United States v. Charles Claymore

978 F.2d 421, 978 F.3d 421, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 27837, 1992 WL 310300
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedOctober 28, 1992
Docket91-3197
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 978 F.2d 421 (United States v. Charles Claymore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Charles Claymore, 978 F.2d 421, 978 F.3d 421, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 27837, 1992 WL 310300 (8th Cir. 1992).

Opinion

VAN SICKLE, Senior District Judge.

A jury convicted Claymore of sexual abuse of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1153 and 2243(a). At the time of the incidents Claymore was thirty-six years old and employed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Public Safety Commission as a tribal police officer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The victim was a thirteen year old girl. She became pregnant and gave birth to a child. The government’s genetics expert testified that Claymore was the father of the child. The six rapes occurred in the back seat of a patrol car while Claymore was on duty, and apparently after he had picked up the victim for curfew violations.

At the trial Claymore took the stand and denied that he had sexual contact with the victim. A fellow officer and the victim testified otherwise. Furthermore, the genetic evidence indicated that Claymore was the father of the victim’s child. Under the sentencing guidelines, sexual abuse of a minor is a Base Level Offense of 15. U.S.S.G. § 2A3.2. The district court 1 added two points for abuse of a position of trust, and two points for obstruction of justice. See U.S.S.G. §§ 3B1.3 & 3C1.1. The court then found Claymore’s Criminal History Category to be at Category II.

With a Category II Criminal History and an Offense Level of 19, the guidelines call for a sentence of thirty-three to forty-one months. The court then held that, since Claymore’s conduct was pervasive and involved force, he was going to depart further upward, and he sentenced Claymore to *423 sixty months imprisonment and supervised release of three years. 2

Claymore appeals, contending that both enhancements were incorrect, that the finding of a Criminal History Category of II is incorrect, and that the court erred in departing upward because of the use of force and appellant’s pervasive conduct. The standard of review varies. The fact determinations will only be overturned if the determinations are clearly erroneous. See United States v. Justice, 877 F.2d 664, 670 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 958, 110 S.Ct. 375, 107 L.Ed.2d 360 (1989). However, the trial court’s applications of the guidelines to the facts will be reviewed de novo. See United States v. Lange, 918 F.2d 707, 710 n. 2 (8th Cir.1990).

ABUSE OF A POSITION OF TRUST

First, Claymore claims that it was error to add two points to the offense level for abuse of a position of trust pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. Conduct constituting an abuse of trust, as used in § 3B1.3, is akin to the offense of official oppression, which consists, in general, of inflicting upon any person, from an improper motive, bodily harm or any injury by a public officer while exercising or under color of exercising his office. See generally B. Finberg, Annotation, What Constitutes Offense of Official Oppression, 83 A.L.R.2d 1007-17 (1962). See also, Virgin Islands v. Derricks, 810 F.2d 50 (3d Cir.1987) (abuse of a position of trust by a police officer forcing a woman to engage in sexual activities or be subject to a fine, arrest, imprisonment, and be unable to work); Commonwealth v. Stumpo, 306 Pa.Super. 447, 452 A.2d 809 (1982) (abuse of a position of trust by a police officer in uniform but off-duty who pulled at the clothing of a cocktail waitress).

Claymore contends that, because the public opinion of the police is so poor, no one trusts the police and, thus, they cannot abuse their position. It is not, however, the community attitude which counts, but the nature of Claymore’s position. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3 provides, in part, that “If the defendant abused a position of public or private trust ... in a manner that significantly facilitated the commission or concealment of the offense, increase by 2 levels.” U.S.S.G. § 3B1.3. If an abuse of trust is so central to the crime that the abuse would be included in the base offense level, the increase under § 3B1.3 is not available. Lange, 918 F.2d at 708-09 (embezzlement by a postal worker who worked with specialized mail). However, if the defendant’s position is one of a specialized nature not merely giving him access to commit the crime, then the two level increase should be added. Id. at 709.

Claymore was not one who would ordinarily be put in a position to care for children. He was a police officer. He used this position to detain the victim, and then he abused his position by raping the victim in the patrol car. By using his position as a police officer to rape the victim and using the patrol car to facilitate the crime, Claymore abused a position of trust. This position of trust involved more than simple access to the victim. Therefore, the increase of two levels was proper.

OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE

Next, Claymore claims error in the two level enhancement for obstruction of justice pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1. The transcript of the sentencing indicates this enhancement was made because the court determined that Claymore had committed perjury at trial. The notes to U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1 indicate that this enhancement is proper if the defendant commits perjury. U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1 n. 3(b).

The court observed that the only person in the courtroom who might not have been certain Claymore was lying was Claymore himself. 3 Claymore contends that to adjust *424 upward for his testimony at trial has the effect of punishing him for testifying, in violation of his constitutional rights. It also allows the court to become the fact finder, an issue reserved for the jury. However, this court has previously addressed this issue. In United States v. Willis, 940 F.2d 1136 (8th Cir.1991), this court held that if the district court finds that the defendant committed perjury and not merely that the jury did not believe him, a two-level enhancement is appropriate. Willis, 940 F.2d at 1140. A criminal defendant has the option of testifying, but not of committing perjury with impunity.

We review the district court’s action here under the clearly erroneous standard. United States v. Seabolt, 958 F.2d 231, 233-34 (8th Cir.1992). Because the victim and a fellow officer testified that Claymore had raped the victim, and because the genetic evidence indicated that Claymore was the father of the victim’s child, the record contained ample evidence to support the explicit finding of the district court that Claymore had committed perjury.

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Bluebook (online)
978 F.2d 421, 978 F.3d 421, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 27837, 1992 WL 310300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-charles-claymore-ca8-1992.