United States v. Guess

216 F. Supp. 3d 689, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153089, 2016 WL 6824424
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedNovember 3, 2016
DocketCRIMINAL NO. 4:07-CR-112-2
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 216 F. Supp. 3d 689 (United States v. Guess) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Guess, 216 F. Supp. 3d 689, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153089, 2016 WL 6824424 (E.D. Va. 2016).

Opinion

[690]*690OPINION AND ORDER

ROBERT G. DOUMAR, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

On October 17, 2016, Michael Guess (“Defendant”) appeared before the Court concerning a number of supervised release violations. For the reasons set forth herein and explained at the hearing, the Court REVOKED the supervision previously imposed. This Order serves to elaborate on some of the findings the Court made at the October 17, 2016 hearing.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On November 19, 2007, Defendant pled guilty to: Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), a Class A Felony (Count One); and (2) Use of a Firearm During Drug Trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), also a Class A Felony (Count Eleven). ECF No. 104.

On March 17, 2008, this Court sentenced Defendant to 168 months of imprisonment for Count One and sixty months of imprisonment for Count Eleven, with these terms of imprisonment to run consecutively for a total of 228 months. ECF No. 150. Supervised release was set at five years. Id. On October 31, 2014, this Court reduced Defendant’s sentence, upon the Government’s Motion for Substantial Assistance, to a total term of 114 months. ECF No. 267. On December 9, 2014, upon the Government’s Motion for Reduction of Sentence based on the Crack Cocaine Amendment, 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), this Court further reduced Defendant’s sentence to 112 months total (56 months on Count One and 56 months on Count Eleven, to run consecutively). ECF No. 268.

Defendant began his five years of supervised release on November 27, 2015. See Pet., June 30, 2016, ECF No. 282. The Court ordered a Summons on June 30, 2016. ECF No. 284. Since the Summons was issued, five addenda to the Petition have been filed, Both the Petition and Addenda allege a variety of supervised release violations, which are as follows: (1) commission of a crime, driving while intoxicated; (2) failure to follow the instructions of the probation officer; (3) failure to submit monthly supervision reporters; and (4) possession of marijuana. See Pet., June 30, 2016, ECF No. 282; Addendum to Pet., July 13, 2016, ECF No. 285; Second Addendum to Pet., August 11, 2016, ECF No. 291; Third Addendum to Pet., Sept. 21, 2016, ECF No. 292; Fourth Addendum to Pet., Sept. 30, 2016, ECF No. 293; and Fifth Addendum to Pet., Oct. 17, 2016, ECF No. 295.

All of the alleged violations constituted Grade C violations with the exception of possession of marijuana, which the probation officer determined constituted a Grade B violation. Defendant had a criminal history category of III. Accordingly, pursuant to the Revocation Table set forth in § 7B1.4 of the Sentencing Guidelines Manual, Defendant’s recommended range of imprisonment for a Grade B violation was eight to fourteen months. U.S. Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual, § 7B 1.4(c) (Nov. 2015) (hereinafter “Guidelines Manual”). Defendant’s recommended range for a Grade C violation was five to eleven months. Id.

On October 17, 2016, the Court held a hearing on the alleged violations. ECF No. 294. At the hearing, Defendant stipulated to the violations set forth in the Petition. However, Defendant argued that the Court should continue the matter for sixty to ninety days to permit Defendant to continue participating in drug treatment programs; or, in the alternative, impose home confinement to permit Defendant to continue substance abuse treatment; or, in the alternative, consider Defendant’s mari[691]*691juana possession a Grade C violation and impose five months of imprisonment.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

A. Revocation of Supervised Release

18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(8) permits the court to revoke a criminal defendant’s supervised release if it “finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant violated a condition of supervised release[.]” However, in certain circumstances, revocation is mandatory. Under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g), if the defendant:

(1) possesses a controlled substance in violation of the condition set forth in subsection (d); ... or
(4) as a part of drug testing, tests positive for illegal controlled substances more than three times over the course of one year;
the court shall revoke the term of supervised release and require the defendant to serve a term of imprisonment not to exceed the maximum term of imprisonment authorized under subsection (e)(3).

B. The United States Sentencing Guidelines

Under the Sentencing Guidelines, supervised release violations are divided into three grades: Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C. Guidelines Manual, § 7Bl.l(a). Grade C violations are the lowest classification and include “conduct constituting (A) a federal, state, or local offense punishable by a term of imprisonment of one year or less; or (B) a violation of any other condition of supervision.” Id. Grade B violations are those offenses not in the specific categories of more serious crimes delineated in Grade A, but “punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.” Id, At issue was whether Defendant’s possession of marijuana qualified as a Grade B or a Grade C violation.

Simple possession of a controlled substance is criminalized by 21 U.S.C. § 844. Possession in violation of § 844 is a normally a misdemeanor, punishable by one year or less. Thus, most supervised release violations based on simple possession would constitute Grade C violations. However, if a defendant has previously been convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841, the defendant may be eligible for a sentencing enhancement under § 844 that would prescribe a maximum term of imprisonment of two years. 21 U.S.C. § 844(a). Any such enhanced § 844 violation would therefore constitute a Grade B violation.

Since Defendant was previously convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841, Defendant’s Possession of Marijuana rendered him eligible for a § 844 sentencing enhancement, and thus a maximum term of imprisonment of two years. The probation officer therefore considered Defendant’s marijuana possession a Grade B violation.

III. ANALYSIS

A. Federal Regulation of Marijuana

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
216 F. Supp. 3d 689, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153089, 2016 WL 6824424, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-guess-vaed-2016.