United States v. Devonte Jaishun Tucker

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedDecember 22, 2020
Docket19-13084
StatusUnpublished

This text of United States v. Devonte Jaishun Tucker (United States v. Devonte Jaishun Tucker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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. Devonte Jaishun Tucker, (11th Cir. 2020).

Opinion

USCA11 Case: 19-13084 Date Filed: 12/22/2020 Page: 1 of 19

[DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ________________________

No. 19-13084 ________________________

D.C. Docket No. 7:19-cr-00031-LSC-JEO-1

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

DEVONTE JAISHUN TUCKER,

Defendant-Appellant.

__________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama _________________________

(December 22, 2020)

Before ROSENBAUM, LAGOA and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

After pleading guilty, Devonte Jaishun Tucker appeals his sentence of 120

months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On appeal, USCA11 Case: 19-13084 Date Filed: 12/22/2020 Page: 2 of 19

Tucker challenges the procedural and substantive reasonableness of his sentence.

Upon careful review, we affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Offense Conduct 1 and Guilty Plea

Around midnight on November 15, 2018, law enforcement officers observed

a Chevrolet sedan matching the description of a car reported stolen. The officers

confirmed that the Chevrolet was stolen and attempted to stop the car. At first, the

Chevrolet driver did not stop, but he eventually did stop in the cul-de-sac of an

apartment complex. The driver (who was never identified) exited the car, while

Tucker stayed in the passenger seat.

Officer Joshua Smith exited his patrol car, drew his firearm, and pointed it at

the Chevrolet. Then, passenger Tucker moved into the driver’s seat of the

Chevrolet, turned the wheels of the car toward Officer Smith, and accelerated

toward Officer Smith. Because it looked like Tucker was going to hit Officer

Smith and was ignoring commands to stop, Officer Smith fired rounds at the car.

After Officer Smith began firing, Tucker swerved the car away from Officer Smith

and drove away at a high speed.

Officers Smith and Jacob Morris chased after the Chevrolet with their sirens

1 The record of the offense conduct is based on a combination of the unobjected-to facts in the presentence investigation report and the evidence adduced at the sentencing hearing. 2 USCA11 Case: 19-13084 Date Filed: 12/22/2020 Page: 3 of 19

and lights activated. Tucker continued to drive down busy streets, reaching speeds

of 100 miles per hour, running a stop sign and a red light, jumping a curb, and

almost hitting another car. After a five-minute car chase, Tucker jumped out of the

still-moving Chevrolet and fled on foot wearing a black backpack. Officers Morris

and Smith on foot chased Tucker and, less than one minute later, found him hiding

behind a home with his backpack either still on his person or next to him. The

officers apprehended Tucker, searched the black backpack, and found a pistol

inside. In a post-arrest interview, Tucker—a convicted felon—admitted to

possessing the backpack containing the firearm and stated the initial driver of the

Chevrolet gave it to him.

In January 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Tucker with one count of

being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

Tucker pled guilty to the charge, without the benefit of a plea agreement.

B. Presentence Investigation Report (“PSI”)

The PSI assigned Tucker a base offense level of 14 because he was a

convicted felon at the time of the November 2018 offense. Tucker’s base offense

level of 14 was: (1) increased by two levels because the pistol in his backpack was

reported stolen; (2) increased by two levels because he obstructed justice and

recklessly endangered others when he fled from the officers both by car, reaching

100 miles per hour and almost striking an officer, and by foot while carrying a

3 USCA11 Case: 19-13084 Date Filed: 12/22/2020 Page: 4 of 19

firearm; and (3) reduced by three levels because he accepted responsibility.

Accordingly, Tucker’s resulting total offense level was 15.

Tucker, who was 23 at the time of the November 2018 offense, had a

lengthy criminal history beginning at age 13. Tucker’s juvenile adjudications,

which received zero criminal history points, included: (1) second-degree robbery at

age 13; (2) first-degree receiving stolen property at age 13; (3) domestic violence

at age 14; (4) two first-degree theft of property adjudications at age 14; (5) two

breaking and entering into a vehicle adjudications at age 14; (6) breaking and

entering into a vehicle at age 15; and (7) first-degree robbery at age 15. Tucker’s

adult convictions, which resulted in four criminal history points, included: (1) a

youthful offender conviction at age 17; (2) third-degree burglary at age 19;

(3) aggravated assault at age 21; (4) having no driver’s license, failing to maintain

insurance, and having a foreign warrant at age 21; (5) second-degree possession of

marijuana at age 22; and (6) resisting arrest at age 22. 2

Tucker’s total offense level of 15 and criminal history category of III yielded

an advisory guidelines range of 24 to 30 months’ imprisonment. The PSI noted

that the statutory maximum term of imprisonment for the firearm offense was 120

months. See 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2).

2 Tucker also had other pending charges, including: (1) third-degree theft of property at age 20; (2) first-degree receiving stolen property at age 23; and (3) leaving the scene of an accident at age 23. 4 USCA11 Case: 19-13084 Date Filed: 12/22/2020 Page: 5 of 19

Tucker’s PSI recounted his family background, mental and emotional health,

and substance abuse. Tucker was raised by his mother and had a physically

abusive step-father. His father was serving prison sentences for murder

convictions. As a child, Tucker was diagnosed with bi-polar mania, depression,

personality disorder, and defiant disorder. Tucker was treated for his disorders at

various facilities and hospitals and took prescription medication. Before getting on

the right medication, Tucker occasionally heard voices instructing him to harm

himself or others. Because of his depression, Tucker unsuccessfully attempted

suicide three times between 2007 and 2013. Tucker, however, reported no current

voices in his head or suicidal ideations, owing to medication he began taking in

2019.

Tucker also suffered from relatively severe substance abuse. At age 12, he

began using marijuana and alcohol. Eventually, he smoked four or five “blunts”

and drank a bottle of liquor per day. While he had not used alcohol since age 22,

his last use of marijuana was on the day of the instant November 2018 offense.

Tucker also used cocaine daily, ecstasy weekly, and methamphetamine weekly, up

until the time of the instant offense.

Tucker objected to the PSI’s factual assertion that he accelerated towards

Officer Smith as he escaped in the Chevrolet. Tucker’s counsel filed a sentencing

memorandum submitting that a 24-month sentence, at the low end of the advisory

5 USCA11 Case: 19-13084 Date Filed: 12/22/2020 Page: 6 of 19

guidelines range, was reasonable because it would: (1) sufficiently deter him from

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