United States v. Redmond

869 F. Supp. 813, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16877, 1994 WL 661253
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedNovember 14, 1994
DocketCrim. No. 92-208-FR
StatusPublished

This text of 869 F. Supp. 813 (United States v. Redmond) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Redmond, 869 F. Supp. 813, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16877, 1994 WL 661253 (D. Or. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION

FRYE, District Judge:

Before the eoxxrt is the matter of the re-sentencing of the defendant, Angelo Redmond.

BACKGROUND

On June 9, 1992, the defendant, Angelo Redmond, was charged in Count 4 of the indictment filed against him with the crime of having knowingly distributed a substance containing cocaine base on April 16, 1992.

On January 19, 1993, Redmond entered a plea of guilty to the crime of having knowingly distributed a substance containing cocaine base on April 16, 1992 pursuant to a plea agreement in which the government agreed to recommend sentencing adjustments based upon the fact that Redmond had accepted responsibility for his criminal acts and because of his minor or minimal role in the offense. The government also agreed to join [814]*814with Redmond in asking the court to depart downward to a probationary sentence in light of Redmond’s medical history.

Following Redmond’s plea of guilty, a presentence report was prepared. The writer of the presentence report finds Redmond responsible for the commission of a level 26 offense and classifies him as a Category I offender with a guideline range of 33 to 41 months. The writer of the presentence report recommends an adjustment based upon Redmond’s acceptance of responsibility but does not recommend an adjustment based upon Redmond’s role in the offense. The writer of the presentence report concludes that Redmond’s physical impairment is not an extraordinarily serious physical impairment so as to warrant a downward departure under the sentencing guidelines.

On April 5, 1993, the court held a sentencing hearing at which time the court determined that it would follow the plea agreement of the parties. The court found that the sentencing guideline range was 33 to 41 months but agreed to depart downward to a probationary sentence under U.S.S.G. § 5H1.4. The court then imposed upon Redmond a probationary sentence of three years under standard and special conditions, including the standard condition that he “shall refrain from excessive use of alcohol and shall not purchase, possess, use, distribute or administer any narcotic or other controlled substance, nor any paraphernalia related to such substances, except as prescribed by a physician.” Standard Condition of Probation No. 7.

On August 26,1993, a summons was issued by the court ordering Redmond to show cause why his term of probation should not be revoked because he had submitted five urine samples between June 17, 1993 and August 9, 1993 which, upon testing, showed the presence of cocaine.

On October 12, 1993, the court issued an amended order to show cause why Redmond’s term of probation should not be revoked because (1) Redmond had submitted on September 27,1994 and on September 30, 1994 “positive” urine samples; and (2) Redmond had been terminated from a residential substance abuse treatment program as a consequence of the evidence that he had been using cocaine.

On October 18, 1993, Redmond admitted that he had used cocaine on October 1, 1993. Based upon that admission, the court revoked Redmond’s term of probation and imposed upon him a sentence of 33 months imprisonment.

On November 22, 1993, the court amended the sentence that it had imposed on October 18, 1993 to add a three-year term of supervised release to follow the sentence of 33 months imprisonment.

Redmond filed a notice of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

On September 28, 1994, the Court of Appeals, 37 F.3d 1507, filed a memorandum opinion stating:

It appearing that, subsequent to the revocation of probation and resentencing by the district court, the Supreme Court has decided by United States v. Granderson, [-] U.S. [-], 114 S.Ct. 1259 [127 L.Ed.2d 611] (1994), and it appearing further that this decision is relevant to the subject matter of this appeal, it is hereby ordered that the sentence of the district court be VACATED and the proceedings REMANDED for resentencing in light of Granderson.

On October 20, 1994, the Court of Appeals issued the mandate vacating the sentence imposed on November 22, 1993 and remanding the proceedings to this court.

CONTENTIONS OF THE PARTIES

Redmond contends that the appropriate sentencing range available to the court on October 18,1993 permitted the court to place Redmond on probation as a sentencing option. Redmond contends that, in his case, a sentence of probation without any community confinement is only available in Zone A of the Sentencing Table, U.S.S.G. § 5B1.1; that the court necessarily determined the sentencing range to be 0-6 months when it sentenced him to a term of probation; and that upon revocation of the term of probation, the court is limited to a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment. Because [815]*815he has already served more than 15 months in prison, Redmond contends that he has served that sentence and should now be released.

The government contends that the sentence imposed by the court of 33 months is authorized by 18 U.S.C. § 3565(a)(2).

APPLICABLE LAW

18 U.S.C. § 3565(a) states, in part:

If the defendant violates a condition of probation at any time prior to the expiration or termination of the term of probation, the court may ...
(1) continue him on probation, with or without extending the term or modifying or enlarging the conditions; or
(2) revoke the sentence of probation and impose any other sentence that was available under subchapter A at the time of the initial sentencing.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if a defendant is found by the court to be in possession of a controlled substance, thereby violating the condition imposed by section 3563(a)(3), the court shall revoke the sentence of probation and sentence the defendant to not less than one-third of the original sentence.

ANALYSIS AND RULING

In United States v. Forrester, 19 F.3d 482 (9th Cir.1994), the appellate court concluded that the district court, upon the revocation of a defendant’s sentence of probation, could impose a sentence within the guideline range applicable at the time of the imposition of the sentence of probation pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3565(a)(2).

In Forrester, the defendant plead guilty to the crime of bank robbery. In Forrester, the court said that:

At his sentencing hearing, the district court took pity on him. Instead of sentencing him to prison for between 33 and 41 months, as prescribed by the applicable guideline range, the court departed downward and gave him five years probation.
Approximately 18 months later, the United States Probation Department filed a petition to revoke probation. Forrester had violated several general conditions of his probation.

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Related

United States v. Granderson
511 U.S. 39 (Supreme Court, 1994)
United States v. John William Forrester
19 F.3d 482 (Ninth Circuit, 1994)
United States v. Harrison
815 F. Supp. 494 (District of Columbia, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
869 F. Supp. 813, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16877, 1994 WL 661253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-redmond-ord-1994.