)(A), cannot be applied to him because he had no knowledge
that the gun was stolen. The Sentencing Guidelines directly foreclose this
argument. § 2K2.1 cmt. n.8 (explaining that the enhancement “applies regardless
of whether the defendant knew or had reason to believe that the firearm was
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stolen”). Allen’s corollary challenge based on the Due Process Clause was rejected
in United States v. Goodell, 990 F.2d 497, 499-501 (9th Cir. 1993).
REVERSED in part, and REMANDED in part.
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