United States v. Tellez

765 F. Supp. 1499, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8239, 1991 WL 110975
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMay 15, 1991
DocketNo. 88-289-Cr
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 765 F. Supp. 1499 (United States v. Tellez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Tellez, 765 F. Supp. 1499, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8239, 1991 WL 110975 (S.D. Fla. 1991).

Opinion

ORDER

NESBITT, District Judge.

Defendant Orlando Tellez appeared before the Court for a resentencing following a Judgment and Mandate from the United States Circuit Court for the Eleventh Circuit, which directed this Court to vacate the sentence previously imposed on October 31, 1989, consistent with the dictates of United States v. Smith, 907 F.2d 133 (11th Cir.1990). By way of brief history, on September 10, 1988, the Defendant pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to possess and sell counterfeit currency under 18 U.S.C. § 371. On November 1, 1988, the Court suspended the imposition of sentence and placed the Defendant on probation for a period of three years. On October 31, 1989, the Court revoked the Defendant’s probation and sentenced him to the custody of the Attorney General for a period of three years.1

By this Order, the Court elaborates on and incorporates by reference the oral findings and statement of reasons made at the resentencing hearing on February 12, 1991. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Court vacated the sentence imposed on October 31, 1989, and resentenced the Defendant in accordance with the applicable guidelines in effect at the time the Defendant was placed on probation. Based upon a review of the pre-sentence investigation report (“PSI”), consideration of the testimony of the probation officer, and after considering the sentences available when the Defendant was placed on probation, the Court sentenced the Defendant to a term of five (5) months imprisonment, credit time served, to be followed by a term of three years of supervised release. The Defendant was sentenced by being placed on probation on November 1, 1988; therefore the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 and guidelines in effect November 1, 1988 are applicable. The computation utilized by [1501]*1501the Court is as follows:

Base Offense Level: U.S.S.G. § 2B5.1(a) 9

Adjustment for Role: U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(b) -2

Adjustment for Acceptance of Responsibility: U.S.S.G. § 3El.l(a) -2

TOTAL OFFENSE LEVEL: 5

CRIMINAL HISTORY CATEGORY: I

Guideline Range:

Imprisonment: 0 to 5 months

Probation: 1 day to 3 years

Supervised Release: 2 to 3 years (optional)

Fine: $250 to $2,500

The day following the resentencing, the Defendant filed a “Motion to Correct Sentence and to Reconvene the Sentencing Hearing,” raising three points: (1) the Court’s failure to inquire of the Defendant whether the defense had any objection to the manner in which the guideline sentence was calculated; (2) the failure to advise the Defendant of his right to appeal and his right to proceed with a court-appointed counsel or counsel of his choice; and (3) the need for an evidentiary hearing “to establish prosecutorial vindictiveness” in seeking and obtaining a new sentence of supervised release.

As to the first point, the failure of the court to elicit objections as to the sentence, the transcript of the resentencing hearing reflected the following colloquy occurred:

The Court: Mr. Tellez is before the court.
Mr. Klugh: Yes, Your Honor. We are here before the court for resentencing in accordance with United States versus Tellez at 915 F.2d 1518.
The Court: According to the Eleventh Circuit decision, I am to sentence Mr. Tellez [under] any sentence available under the Sentencing Guideline Reform Act at the time he was sentenced.
Those options would be zero to five months, and he has already served more time than that, supervised release in addition to probation, or credit time served.
Are those the options as you see them, Mr. Klugh?
Mr. Klugh: Your Honor. I do not believe supervised release is an option in this case because the Court did not impose supervised release in the initial sentencing. Imposing such a sentence at this point would be a vindictive imposition. (Tr. 2 — 3).

A large portion of the remainder of the hearing involved objections by counsel for the Defendant as to any consideration by the Court of supervised release. (Tr. 3— 12). Opportunity was afforded to the Defendant and defense counsel to present any matters to the Court relevant to the Sentencing, (Tr. 14). The major concern of defense counsel to the sentence to be imposed was that the Court not consider imposing a period of supervised release. .It is apparent from the record that defense counsel had ample opportunity and in fact did object to the manner in which the guideline sentence was calculated. Clearly under the dictates of United States v. Jones, 899 F.2d 1097, 1102 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 111 S.Ct. 275, 112 L.Ed.2d 230 (1990), Defendants’ counsel had an opportunity to object to the district court’s “ultimate findings of fact and conclusions of law and to the manner in which the sentence is pronounced."

In regard to the second issue, the Court’s failure to apprise the Defendant of his right to appeal, it is clear from the record that the Defendant’s counsel, Richard Klugh, who had successfully represented the Defendant on appeal from the sentence imposed on October 31, 1989, also represented the Defendant at the February 12, 1991 re-sentencing hearing. In addition, at the conclusion of the re-sentencing hearing, the Defendant’s counsel requested a bond pending appeal and a stay of the imposition of the sentence pending appeal. The Court denied the stay, but allowed the [1502]*1502Defendant to remain out on his own recognizance pending appeal. (Tr. 20-21). It is clear from the record that the Defendant and his counsel were aware of the Defendant’s right to pursue an appeal, even in the absence of a formal recitation by the Court of the steps necessary for the Defendant to perfect an appeal of the sentence imposed.

The last request, for an evidentiary hearing to establish “the vindictiveness issue,” was initially raised at the sentencing hearing. The Court directed the Defendant to file further pleadings in support of the claim of prosecutorial vindictiveness. (Tr. 19). The Defendant’s Motion to Correct Sentence and Reconvene Sentencing Hearing is no more than a renewal of the oral request for such a hearing, without any facts or legal authorities in support of the motion. Neither a motion containing new facts, nor a memorandum of law citing supporting authorities, which would substantiate the assertion of “prosecutorial vindictiveness,” was filed as required by Local Rule 10.A.1.

The Defendant’s principal grievance is that the Court imposed a term of supervised release upon a revocation of Defendant’s probation. The Court is of the view that a term of supervised release was appropriately imposed under the dictates of United States v. Smith, 907 F.2d 133 (11th Cir.1990), and the applicable guidelines in effect at the time the Defendant was placed on probation (on November 1, 1988). The Defendant originally pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to violate Title 18 U.S.C.

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Related

United States v. Tellez
966 F.2d 1461 (Eleventh Circuit, 1992)

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Bluebook (online)
765 F. Supp. 1499, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8239, 1991 WL 110975, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-tellez-flsd-1991.