United States v. Platero

996 F.3d 1060
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedMay 6, 2021
Docket19-2193
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 996 F.3d 1060 (United States v. Platero) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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. Platero, 996 F.3d 1060 (10th Cir. 2021).

Opinion

FILED United States Court of Appeals PUBLISH Tenth Circuit

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS May 6, 2021

Christopher M. Wolpert FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT Clerk of Court _________________________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff - Appellee, No. 19-2193 v.

PADDY PLATERO,

Defendant - Appellant. _________________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (D.C. No. 1:18-CR-01819-MV-1) _________________________________

Mallory Gagan, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Office of the Federal Public Defender, Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Appellant.

Nicholas J. Marshall, Assistant United States Attorney (C. Paige Messec, Assistant United States Attorney, John C. Anderson, United States Attorney, with him on the brief), Office of the United States Attorney, Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Appellee. _________________________________

Before TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge, MURPHY, and HARTZ, Circuit Judges. _________________________________

HARTZ, Circuit Judge. _________________________________

Defendant Paddy Platero pleaded guilty to a charge of “[a]busive sexual

contact” with a child under 12 in Indian country. 18 U.S.C. § 2244; see id. § 1153

(offenses in Indian country); id. § 2246(3) (definition of sexual contact). In computing Defendant’s guideline sentencing range, the United States District Court

for the District of New Mexico increased his base offense level on the ground that

“the offense involved conduct described in 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a) or (b).” USSG

§ 2A3.4(a)(1).1 Defendant reads the guideline as requiring a violation of § 2241(a)

or (b). Section 2241, however, defines the offense of aggravated sexual abuse, not

the lesser offense of abusive sexual contact of which Defendant was convicted.

Defendant therefore appeals his sentence, contending that his base offense level

should not have been increased.

Exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we affirm. We reject

Defendant’s reading of § 2A3.4(a)(1). In context, the only reasonable interpretation

of the guideline is that the reference to “conduct described in 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a)

or (b)” is a reference to the conduct described in § 2241 that distinguishes aggravated

sexual abuse, which is governed by that section, from sexual abuse in general, which

is governed by § 2242. (We will refer to the conduct that distinguishes one form of

sexual abuse from another as the “means” by which the sexual abuse is committed.)

Defendant’s interpretation of USSG § 2A3.4(a)(1) must be avoided because it would

eliminate any possible application of the provision, rendering it useless; and our

interpretation finds support in both the history of § 2A3.4(a)(1) and the statutory

scheme, which sets penalties for the various types of abusive sexual contact set forth

1 Unless otherwise indicated, all references in this opinion to sentencing guidelines are to those in the 2018 Guidelines Manual, because it is the version in effect when Defendant was sentenced. See USSG § 1B1.11(a). 2 in § 2244 by reference to the conduct that distinguishes from one another the various

types of sexual abuse prohibited by §§ 2241, 2242, and 2243—that is, by reference to

the various means employed to commit sexual abuse.

I. BACKGROUND

On December 22, 2014, Defendant was helping to watch two step-

granddaughters—Jane Doe (age 11) and L.D. (13)—at his wife’s home in New

Mexico. While Jane Doe was sitting in a chair in the living room, Defendant grabbed

her feet and used them to rub his erect penis through his clothes. Jane Doe videoed

this event on her phone, during which she can be heard to say “stop, stop, stop.”

R., Vol. 3 at 202.

Jane Doe and L.D. described the incident to their mother, who reported it to

police. Defendant was indicted on one count of knowingly engaging in and causing

sexual contact with a child under 12. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

The presentence investigation report (PSR) prepared by the probation office

calculated Defendant’s guideline sentencing range using USSG § 2A3.4. It set the

base offense level at 20 under § 2A3.4(a)(1) because “force was involved in the

offense.” R., Vol. 3 at 197. The PSR explained, “The offense involved the defendant

grabbing Jane Doe’s legs and then feet and forcibly rubbing her feet against his

penis,” and “The video shows him pulling and manipulating her legs and feet.” Id.

After applying various adjustments to the base offense level, the PSR assigned

Defendant a total offense level of 28. Based on this offense level and Defendant’s

criminal history, the guideline imprisonment range was 78 to 97 months.

3 At the sentencing hearing the district court accepted the PSR’s factual findings

and its calculation of the guideline range. Defendant did not object. The court

imposed a sentence of 97 months in prison.

II. DISCUSSION

Defendant argues that the district court committed reversible error by

misapplying USSG § 2A3.4(a)(1) at sentencing. “Because [Defendant] did not object

in the district court, we review his argument under the plain-error standard.” United

States v. Ramon, 958 F.3d 919, 920 (10th Cir. 2020). We can reverse under that

standard only if we determine that there is “(1) an error, (2) that is plain, which

means clear or obvious under current law, . . . (3) that affects substantial rights,” and

(4) that “seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial

proceedings.” Id. at 921 (internal quotation marks omitted). As we proceed to

explain, we disagree with Defendant that the district court erred, and we therefore

affirm his sentence without reaching the other three elements of the plain-error test.

We begin by describing the statutory scheme under which this prosecution

arose. Chapter 109A of the federal criminal code is entitled “Sexual Abuse.” Three

sections—18 U.S.C. §§ 2241, 2242, and 2243—set forth sexual-abuse offenses. Each

requires engaging in a “sexual act”2 or attempting or intending to do so. Id. They

2 “[T]he term ‘sexual act’ means—(A) contact between the penis and the vulva or the penis and the anus, and for purposes of this subparagraph contact involving the penis occurs upon penetration, however slight; (B) contact between the mouth and the penis, the mouth and the vulva, or the mouth and the anus; (C) the penetration, however slight, of the anal or genital opening of another by a hand or finger or by any object, with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify 4 differ in other elements—namely, the means employed to accomplish the sexual act.

For example, the first section of the chapter states:

§ 2241. Aggravated sexual abuse

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
996 F.3d 1060, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-platero-ca10-2021.