United States v. Espinoza

92 F. Supp. 3d 1210, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20542, 2015 WL 736396
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 20, 2015
DocketCase No. 8:06-CR-389-T-27MAP
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 92 F. Supp. 3d 1210 (United States v. Espinoza) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Espinoza, 92 F. Supp. 3d 1210, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20542, 2015 WL 736396 (M.D. Fla. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER

JAMES D. WHITTEMORE, District Judge.

In April 2014, the United States Sentencing Commission (“Commission”) promulgated and submitted to Congress Amendment 782 to the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which reduced the sentencing guidelines for most federal drug trafficking offenders. Specifically, Amendment 782 reduced by two levels the offense levels in USSG § 2Dl.l(c)’s Drug Quantity Table. In July 2014, the Commission promulgated Amendment 788 and amended USSG § 1B1.10, which made Amendment 782 retroactive (effective November 1, 2014) but delayed until November 1, 2015 the effective date for orders reducing prison terms based on Amendment 782. See United States v. Peak, 579 Fed.Appx. 888, 891 n. 1 (11th Cir.2014).

Before the Court is Defendant’s Motion for Sentence Reduction Under Amendment 782 (Dkt. 55) and the Government’s response (Dkt. 58). In his motion, Defendant seeks a sentence reduction based on Amendment 782. Additionally, Defendant seeks release from custody prior to November 1, 2015, the delayed release date selected by the Commission in its policy statement, USSG § lB1.10(e). While the Government agrees that Defendant is eligible for the two level reduction under Amendment 782, and does not oppose a reduced sentence of 120 months or time served, whichever is longer, it opposes Defendant’s request to be released before November 1, 2015. (Dkt. 58, p. 2).

Defendant was sentenced before the effective date of Amendment 782. The retroactive application of Amendment 782 therefore reduces his sentencing guidelines range by two levels. Where, as here, a defendant’s original sentence was based on a sentencing range which has subsequently been lowered by a retroactive guidelines amendment, the defendant’s sentence may be reduced “if such a reduction is consistent with applicable policy statements issued by the United States Sentencing Commission.” 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). Accordingly, Defendant is eligible for a sentence reduction under Amendment 782 and his motion will be granted to that extent, effective November 1, 2015 pursuant to USSG § 1131.10(e). The motion is DENIED to the extent Defendant seeks release from custody prior to November 1, 2015.

Procedural history and Amendment 782 offense level reduction

Defendant pleaded guilty, pursuant to a Plea Agreement, to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (Count One) in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 (Dkts. 25, 27). He was sentenced to 135 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release (Dkt. 36). His conviction was affirmed.on appeal (Dkt. 48).

Defendant’s original sentencing guidelines range was 135 to 168 months, based on a Total Offense Level 31 and Criminal History Category III (Dkts. 33, 52). As a result of Amendment 782, his offense level is reduced by two levels, resulting in an amended guidelines range of 120 to 135 [1212]*1212months, based on a Total Offense Level 29, Criminal History Category III (Dkt. 52).1

The November 1, 2015 delayed release date

In conjunction with Amendments 782 and 788, the Commission amended USSG § 1B1.10, effectively delaying the release of inmates eligible for Amendment 782 sentence reductions until November 1, 2015, at the earliest (USSG § lB1.10(e)) (“The court shall not order a reduced term of imprisonment based on Amendment 782 unless the effective date of the court’s order is November 1, 2015”). This policy statement is binding on the courts. United States v. Melvin, 556 F.3d 1190 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 556 U.S. 1239, 129 S.Ct. 2382, 173 L.Ed.2d 1300 (2009) (courts are bound by applicable policy statements promulgated by the Commission in § 3582(c)(2) sentence reduction proceedings); Dillon v. United States, 560 U.S. 817, 830, 130 S.Ct. 2683, 177 L.Ed.2d 271 (2010) (same).

The Sentencing Reform Act grants to the Commission the authority to issue binding policy statements concerning the retroactive application of a guidelines amendment. 28 U.S.C. §§ 994(d), 994(a)(2)(C); Dillon v. United States, 560 U.S. at 830, 130 S.Ct. 2683. Congress directed the Commission to “specify what circumstances and by what amount the sentences of prisoners serving terms of imprisonment for the offense may be reduced.” 28 U.S.C. § 994(u); United States v. Colon, 707 F.3d 1255, 1259 (11th Cir.2013) (“Section 994(a) provides that the Commission must promulgate general policy statements that address ‘the appropriate use of ... the sentence modification provisions set forth in section[ ] ... 3582(c) of title 18.’ ”).2 Further, Congress has directed that a court order reducing a defendant’s sentence in this circumstance be consistent with those policy statements. 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) (“... court may reduce the term of imprisonment ... if such a reduction is consistent with applicable policy statements issued by the Sentencing Commission.”). See USSG § lB1.10(a)(l) (“As required by 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), any such reduction in the defendant’s term of imprisonment shall be consistent with this policy statement.”).

It follows that the Commission was authorized by statute to promulgate the policy statement in USSG § lB1.10(e), which specifies the circumstances by which Amendment 782 sentence reductions are to be implemented, including the November 1, 2015 delayed release date. Dillon v. United States, 560 U.S. at 825, 130 S.Ct. 2683 (“By its terms, § 3582(c)(2) ... provides for the ‘modification of] a term of imprisonment’ by giving courts the power to ‘reduce’ an otherwise final sentence in circumstances specified by the Commission. ”) (emphasis added).

All of this means, of course, that Defendant may not be released until November 1, 2015, at the earliest. Indeed, the Commission’s commentary anticipated Defendant’s argument to the contrary:

A reduction based on retroactive application of Amendment 782 that does not comply with the requirement that the order take effect on November 1, 2015, or later is not consistent with this policy [1213]*1213 statement and therefore is not authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 8582(c)(2).”

USSG § 1B1.10, comment., n. 6 (2014).

Discussion

Defendant challenges the November 1, 2015 delayed release date on several grounds.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
92 F. Supp. 3d 1210, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20542, 2015 WL 736396, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-espinoza-flmd-2015.