United States v. Cardenas

361 F. Supp. 759, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12477
District Court, E.D. New York·Decided July 31, 1973·No. No. 72-CR-1323·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

ZAVATT, District Judge.

MEMORANDUM

After a trial to a jury, the defendant was found guilty on January 11, 1973 of all three counts of the indictment which charged her (a passenger aboard Avian-ca Flight 54 from Colombia, South America) with having unlawfully possessed and brought into the United States, on December 6, 1972, 419 grams of 57 % pure cocaine. An expert witness testified that when cut three times, this cocaine would have a street value of $163,000.00.

When the jury returned its verdicts, the defendant’s attorney advised the court of the defendant’s desire to be sentenced immediately, without awaiting a presentence report; stated that the defendant would “turn 21” on the first day of the following month; that the defendant was eligible for youth offender treatment under 18 U.S.C. § 5010 of the Youth Corrections Act (the Act), 18 U.S.C. §§ 5005 and 5007; urged the court to consider § 5010 in imposing sentence and requested that the defendant be sentenced immediately.

The defendant had entered the United States on a Colombian passport and temporary visitor’s visa issued by American authorities in Colombia, South America. Having been so convicted, she is subject to deportation and, for that reason, I did not feel that a commitment under 18 U. S.C. § 5010 was appropriate. I did comment on the seriousness of the crimes she had committed and I did not consider the Youth Corrections Act from the standpoint of whether she would derive benefit from treatment under subdivisions (b) or (c) of § 5010.

On January 11, 1973, I sentenced the defendant to a term of five (5) years, under 18 U.S.C. § 4208(a)(2), plus a 3 [760] year special parole term on each count, mandated by 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(A) and 960(b)(1) — said sentences to run concurrently. When I so sentenced the defendant I was not aware of, nor did the attorney for the defendant or the attorney for the Government call my attention to, any judicial decisions construing 18 U.S.C. § 5010(d). Nor did either attorney call my attention to any judicial decisions at any time thereafter.

On appeal from the judgment of conviction, the Court of Appeals, by its order dated May 11, 1973, “ordered, adjudged, and decreed that the action be and it hereby is remanded in part due to the concession of the appellee and that the judgment of the said District Court be and it hereby is affirmed in all other respects.” In its appellate brief, the Government made the following concession: “In this case the Government must concede that certain remarks made by Judge Zavatt at the time of sentencing appear to indicate that the trial court in denying appellate youthful offender treatment considered only the nature and magnitude of the offense charged and did not consider the question of whether appellant would benefit from treatment under the Act.” I consider the order of remand as requiring me to state whether I did or did not give consideration to the possibility of sentencing the defendant under the provisions of the Act and, if not, to consider that possibility and resentence the defendant.

The circuits are not in complete agreement as to whether a sentencing judge, before sentencing a person under age 22 as an adult, must make an express or implied finding or no finding that the youth offender will not benefit from treatment under 18 U.S.C. § 5010(b) or (c). At the time I sentenced the defendant, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had not spoken on this question. Since that time it has indicated that the trial judge must give consideration to the possibility of sentencing a youth offender under the Act, before sentencing that offender as an adult. United States v. Guzman, 478 F.2d 759 (2d Cir. May 7, 1973); United States v. Matusewitch, 481 F.2d 174 (2d Cir. June 22, 1973). The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has held that, before a youth offender may be sentenced as an adult, the trial judge must make an express finding that he will not derive benefit from treatment under 18 U.S.C. § 5010(b) or (c) before sentencing him as an adult. United States v. Coefield, 476 F.2d 1152 (D.C. Cir. 1973) (en banc); United States v. Ward, 454 F.2d 992 (D.C.Cir. 1971); United States v. Waters, 437 F.2d 722 (D.C.Cir. 1970). The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has held to the same effect. Cox v. United States, 473 F.2d 334 (4th Cir. 1973) (en banc). The Ninth Circuit has held that an implied finding that a youth offender will not derive benefit from treatment under the Act is sufficient. United States v. Jarratt, 471 F.2d 226 (9th Cir. 1972). The Court of Appeals for this Circuit has left open the question as to whether the trial judge must make a finding, expressed or implied, before sentencing a youth offender as an adult and seems to have held, thus far, that the trial judge must consider the Act before sentencing a youth offender as an adult. United States v. Guzman, supra; United States v. Matusewitch, supra.

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United States v. Cardenas, 361 F. Supp. 759, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12477 (E.D.N.Y. 1973).

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