United States v. Jacobs

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedFebruary 8, 1999
Docket97-5786
StatusUnknown

This text of United States v. Jacobs (United States v. Jacobs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third 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. Jacobs, (3d Cir. 1999).

Opinion

Opinions of the United 1999 Decisions States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

2-8-1999

USA v. Jacobs Precedential or Non-Precedential:

Docket 97-5786

Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_1999

Recommended Citation "USA v. Jacobs" (1999). 1999 Decisions. Paper 33. http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/thirdcircuit_1999/33

This decision is brought to you for free and open access by the Opinions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit at Villanova University School of Law Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in 1999 Decisions by an authorized administrator of Villanova University School of Law Digital Repository. For more information, please contact Benjamin.Carlson@law.villanova.edu. Filed February 8, 1999

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

NO. 97-5786

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

v.

FLOYD JACOBS,

Appellant

On Appeal From the United States District Court For the District of New Jersey (D.C. Crim. Action No. 97-cr-00343) District Judge: Honorable Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr.

Argued September 18, 1998

BEFORE: STAPLETON and ROTH, Circuit Judges, and HOEVELER,* Senior District Judge

(Opinion Filed February 8, 1999)

Lorraine Gauli-Rufo (Argued) Assistant Federal Public Defender Office of Federal Public Defender 972 Broad Street Newark, NJ 07102

Attorney for Appellant

_________________________________________________________________

* Honorable William M. Hoeveler, Senior United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, sitting by designation. Faith S. Hochberg United States Attorney George S. Leone (Argued) Assistant United States Attorney 970 Broad Street Newark, NJ 07102

Norman J. Gross Assistant United States Attorney 4th and Cooper Streets Mitchell H. Cohen Courthouse One John F. Gerry Plaza Camden, NJ 08101

Attorneys for Appellee

OPINION OF THE COURT

HOEVELER, Senior District Judge:

Floyd Jacobs appeals from a final judgment of conviction and sentence requesting that his sentence be vacated and remanded to the District Court for re-sentencing on three separate grounds. We affirm the District Court's conclusion that Jacobs is to pay full restitution to the victim under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, 18 U.S.C.A. S3663A. We also affirm the District Court's application of a six level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. S2A2.2(b)(3)(C), Infliction of Permanent or Life-Threatening Bodily Injury. We vacate Jacobs' sentence and remand for a more detailed explanation in accordance with Third Circuit precedent as to the basis of the sentencing court's five-level upward departure pursuant to S5K2.3, Extreme Psychological Injury.

I.

Appellant was charged with aggravated assault on his former girlfriend, Rebecca West, on federal property in violation of 18 U.S.C. S113(a)(3). Jacobs pled guilty to the charge on June 17, 1997.

2 The written plea agreement contained the following stipulations: (1) the applicable Sentencing Guideline was U.S.S.G. S2A2.2, which provides a base offense level of 15; (2) a dangerous weapon was used during the assault requiring an upward adjustment of 4 points appropriate pursuant to U.S.S.G. S2A2.2(b)(2)(B); and (3) since Jacobs pled guilty on a timely basis and therefore accepted responsibility for his crime, he was entitled to a downward adjustment of 3 points, pursuant to U.S.S.G. S3E1.1(a) and (b)(2). After an evidentiary hearing on the degree of injury Jacobs inflicted upon the victim for the specific offense characteristic under S2A2.2, the Court found that the victim had sustained "permanent or life-threatening bodily injury" and applied the six level upward adjustment under U.S.S.G. S2A2.2(b)(3)(C). Therefore, based upon an Offense Level of 22 and a Criminal History Category of II, the Guidelines range was 46-57 months. The Court then informed the parties before the sentencing that it would entertain a motion for an upward departure pursuant to U.S.S.G. S5K2.3 regarding infliction of "extreme psychological injury" upon the victim. After a review of treatment and examination records by various mental health professionals, the Court found that Jacobs had inflicted extreme psychological injury upon the victim, and thus departed five levels above the adjusted offense level. Thus, the total offense level became 27 with a Guidelines range of 78-97 months. Jacobs was sentenced to a 96 month term of imprisonment. Appellant's Appendix at 57- 69. An evidentiary hearing was held regarding restitution wherein Jacobs was ordered to pay the full amount of monetary damages suffered by the victim and her health insurance carrier in the amount of $27,470.17. Appellant's Appendix at 74-123. Jacobs filed this appeal on November 26, 1997, and on September 18, 1998 this Court heard oral argument.

In his appeal, Jacobs makes three arguments. First, he contends that the District Court erred in imposing a six level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. S2A2.2(b)(3)(C), infliction of permanent or life-threatening injury. Second, he asserts that the Court erred in upwardly departing five levels and that the Court also erred on the degree of the departure due to insufficient findings that Jacobs had

3 inflicted "extreme psychological injury" upon the victim. Third, he argues that the Court should not have ordered him to pay full restitution pursuant to the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, 18 U.S.C. S3663A.

The government responds that the court properly concluded that a six level enhancement was warranted on the basis of findings that Jacobs had indeed inflicted permanent bodily injury and life threatening injury, the prerequisites for imposing an enhanced penalty under S2A2.2(b)(3)(C). The government also argues that there was more than enough evidence on record that Jacobs' assault had caused the victim extreme psychological injury. Finally, the government asserts that the District Court committed no error in awarding restitution, as the statute clearly mandates full restitution.

II.

A.

The first questions with which this Court is faced are Jacobs' contentions that an award of full restitution to the victim was not warranted in his case, and his argument that the amount of restitution that represented lost wages was awarded in error because West had been fully paid by her employer for time off from work. There can be little said about these arguments since the statute at issue is clear and straightforward. Plenary review is the standard for the determination that the restitution award is permitted, while the amount of the particular award is reviewed for clear error, as it rests on the facts of the particular case. United States v. Hunter, 52 F.3d 489, 493 (3d Cir. 1995). Upon consideration of the record and with the benefit of oral argument, we affirm the judgment of the District Court that Jacobs pay full restitution to the victim in the amount of $27,470.17.

On the first point, Jacobs argues that the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, 18 U.S.C.A. S3663A (MVRA), is susceptible to an interpretation which would have permitted the trial court in his case to consider awarding partial restitution instead of the full restitution that was

4 awarded against him.1 Jacobs represented at a restitution hearing that this partial restitution argument was one of first impression, but the trial court apparently did not consider it and awarded full restitution.

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