United States v. Derrick D. Turner, Also Known as D.T., and Joe Nathan Leverette, Also Known as Fat Dog

203 F.3d 1010, 54 Fed. R. Serv. 262, 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS 2062, 2000 WL 174625
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedFebruary 16, 2000
Docket99-1536, 99-1677
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 203 F.3d 1010 (United States v. Derrick D. Turner, Also Known as D.T., and Joe Nathan Leverette, Also Known as Fat Dog) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh 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. Derrick D. Turner, Also Known as D.T., and Joe Nathan Leverette, Also Known as Fat Dog, 203 F.3d 1010, 54 Fed. R. Serv. 262, 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS 2062, 2000 WL 174625 (7th Cir. 2000).

Opinion

HARLINGTON WOOD, JR., Circuit Judge.

On December 16, 1997, a federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of Wisconsin returned a two-count sealed indictment against Derrick Turner, Joe Nathan Leverette, Alfred Reed, Wendy Lee Gallagher, and Samantha Wood. Count one alleged that, from June 1994 until approximately October 1,1996, the five defendants conspired to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine, and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. Count two charged Turner, Leverette, and Reed with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack on or about October 1, 1996 in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The indictment was unsealed on January 30,1998, and the five codefend-ants were apprehended on various dates between January 28,1998 and July 7,1998. Ultimately, Reed, Wood, Gallagher, and Leverette entered pleas of guilty to count one of the indictment pursuant to plea agreements with the government. On December 15, 1998, Turner was convicted on both counts of the indictment following a bench trial. Leverette appeals, raising four challenges to his sentence. Turner also appeals, challenging the district court’s ruling on his Speedy Trial Act motion, the sufficiency of the evidence, several of the district court’s evidentiary rulings, and his sentence.

I. BACKGROUND

Leverette, also known as “Fat Dog,” and Turner, also known as “D.T.,” were involved in a wide-spread conspiracy to distribute cocaine powder and crack cocaine. Leverette was based near Los Angeles, California and was identified by witnesses as extremely talented in the process of converting powder cocaine to crack. Turner acted as a distributor of the drugs in the Milwaukee area. Both men were identified as members of the Shotgun faction of the Crips street gang. The drugs at issue in the conspiracy were transported from Los Angeles to cities across the country by couriers. After delivering the drugs, the couriers would return to Los Angeles with large amounts of currency. The conspiracy began to unravel when, on October 1, 1997, two of the couriers, Michelle Proctor and Tia Musarra, were stopped by Milwaukee County law enforcement officials at *1013 the Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee after disembarking from a commercial airline flight from Los Amgeles. After some questioning, the officers searched Proctor and Musarra and discovered four cellophane-wrapped packages of what appeared to be narcotics. The packages were later sent to the state crime lab for analysis and were identified as a combination of crack and powder cocaine. During the search, the officers also seized a piece of paper with “Exel Motel” written on it and an address book containing telephone numbers for “D.T.” and “Fat Dog.” Proctor later estimated that she was carrying a kilo and a half of drugs at the time she was searched.

Proctor and Musarra entered into cooperation agreements with the government. Pursuant to these agreements, the women aided in the police investigation of the conspiracy and, ultimately, testified against Leverette at an evidentiary hearing and against Turner at trial. Proctor testified about numerous trips from Los Angeles to Milwaukee where she would meet Turner and to Des Moines, Iowa where she met a man named Larry Howard. During these trips, Proctor testified that she transported crack and powder cocaine given to her by Leverette and returned with currency in amounts ranging from $30,000 to $60,000. Proctor’s travel expenses were paid, and she was given money for her services when she completed a trip. Musarra also-Testified about trips that she made from Los Ange-les to Milwaukee and Des Moines transporting drugs she received from Leverette and return trips transporting large amounts of currency. The remaining facts of this case are complex, and we will address them as they apply to our analysis.

II. ANALYSIS.

A. Joe Nathan Leverette

In his plea agreement, Leverette reserved the right to challenge the type and amount of drugs attributable to him for sentencing purposes. After Leverette entered his guilty plea, the court scheduled an evidentiary hearing to determine the type and amount of drugs at issue. The evidentiary hearing was held December 16, 17, and 21, 1998; with both sides presenting witnesses. Leverette’s sentencing hearing was held on- March 1 and March 12, 1999. On March 1, Leverette’s parents, who had traveled to Wisconsin from California for the hearing, were present, and Leverette’s father ■ addressed the court. The hearing was then continued at Leverette’s request to allow defense counsel time to prepare objections to the pre-sentence report (“PSR”). On March' 12, 1999, the district court ruled on Lever-ette’s objections and sentenced him to 360 months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine on count one. Count two of the indictment was dismissed on the government’s motion pursuant to the plea agreement.

As previously noted, in his appeal Lev-erette raises four challenges to the sentence imposed by the district court. Leverette first asserts that the probation officer who prepared his PSR violated the separation of powers doctrine by serving not as a neutral arm of the court but rather as an advocate for the prosecution. Secondly, Leverette contends that the testimony of the witnesses at his sentencing hearing should have been excluded because it was given in violation of the federal anti-bribery statute, 18 U.S.C. § 201(c)(2). Leverette further argues that the district court’s determination regarding the type and quantity of drugs attributable to him was erroneous. Finally, Leverette contends that his criminal history calculation under the United States Sentencing Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) was based on unreliable information because the district court did not have certified copies of his prior convictions when it sentenced him.

Leverette argues that, when the probation officer sits at the government’s table in court, as she did in this case, and routinely advocates for the government, the separation of powers doctrine is violated. At sentencing this issue was raised by *1014 defendant’s counsel. The prosecutor took issue with defense counsel’s remarks about the impartiality of the probation office and asked that counsel raise for the record any specific complaints he might have about the functioning of the probation office in the present case. Defense counsel made clear that he was not making any allegations about the particular probation officer involved but that his allegations pertained to “the entire system that has an appearance of impropriety.” Counsel further stated that “it is inappropriate when they (probation officers) become advocates as opposed to fact people.” Defense counsel then acquiesced to the prosecutor’s summation that his accusations were general in nature and that the probation officer in question “in no way acted as an adversary against the Defendant but maintained her position as an arm of the Court.”

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Bluebook (online)
203 F.3d 1010, 54 Fed. R. Serv. 262, 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS 2062, 2000 WL 174625, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-derrick-d-turner-also-known-as-dt-and-joe-nathan-ca7-2000.