United States v. Oliver

9 F. App'x 502
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedMay 8, 2001
DocketNo. 00-4122
StatusPublished

This text of 9 F. App'x 502 (United States v. Oliver) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh 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. Oliver, 9 F. App'x 502 (7th Cir. 2001).

Opinion

[503]*503ORDER

After Anthony Oliver admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release, the district court ordered it revoked and re-sentenced him to thirty months’ imprisonment and thirty months’ supervised release. Oliver appealed, but his counsel moves to withdraw because in her opinion the appeal is frivolous, see Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967). Oliver has responded to his attorney’s motion. Having reviewed counsel’s Anders brief and Oliver’s response, we grant counsel’s motion to withdraw and dismiss the appeal.

In November 1995 Oliver pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, 841(a)(1). Oliver had already served 32}£ months in state custody on a conviction arising from the same conduct, so the district court reduced the otherwise-applicable statutory minimum by that amount and imposed a term of imprisonment of 87/6 months. See U.S.S.G. § 6G1.3(b) & comment, (n.2). The court also imposed a five-year term of supervised release and a $2,000 fíne. In September 1996 the district court granted the government’s motion to reduce Oliver’s sentence by another 30 months under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 35 for his substantial assistance in an unrelated murder case.

Oliver began his supervised release on June 5,1999. On April 6, 2000 the government filed a revocation petition alleging that Oliver violated the terms of his release when he twice tested positive for cocaine, admittedly used marijuana, and missed four urinalysis tests. At a May 2000 hearing Oliver admitted to the violations but noted that he had sought treatment for drug addiction. The parties suggested that the court continue the hearing for six months to give Oliver a second chance. The court agreed, but warned Oliver that his supervised release would be revoked if he violated its terms again. Furthermore, the court admonished Oliver that it would depart upward from the prison sentence recommended under U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4 and instead “take back” the Rule 35 sentence reduction and sentence Oliver to 30 months’ imprisonment.

In November 2000 the government filed an amended revocation petition adding six new violations: (1) testing positive for cocaine use in September 2000, (2) using alcohol excessively, (3) failing to make fine payments, (4) committing a state disorderly conduct offense, (5) failing to report the disorderly conduct arrest to his probation officer, and (6) missing another urinalysis test and then being terminated from the drug testing program after a pattern of disrespect to the program staff. Oliver admitted the allegations in the amended petition.

The district court revoked Oliver’s supervised release under 18 U .S.C. § 3583(e)(3) and, as promised, sentenced him to 30 months’ imprisonment. Noting that this term was half the maximum permissible under § 3583(e), the court imposed an additional 30 months’ supervised release under § 3583(h). In support of the sentence, the court found that Oliver was a threat to himself and society because of his drug and alcohol abuse. The court reasoned that a long prison sentence, coupled with an intensive drug rehabilitation program, would afford Oliver a chance to cure his addiction. Finally, the court pointed out that tying the prison term to the Rule 35 reduction would deter others from breaking the law after receiving a sentencing benefit.

The first potential argument counsel identifies is that the district court abused its discretion in revoking Oliver’s supervised release. Oliver adds in his response that the district court indeed abused its [504]*504discretion because it incorrectly categorized Ms violations as Grade B violations, for wMch revocation is mandatory, rather than as Grade C violations, for which revocation is discretionary. See U.S.S.G. § 7B1.3; United States v. Wright, 92 F.3d 502, 504 (7th Cir.1996). Section 7B1.1 defines Grade B violations to include most federal, state, or local offenses puMshable by more than one year in prison; Grade C violations encompass misdemeanor criminal conduct and transgressions of supervision conditions that do not amount to independent crimes. See § 7Bl.l(a)(2),(3). Oliver notes that testing positive for drug use is a Grade C violation, see Wright, 92 F.3d at 506, and asserts that the rest of his violations were also Grade C.

Oliver failed to raise this objection at sentencing and therefore we would review it solely for plain error. See United States v. Harvey, 232 F.3d 585, 587 (7th Cir.2000). Given this standard of review, we agree with counsel that the argument would be frivolous. First, in United States v. Young, 41 F.3d 1184, 1186 (7th Cir. 1994) , we held that positive drug tests and admissions of drug use warrant a finding that the defendant possessed drugs and, therefore, mandate revocation under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g)(1). Second, 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g)(3) provides that revocation is mandatory where a defendant has refused to comply with drug testing imposed as part of his supervised release. Oliver’s failure to submit to urinalysis on five occasions and his behavior leading to his termination from the drug testing program clearly constitutes a refusal to comply with drug testing. See, e.g., United States v. Stephens, 65 F.3d 738, 740-41 (8th Cir. 1995) . Accordingly, a challenge to the revocation would be frivolous.

Counsel next questions whether Oliver could contest the district court’s decision to impose a prison term in excess of that recommended under U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4. We agree with counsel that it would be frivolous for Oliver to argue that the district court’s decision to depart upward was “plainly unreasonable.” See Harvey, 232 F.3d at 588; United States v. Hale, 107 F.3d 526, 529 (7th Cir.1997). The record demonstrates that the district court considered various factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3553, including the nature of Oliver’s conviction, the need to protect society from Oliver’s behavior, and the need to deter future criminal conduct; that is all that the district court was required to do. See Harvey, 232 F.3d at 588 (sentencing judge should consider factors set forth in § 3553 but need not make findings as to all relevant factors); Hale, 107 F.3d at 530 (sentencing judge need oMy make comments reflecting that the appropriate factors were considered).

The next potential argument identified by counsel, and echoed by Oliver, is that the district court improperly linked Oliver’s revocation sentence to the previously awarded Rule 35 reduction.

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Related

Anders v. California
386 U.S. 738 (Supreme Court, 1967)
Johnson v. United States
529 U.S. 694 (Supreme Court, 2000)
United States v. John William Forrester
19 F.3d 482 (Ninth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Charles L. Young
41 F.3d 1184 (Seventh Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Earnest Clifford Stephens
65 F.3d 738 (Eighth Circuit, 1995)
United States v. Montuelle Wright
92 F.3d 502 (Seventh Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Michael A. Hale
107 F.3d 526 (Seventh Circuit, 1997)
United States v. Raynard McDowell
117 F.3d 974 (Seventh Circuit, 1997)
United States v. Donald E. McClanahan
136 F.3d 1146 (Seventh Circuit, 1998)
United States v. Pedro Martinez, Iii, A/K/A Pete
169 F.3d 1049 (Seventh Circuit, 1999)
United States v. Jeffrey Harris
230 F.3d 1054 (Seventh Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Michael Harvey
232 F.3d 585 (Seventh Circuit, 2000)

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Bluebook (online)
9 F. App'x 502, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-oliver-ca7-2001.