United States v. Reginald White

[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FILED
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________ JANUARY 16, 2009
THOMAS K. KAHN
No. 08-13685 CLERK
Non-Argument Calendar
________________________
D. C. Docket No. 95-00728-CR-DTKH
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
REGGIE WHITE,
a.k.a. Reggie A. White,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Florida
_________________________
(January 16, 2009)
Before TJOFLAT, DUBINA and BLACK, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Reginald White, a federal prisoner convicted of a crack cocaine offense,
appeals the district court’s denial of his 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) motion for
reduction of sentence based on Amendments 706 and 713 to the Sentencing
Guidelines, which lowered the base offense levels applicable to crack cocaine
offenses under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1. The district court sentenced White to a statutory
minimum sentence of life imprisonment, but later reduced White’s sentence based
on the government’s Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure Rule 35(b) substantial
assistance motions. Thereafter, White filed a motion to reduce his sentence under
§ 3582(c)(2). The district court held White was not eligible for relief under
§ 3582(c)(2) because he was sentenced under a statutory minimum sentence.
On appeal, White argues the district court possessed the authority to reduce
his sentence despite the mandatory statutory minimum sentence because, pursuant
to Rule 35(b), the court had the authority to reduce White’s sentence below the
applicable statutory minimum. White additionally argues his original sentence was
imposed in violation of his constitutional rights because a jury did not find he was
responsible for a specific amount of illegal drugs.
We review for abuse of discretion a district court’s decision whether to
reduce a sentence, pursuant to § 3582(c)(2), based on a subsequent change in the
Sentencing Guidelines. United States v. Brown, 332 F.3d 1341, 1343 (11th Cir.
2
2003). In the § 3582(c)(2) context, “we review de novo the district court’s legal
conclusions regarding the scope of its authority under the Sentencing Guidelines.”
United States v. White, 305 F.3d 1264, 1267 (11th Cir. 2002). We also review de
novo questions of statutory interpretation. United States v. Maupin, 520 F.3d 1304,
1306 (11th Cir. 2008).
Although a district court generally cannot modify a term of imprisonment
once it has been imposed, an exception lies in § 3582(c)(2), where:
[I]n 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 [18 U.S.C.
§ 3553(a)] to the extent that they are applicable, if such a reduction is
consistent with applicable policy statements issued by the Sentencing
Commission.
18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) (emphasis added). A reduction of a term of imprisonment
is not consistent with applicable policy statements – and, therefore, not authorized
under § 3582(c)(2) – if the retroactive amendment “does not have the effect of
lowering the defendant’s applicable guideline range.” U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(a)(2)(B);
see also id. at cmt. n.1(A) (noting a defendant is not eligible for a sentence
reduction where a guideline amendment “does not have the effect of lowering the
defendant’s applicable guideline range because of the operation of another
3
guideline or statutory provision (e.g., a statutory mandatory minimum term of
imprisonment)”).
Amendment 706 retroactively reduced the offense levels in crack cocaine
cases, calculated pursuant to § 2D1.1(c), by two levels. U.S.S.G. App. C, Amend.
706. Although the retroactive effect of Amendment 706 allows a defendant, whose
guideline imprisonment range was determined in accordance with the offense level
calculations under § 2D1.1, to seek a reduction in his sentence, a defendant whose
original sentence ultimately was based on something other than the offense level
calculation under § 2D1.1 is precluded from receiving a sentence reduction
because the amendment does not have the effect of lowering the applicable
guideline range. See U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(a)(2)(B); United States v. Moore, 541
F.3d 1323, 1327-28 (11th Cir. 2008).
Additionally, a § 3582(c)(2) motion is not the proper avenue through which
to raise issues arising from the Supreme Court’s decision in Apprendi v. New
Jersey, 120 S. Ct. 2348 (2000), as such a claim does not involve an amendment
made retroactive. See 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). Under the plain language of
§ 3582(c)(2), only changes to the Guidelines made by the Sentencing Commission
after the defendant’s sentencing hearing, not Supreme Court decisions, can be used
as a basis for a § 3582(c)(2) motion. See id.; see also United States v. Moreno, 421
4
F.3d 1217, 1220 (11th Cir. 2005) (“Booker is a Supreme Court decision, not a
retroactively applicable guideline amendment by the Sentencing Commission.
Therefore, Booker is inapplicable to § 3582(c)(2) motions.”).
Here, the court sentenced White to the mandatory minimum term of life
imprisonment, which applied based on his previous felony drug convictions.
Because the district court relied on a statutory mandatory sentence, rather than a
base offense level under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1, the district court did not err in
concluding it lacked authority to reduce White’s sentence under § 3582(c)(2). The
fact that the district court granted the government’s Rule 35(b) motions to reduce
White’s sentence does not change this result. We do not review White’s
constitutional claim on the merits because a motion filed under 18 U.S.C.
§ 3582(c)(2) is not the proper vehicle to raise a constitutional claim. Accordingly,
based upon a review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the district
court’s denial of White’s § 3582(c)(2) motion.
AFFIRMED.
5