United States v. Terrence Bell

575 F. App'x 598
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedAugust 5, 2014
Docket13-6339
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 575 F. App'x 598 (United States v. Terrence Bell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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. Terrence Bell, 575 F. App'x 598 (6th Cir. 2014).

Opinion

JOHN T. NIXON, District Judge.

Terrence Bell pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The government argued Bell should be sentenced as an armed career criminal based on three previous convictions: one aggravated robbery and two aggravated assaults in Tennessee. Bell argued that one of his convictions for aggravated assault under Tennessee law did not qualify as a violent felony. The district court agreed with the government and sentenced Bell as an armed career criminal to 180 months in prison. For the following reasons, we AFFIRM the district court’s sentence.

BACKGROUND

On December 14, 2012, a federal Grand Jury indicted Bell on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). On March 13, 2013, Bell entered a guilty plea to both counts without a written plea agreement.

On May 14, 2013, the United States Probation Office prepared a Presentence Investigation Report (“PSR”), which deemed Bell an armed career criminal under the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”), 18 U.S.C. § 924(e), based on having three previous convictions for violent felonies. The three convictions were one aggravated robbery and two aggravated assaults. Based on the PSR, Bell’s advisory guideline range for both counts was 188 to 235 months; however, the firearm charge also carried a statutory minimum of 180 months (15 years) based on Bell’s designation as an armed career criminal under the ACCA. See 18 U.S.C. 924(e)(1) (2012).

On July 30, 2013, Bell filed a Position on the PSR, challenging only the designation of one of his convictions for aggravated assault as a violent felony under the ACCA. In particular, one conviction was predicated on violation of Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-102(c), which Bell contended encompasses both simple assaults and crimes committed recklessly and is therefore outside the scope of the ACCA’s definition of violent felony. On August 4, 2013, the government filed its own Position on the PSR, arguing Bell’s aggravated assault conviction qualified as a violent felony under the ACCA. Specifically, the government submitted that § 39-13-102(c) does not encompass recklessness and further that any violation of § 39-13-102(c) presents sufficient risk of physical injury to qualify as a violent felony.

On October 7, 2013, the district court conducted a sentencing hearing with oral argument from Bell and the government. Both essentially reiterated the arguments in their respective Positions. Ultimately, the district court rejected Bell’s objections, concluding the statute could not be violated by merely reckless conduct and that the risk of violence created by a violation of § 39-13-102(c) presented sufficient risk of physical injury to qualify as a violent felony given that § 39-13-102(c) requires the crime to be committed in violation of a restraining order. The district court then sentenced Bell to 180 months in prison. This appeal followed.

*600 DISCUSSION

I. Standard of Review

We review de novo a district court’s determination of law that a defendant’s prior conviction is a violent felony under the ACCA. United States v. Mitchell, 743 F.3d 1054, 1058 (6th Cir.2014).

II. Analysis

At the time of Bell’s conviction in 2006, TenmCode Ann. § 39-13-102(c) 1 provided

A person commits aggravated assault who, after having been enjoined or restrained by an order, diversion or probation agreement of a court of competent jurisdiction from in any way causing or attempting to cause bodily injury or in any way committing or attempting to commit an assault against an individual or individuals, intentionally or knowingly attempts to cause or causes bodily injury or commits or attempts to commit an assault against such individual or individuals.

“Assault” was then further defined as

(1) Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another;
(2) Intentionally or knowingly causes another to reasonably fear imminent bodily injury; or
(3) Intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another and a reasonable person would regard the contact as extremely offensive or provocative.

TenmCode Ann. § 39-13-101(a) (2006). For purposes of both of these sections, “bodily injury” was defined as “a cut, abrasion, bruise, burn or disfigurement, and physical pain or temporary illness or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty.” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-ll-106(a)(2) (2006). Further, “in determining the meaning or the scope of [aggravated assault], we are bound by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s interpretation, including its guidance on the elements of the crime.” Mitchell, 743 F.3d at 1059.

Under the ACCA, a person convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), with three previous convictions under § 922(g)(1) for violent felonies, shall serve a minimum fifteen-year sentence. 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1) (2012). “Violent felony” is defined as

any crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year ... that (i) has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another; or (ii) is burglary, arson, or extortion, involves use of explosives, or otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.

Id. § 924(e)(2)(B). Accordingly, there are three ways in which a crime may qualify as a violent felony: (1) as an enumerated offense (burglary, arson, extortion, use of explosives); (2) under the “use of physical force” clause, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(B)(i); or (3) under the “otherwise,” or residual, clause, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(B)(ii). See United States v. McMurray, 653 F.3d 367, 373 (6th Cir.2011).

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Related

United States v. Terrence Bell
612 F. App'x 378 (Sixth Circuit, 2015)

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Bluebook (online)
575 F. App'x 598, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-terrence-bell-ca6-2014.