United States v. Shannon Wayne Tighe

266 F.3d 1187, 2001 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8333, 2001 Daily Journal DAR 10289, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 20861, 2001 WL 1111947
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 24, 2001
Docket00-30263
StatusPublished
Cited by184 cases

This text of 266 F.3d 1187 (United States v. Shannon Wayne Tighe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth 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. Shannon Wayne Tighe, 266 F.3d 1187, 2001 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8333, 2001 Daily Journal DAR 10289, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 20861, 2001 WL 1111947 (9th Cir. 2001).

Opinions

FISHER, Circuit Judge:

OVERVIEW

This case is before us to review the legality of Tighe’s sentence, imposed pursuant to the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”), 18 U.S.C. § 924(e), which mandates a minimum sentence of 15 years for any person who violates the felon-in-possession statute, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), and who has three previous convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses. Tighe claims that his sentence cannot stand because ACCA is unconstitutional in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Apprendi v. New Jersey, and because two of the prior offenses upon which the district court relied as predicate offenses were improperly counted as such. Although we reject Tighe’s claim that ACCA is facially unconstitutional, as well as his claim that his third degree burglary conviction was not a “violent felony” under ACCA, we agree that the district court violated Apprendi in counting as a predicate offense Tighe’s previous juvenile adju[1190]*1190dication. Accordingly, we vacate Tighe’s sentence and remand for resentencing.

BACKGROUND

On April 20, 2000, Tighe pled guilty to three counts of a three-count indictment charging him with bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d) (Count I), being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and § 924(a)(4) (Count II) and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2312 (Count III). The indictment did not state that if he was found to be an armed career criminal, he would receive a minimum sentence of at least 15 years.1 During the Rule 11 plea colloquy, the district court informed Tighe that if he had three prior convictions for a violent felony he would receive a sentence of not less than 15 years. In the Presentence Report (“PSR”), the Probation Office concluded that the ACCA sentencing enhancement should be applied to Tighe, and set forth five previous incidents of violent conduct. Tighe submitted objections to the PSR, including objections to whether or not his convictions qualified him for the enhancement. In a sentencing memo, Tighe also objected on the ground that Apprendi required that the three felony predicates be proven before a jury by a beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard of proof.

At sentencing on August 28, 2000, the district court determined, over Tighe’s objection, that he should be sentenced pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 4B1.4(b)(3)(B), which implements ACCA. The district court rejected Tighe’s Apprendi objection. As for the three prior felonies required to trigger the armed career criminal enhancement, the district court first relied upon a 1993 Wyoming armed robbery conviction, which was agreed upon by both parties. The court then found that a 1988 Oregon juvenile adjudication of a charge of reckless endangerment and first-degree robbery and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle counted as a prior conviction. Finally, the district court found that a 1992 South Dakota burglary conviction fell squarely within the “Taylor heartland of burglary offenses” and therefore counted as the third conviction necessary to apply the enhancement. Having found three countable convictions, the district court sustained Tighe’s objection to a 1993 South Dakota grand theft conviction “in the interest of judicial economy.” The court sentenced Tighe to 235-months imprisonment for Count I, 180 months for Count II and 120 months for Count III, all sentences to run concurrently. He timely appeals his sentence.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The legality of a sentence is reviewed de novo. United States v. Murphy, 65 F.3d 758, 762 (9th Cir.1995). The constitutionality of a statutory provision is reviewed de novo. Taylor v. United States, 143 F.3d 1178, 1179 (9th Cir.1998). Whether a conviction is a predicate felony under section 924(e) is reviewed de novo. United States v. Bonat, 106 F.3d 1472, 1474 (9th Cir.1997).

DISCUSSION

I. Constitutional Challenges to Tighe’s Sentence under ACCA

Tighe brings both facial and as-applied constitutional challenges to his sentences [1191]*1191under ACCA. We address each challenge in turn.

A. Facial Challenge

The Armed Career Criminal Act, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e), mandates a minimum sentence of 15 years for anyone convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) who is found to have three previous convictions for a violent felony or a serious drug offense. 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1); United States v. McElyea, 158 F.3d 1016, 1018 (9th Cir.1998). A defendant convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm who has not been previously convicted of three violent felonies or serious drug offenses can be sentenced only to a maximum of 10 years. 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2). Tighe challenges ACCA on its face on the ground that it “allows for a substantial increase in [the] statutory maximum [sentence] based on prior convictions, the existence of which need only be proved to the judge by a preponderance of the evidence.” He argues that under Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), the fact of his prior convictions must be proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.

Under the current state of the law, the Constitution does not require prior convictions that increase a statutory penalty to be charged in the indictment and proved before a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Pacheco-Zepeda, 234 F.3d 411, 413-14 (9th Cir.2001) (“The district court was entitled to consider any prior aggravated felony convictions in sentencing Pacheco-Zepeda for illegal reentry even though such conduct had not-been charged in the indictment, presented to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.”); see also Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490, 120 S.Ct. 2348 (“Other than the fact of a pñor conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” (emphasis added)); Almendarez-Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224, 243-44, 118 S.Ct.

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Bluebook (online)
266 F.3d 1187, 2001 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8333, 2001 Daily Journal DAR 10289, 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 20861, 2001 WL 1111947, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-shannon-wayne-tighe-ca9-2001.