United States v. Berry

946 F. Supp. 896, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17472, 1996 WL 677036
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedOctober 8, 1996
DocketNo. 89-20066-02
StatusPublished

This text of 946 F. Supp. 896 (United States v. Berry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Berry, 946 F. Supp. 896, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17472, 1996 WL 677036 (D. Kan. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

EARL E. O’CONNOR, Senior District Judge.

Defendant Kevin Bernard Berry, has filed a “MOTION UNDER TITLE 18, USC, 3582(c)(2), AND PURSUANT TO TITLE 28, USC, 994(o); 994(u), UNITED STATES SENTENCING GUIDELINES, AND THE BAILEY DECISION.” The court will consider said motion as being filed to vacate and set aside sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. The government has filed its response and defendant has filed a reply. The matter is now ready for ruling.

A factual summary of this case is set out in the Tenth Circuit’s earlier opinion and the same is incorporated and adopted, and made a part of this memorandum and order as if fully set forth herein. See United States v. Berry, 931 F.2d 671, 673-74 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 887, 112 S.Ct. 246, — L.Ed.2d-(1991).

Defendant first contends that his sentence should be reduced because of a subsequent amendment to the United States Sentencing Guidelines (“U.S.S.G.”). Defendant was sentenced on February 7, 1990: Defendant claims, however, that his sentence was improperly enhanced for “obstruction of justice.” Defendant relies on section 3C1.1 of the amended Sentencing Guidelines, which became effective November 1, 1990, eight months after defendant was sentenced. As the government correctly points out, the amendment to section 3C1.1 is not intended to apply retroactively. The amendment to sections 3C1.1 and 3C1.2 clearly states that “[t]he effective date of this amendment is November 1, 1990.” Amendment No. 347, U.S.S.G. at C.193 (Nov. 1, 1990 ed.); see Historical Note to § 3C1.1. Further, this amendment is not included as one of the amendments to be applied retroactively. U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(d). The Sentencing Guidelines provide that a reduction in the defendant’s term of imprisonment based on a non-retroactive amendment is inconsistent with its policy statement. U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(a). The court accordingly finds that defendant is not entitled to a reduction in sentence on this basis.

Defendant also contends that under the recent United States Supreme Court decision in Bailey v. United States, — U.S.-, 116 S.Ct. 501, 133 L.Ed.2d 472 (1995), his conviction and sentence on Count 3 are in violation of the Constitution and laws of the United States and should be vacated. Defendant was charged in Count 3 with using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) and for aiding and abetting the commission of this offense in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2. The government responds that there is sufficient evidence in the record to support defendant’s conviction for aiding and abetting the “use” of -a firearm (even after Bailey) and for finding that defendant personally “carried” a firearm. The government’s arguments, while relevant to deciding whether to grant a new trial or to vacate defendant’s conviction completely, are irrelevant to whether defendant’s conviction can be sustained in light of the jury instruction on “use” of a firearm.

The court has reviewed the instructions giyen to the jury regarding Count 3, including the requirements to find defendant guilty under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. The instruction to the jury with [898]*898respect to “use” of a firearm under section 924(c)(1) cannot be sustained after the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Bailey, supra. Further, the court did not instruct the jury regarding the “carry” prong of section 924(c)(1). The jury returned a general verdict finding defendant guilty of Count 3, which charged defendant under both the “use” and “carry” prongs of section 924(e)(1), as well as aiding and abetting the commission of these offenses under section 2. Based on the jury instructions, the verdict, and the evidence presented to the jury, the court cannot ascertain whether the jury convicted defendant under Count 3 based solely on the “carry” prong of 924(c)(1).

The Tenth Circuit has held that if a jury instruction defining one of two alternative grounds for conviction is legally erroneous, the court must reverse the conviction unless the court can determine with “absolute certainty” that the jury based its verdict on the ground on which it was correctly instructed. United States v. Miller, 84 F.3d 1244, 1257 (10th Cir.1996); see United States v. Simpson, 94 F.3d 1373 (10th Cir.1996) (following procedure set out in Miller); United States, v. Smith, 82 F.3d 1564, 1567 (10th Cir.1996) (even if there is sufficient evidence that defendant carried the firearm, court cannot allow conviction to stand because there is no assurance that jury did not convict on legally insufficient evidence and erroneous jury instruction regarding “use”). Here, the government presents no evidence (and the court can find no evidence) that the jury convicted defendant based solely on the “carry” prong of section 924(e)(1). Thus, the court must reverse defendant’s conviction on Count 3.

If there is evidence in the record, however, that a jury could find defendant guilty if properly instructed on the meanings of “use” or “carry” under section 924(e)(1), then the court must remand the case for a new trial on Count 3. See Miller, 84 F.3d at 1258; United States v. Wacker, 72 F.3d 1453, 1464-65 (10th Cir.1995). The court finds that there is legally sufficient evidence in the record for a jury to convict defendant under the “carry” prong by defendant’s own actions or under either the “use” or “carry” prong by aiding and abetting the commission of this offense.

The Supreme Court in Bailey held that to sustain a conviction under the “use” prong of section 924(c)(1), the government must show that the defendant “actively employed” the firearm during and in relation to the predicate crime, mere possession will not suffice. Bailey, — U.S. at-, 116 S.Ct. at 506; see Miller, 84 F.3d at 1260-61. “Active employment” of a firearm includes firing, attempting to fire, brandishing, displaying, bartering, or striking with. Bailey, — U.S. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 508.

Although there is little evidence that defendant himself used (“actively employed”) a firearm, a jury could convict defendant under the “use” prong of section 924(c)(1) for aiding and abetting the commission of that offense. Defendant drove the vehicle, from which shots actually were fired in the direction of undercover agents. Defendant continued to pursue the undercover agents after the first shots were fired from his vehicle. A passenger from defendant’s vehicle had a gun in his possession when he jumped out of the vehicle. Finally, someone in the vehicle apparently threw a second gun out of the vehicle during the chase with undercover agents.

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Related

Bailey v. United States
516 U.S. 137 (Supreme Court, 1995)
United States v. Simpson
94 F.3d 1373 (Tenth Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Martin Cardenas, A/K/A Raul Ramirez
864 F.2d 1528 (Tenth Circuit, 1989)
United States v. Phillip A. Parrish
925 F.2d 1293 (Tenth Circuit, 1991)
United States v. Kevin Berry
931 F.2d 671 (Tenth Circuit, 1991)
United States v. Richard Bruce Cox
934 F.2d 1114 (Tenth Circuit, 1991)
United States v. Wendall Nicholson
983 F.2d 983 (Tenth Circuit, 1993)
United States v. Luis Santiago Ramirez
63 F.3d 937 (Tenth Circuit, 1995)
United States v. Brandon J. Smith
82 F.3d 1564 (Tenth Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Wacker
72 F.3d 1453 (Tenth Circuit, 1995)
United States v. Evans
888 F.2d 891 (D.C. Circuit, 1989)
Gonzalez-Alvarez v. United States
491 U.S. 909 (Supreme Court, 1989)

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Bluebook (online)
946 F. Supp. 896, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17472, 1996 WL 677036, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-berry-ksd-1996.