Dawson v. United States

294 F. Supp. 3d 1300
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 28, 2018
DocketCASE NO. 16–22399–CIV–SEITZ/TURNOFF
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 294 F. Supp. 3d 1300 (Dawson v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dawson v. United States, 294 F. Supp. 3d 1300 (S.D. Fla. 2018).

Opinion

PATRICIA A. SEITZ, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

THIS CAUSE is before the Court on the Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge [DE 17]. In that Report, Magistrate Judge Turnoff recommends granting Movant's Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 [DE 1]. Movant argues his sentence should be vacated based on the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Samuel Johnson v. United States, --- U.S. ----, 135 S.Ct. 2551, 192 L.Ed.2d 569 (2015) (holding that the residual clause of the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) was unconstitutionally vague). The Report found that Movant is not procedurally barred from asserting a Johnson claim and is entitled to relief under Johnson. The Government filed objections [DE 20] to the Report, Movant filed a Response [DE 21], and the Government filed a Reply [DE 24]. The Government also filed a Notice [DE 25] regarding recent developments in the law, the Movant filed a Response [DE 26] and the Government filed a Reply [DE 27].

The Court has reviewed the record de novo and adopts in part the Report in finding that the Movant is not subject to a procedural bar to bring his claim forward and in finding that Movant is entitled to relief. The Court, however, respectfully declines to adopt the Report in its analysis of the Movant's claim under Johnson on the merits. For different reasons than those set forth in the Report, the Court finds that the Movant is entitled to relief under Johnson and his sentence should be vacated.

BACKGROUND

I. Initial Sentencing

On April 6, 2006, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Movant with the following counts: Count 1-Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) ; Count 2-Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of crack cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) ; Count 3-Possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(D) ; Count 4-Possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Counts 1, 2, 3) in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A) ; and Count 5-Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(e). [CR-DE 11 ]. On August 21, 2006, the jury returned a guilty verdict on all five counts. [CR-DE 69].

In November 2006, the Probation Department issued the Presentence Investigation Report ("PSR") to assist the Court with sentencing. The PSR increased the Movant's offense level from "26" to "37" after finding that Movant qualified for an enhanced sentence as a Career Offender under Sentencing Guideline § 4B1.1 and as an armed career criminal under *130618 U.S.C. § 924(e), the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).2 (PSR ¶¶ 13, 19). The PSR based this qualification on the following predicate offenses: (1) armed robbery and possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine on February 19, 1999; and (2) two convictions for battery on a law enforcement officer ("BOLEO")3 on October 10, 2001. (PSR ¶ 19, 34-35). The enhancement rendered a guideline range of 360 months to life, followed by a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years on Count 4, for a total range of 420 months to life. (PSR ¶ 21). The PSR provided a description of the facts underlying the Movant's predicate convictions which the Movant did not object to in writing or at his sentencing hearing.

The Court sentenced the Movant to 420 months and eight years of supervised release on November 28, 2006. [CR-DE 79]. The Court disagreed with the disparity under the sentencing guidelines between powder and crack cocaine, but imposed a sentence in line with the guidelines at that time. [CR-DE 99]. The Court also noted that the PSR set forth the Movant's qualifying predicate offenses for "career offender" purposes. Although the Court listed the Movant's predicate qualifying offenses, it made no findings as to whether these offenses qualified under the elements, enumerated, or residual clause of the ACCA. The Court referred to Movant's "gun enhancement," but not to any specific clause of the ACCA. [CR-DE 99].

II. Appeal and Re-sentencing

On December 1, 2006, the Movant filed an appeal in the Eleventh Circuit. [CR-DE 81]. The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of the Movant's request for a new trial on January 24, 2008. United States v. Dawson, 266 Fed.Appx. 810, 813-14 (11th Cir. 2010). However, the Eleventh Circuit vacated the Movant's sentence and remanded the matter for re-sentencing, pointing out that judges had discretion to depart from the crack/powder disparity under Kimbrough v. United States, 552 U.S. 85, 128 S.Ct. 558, 169 L.Ed.2d 481 (2007). See id. The Court held a re-sentencing hearing on April 8, 2008, at which it decreased the sentence to 240 months imprisonment for all counts.4 [CR-DE 126]. The Movant did not appeal this sentence.

III. Previous 2255 Claim

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Bluebook (online)
294 F. Supp. 3d 1300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dawson-v-united-states-flsd-2018.