United States v. Felipe Santiago-Sanchez

406 F. App'x 437
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedDecember 28, 2010
Docket10-11311
StatusUnpublished

This text of 406 F. App'x 437 (United States v. Felipe Santiago-Sanchez) 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. Felipe Santiago-Sanchez, 406 F. App'x 437 (11th Cir. 2010).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Felipe Santiago-Sanchez (“Santiago”) pled guilty to illegal reentry into the United States after deportation, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a), and the district court sentenced him to prison for 45 months under 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2). He now appeals his sentence, contending that the district court erred in finding that the sexual offenses he committed in 1994, as to which adjudication was withheld, were convictions sufficient to serve as a predicate for a 16-level enhancement of his base offense level under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(l)(A)(ii), and constituted “aggravated felonies” so as to trigger a 20-year statutory maximum sentence under § 1326(b)(2). He also contends that his sentence is procedurally and substantively unreasonable.

*438 1. Prior sexual offenses

We review a district court’s interpretation of the Guidelines and any relevant criminal statutes de novo. United States v. Lazo-Ortiz, 136 F.3d 1282, 1284 (11th Cir.1998). We also review the legality of a sentence de novo. United States v. Moriarty, 429 F.3d 1012, 1023 (11th Cir.2005).

Section § 1326, forbids an alien who once was deported from returning to the United States without special permission, and it authorizes a maximum prison term of two years. 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). However, if an alien was convicted of an “aggravated felony” prior to the initial deportation, § 1326(b)(2) authorizes a 20-year maximum sentence. 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2). The statute defines an “aggravated felony,” among other things, as including the “murder, rape, or sexual abuse of a minor.” 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(A). “[Sexual abuse of a minor” means a perpetrator’s physical or nonphysical misuse or maltreatment of a minor for a purpose associated with sexual gratification. United States v. Padilla-Reyes, 247 F.3d 1158, 1163-64 (11th Cir.2001); see also United States v. Ortiz-Delgado, 451 F.3d 752, 756 (11th Cir.2006) (under the Guidelines, California conviction for committing lewd act on a child under the age of 14 is a crime of violence because it constitutes sexual abuse of a minor); United States v. Marin-Navarette, 244 F.3d 1284, 1286 (11th Cir.2001) (attempted child molestation in the third degree constitutes sexual abuse of a minor). As amended on September 1, 1987, the Texas Penal Code defined aggravated sexual assault to include the intentional penetration, by any means, of the female sexual organ of a child less than 14 years old. Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 22.021 (1987). Along the same time frame, the Penal Code also defined indecency with a child to include intentional sexual contact with a child under the age of 17 who is not the spouse of the accused, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, which included the touching of the child’s breast. Moreno v. State, 823 S.W.2d 366, 367 (Tex.App.1991) (citing Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 21.11(a)(1) (1989)).

Next, 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(48)(A) defines a conviction, where adjudication of guilt has been withheld, as requiring the following two elements: (1) a judge or jury has to find the alien guilty, or the alien has to plead guilty or admit sufficient facts to warrant a finding of guilt, and (2) the judge has to order “some form of punishment, penalty, or restraint on the alien’s liberty to be imposed.” 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(48)(A). A formal adjudication of guilt is not required. Ali v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 443 F.3d 804, 809-10 (11th Cir.2006). Further, even a probationary term is sufficient to fall within the second prong of the statutory test. Resendiz-Alcaraz v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 383 F.3d 1262, 1268 (11th Cir. 2004).

The Guideline for a § 1326 conviction, U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2, provides a base offense level of 8, with a 16-level enhancement if the defendant previously was deported after a conviction for a felony that qualifies as a “crime of violence.” U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(a), (b)(l)(A)(ii). The commentary section defines a “crime of violence” as including the sexual abuse of a minor. Id. § 2L1.2, comment. (n.l(B)(iii)).

We conclude that the district court did not err in making the 16-level enhancement under § 2L1.2(b)(l)(A)(ii) and in determining that Santiago was subject to the maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment established by 8 U.S.C. § 1326(b)(2), because his 1994 offenses constitute both actual convictions and aggravated felonies.

2. Reasonableness of sentence

After United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005), *439 we established a two-part process for district courts to use in calculating sentences. United States v. McBride, 511 F.3d 1293, 1297 (11th Cir.2007). First, the district court must consult and correctly calculate the sentencing range recommended by the Guidelines. Second, the district court must fashion a reasonable sentence by considering the factors enumerated in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). Id.

When reviewing for procedural reasonableness, we ensure that the district court (1) properly calculated the Guidelines range, (2) treated the Guidelines as advisory, (3) considered the § 3553(a) factors, (4) did not select a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, and (5) adequately explained the chosen sentence. Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51, 128 S.Ct. 586, 597,169 L.Ed.2d 445 (2007). Moreover, 18 U.S.C.

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Related

United States v. Lazo-Ortiz
136 F.3d 1282 (Eleventh Circuit, 1998)
Fidencio Resendiz-Alcaraz v. U.S. Attorney General
383 F.3d 1262 (Eleventh Circuit, 2004)
United States v. David William Scott
426 F.3d 1324 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
United States v. Jason M. Moriarty
429 F.3d 1012 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
United States v. John Kevin Talley
431 F.3d 784 (Eleventh Circuit, 2005)
Mohammed Salim Ali v. U.S. Atty. General
443 F.3d 804 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Felix Esteban Thomas
446 F.3d 1348 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Pascual Ortiz-Delgado
451 F.3d 752 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. McBride
511 F.3d 1293 (Eleventh Circuit, 2007)
United States v. Shaw
560 F.3d 1230 (Eleventh Circuit, 2009)
United States v. Booker
543 U.S. 220 (Supreme Court, 2004)
Rita v. United States
551 U.S. 338 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Gall v. United States
552 U.S. 38 (Supreme Court, 2007)
United States v. Brijido Padilla-Reyes
247 F.3d 1158 (Eleventh Circuit, 2001)
Moreno v. State
823 S.W.2d 366 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
406 F. App'x 437, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-felipe-santiago-sanchez-ca11-2010.