Beazer v. United States

360 F. Supp. 3d 1
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedFebruary 6, 2019
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 16-11213-DPW; CRIMINAL ACTION NO. 13-10119-DPW
StatusPublished

This text of 360 F. Supp. 3d 1 (Beazer v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beazer v. United States, 360 F. Supp. 3d 1 (D.D.C. 2019).

Opinion

DOUGLAS P. WOODLOCK, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This matter arises out of the 2014 conviction of the Petitioner, Hasaan Beazer, for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). On February 13, 2014, Mr. Beazer was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in prison for that offense as an armed career criminal subject to the minimum mandatory sentencing enhancement imposed by the Armed Career Criminal Act ("ACCA").

In 2016, Mr. Beazer filed the present petition for habeas corpus to vacate and correct his sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, arguing that, in light of Johnson v. United States ("Johnson II "), --- U.S. ----, 135 S.Ct. 2551, 192 L.Ed.2d 569 (2015), he does not qualify as an armed career criminal and is entitled to resentencing.

For the reasons stated below, the petition will be granted, and Mr. Beazer will be resentenced.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background .

On April 23, 2014, Mr. Beazer was charged in a one count indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm, specifically, a Walther PPK .380 caliber pistol and six rounds of .380 caliber ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Mr. Beazer pled guilty to the offense pursuant to a plea agreement.

The Presentence Investigation Report ("PSR") prepared by the Probation Office prior to sentencing found Mr. Beazer had three prior state convictions for either a violent felony or a serious drug offense, and therefore was an armed career criminal subject to a sentencing enhancement. In particular, the PSR listed the following convictions as predicate offenses for the purposes of the ACCA sentencing enhancement:

(1) June 26, 2007 convictions in Norfolk Superior Court for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, Simple Assault and Battery, Carjacking, and Armed Robbery. [PSR ¶ 32];
(2) August 20, 2007 convictions in New Bedford District Court for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon and Simple Assault. [PSR ¶ 34]. The PSR also indicated that it considered another August 20, 2007 conviction for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and a conviction for Simple Assault, part of the same incident and August 20, 2007 sentencing.1 [PSR ¶ 33]; and,
(3) A February 11, 2013 conviction in Fall River District court for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class B and Class E substance. [PSR ¶ 36].

*6Mr. Beazer did not object to his classification as an armed career criminal under the ACCA, but argued that I should lower his criminal history category as an exercise of my discretion because his prior crimes were the result of his mental health issues, and because the mandatory minimum sentence imposed by ACCA was disproportionate to the severity of his offense. I rejected that argument and, on February 13, 2014, sentenced Mr. Beazer to 188 months incarceration, with credit for time served, and 3 years of supervised release. The sentence was tailored to reflect his status as an armed career criminal, the seriousness of the underlying offense, and his circumstances with respect to mental health and substance abuse.

If Mr. Beazer had not been classified as an armed career criminal, he would have been subject, at most, to ten years incarceration - the statutory maximum penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922 in the absence of the ACCA sentencing enhancement. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2).

B. Procedural Background and the Present Petition

1. The ACCA and the Supreme Court's Decision in Johnson II

The ACCA directs imposition of a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years incarceration for "[any] person who violates section 922(g)... and has three previous convictions by any court ... for a violent felony or a serious drug offense, or both, committed on occasions different from one another." 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1). Individuals who do not have three prior convictions and therefore do not qualify for the sentencing enhancement are subject to a maximum penalty of ten years incarceration for violations of 18 U.S.C. § 922. 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2).

Under the statute, a "serious drug offense" includes any federal offense "under the Controlled Substances Act ... the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act ... or chapter 705 of Title 46" or any state offense "involving manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture or distribute, controlled substance" "for which a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years or more is prescribed by law." 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(A). The term "violent felony" is defined as any felony that either "(i) has as an element the use, attempted use, or threated use of physical force against the person of another; or (ii) is burglary, arson, or extortion, involves the use of explosives, or otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another." 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(B).

In 2015, the Supreme Court in Johnson II

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Bluebook (online)
360 F. Supp. 3d 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beazer-v-united-states-dcd-2019.