United States v. Vidrio

26 F. App'x 565
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedDecember 20, 2001
DocketNo. 01-1736
StatusPublished

This text of 26 F. App'x 565 (United States v. Vidrio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh 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. Vidrio, 26 F. App'x 565 (7th Cir. 2001).

Opinion

ORDER

Jose Vidrio was convicted of attempting to possess, with intent to distribute, marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a), 846. The district court sentenced him to 121 months in prison. Vidrio appeals his [566]*566sentence, arguing that it does not comply with Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000). We affirm.

I.

On June 13, 2000, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Jose Vidrio. Count 1 charged Vidrio and two co-defendants, Gerardo Resendez and Nicolas Moreno, with conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute, over 500 kilograms of marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 846. Count 2 charged Vidrio with attempting to possess, with intent to distribute, over 500 kilograms of marijuana in violation of §§ 841(a)(1), 846. Resendez and Moreno pleaded guilty to Count 1, and agreed to testify for the government in the prosecution of Vidrio’s case. On September 12, 2000, the grand jury returned a two-count superseding indictment against Vidrio, charging him with conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute, over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana (Count 1), and with attempting to possess, with intent to distribute, over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana (Count 2).

Vidrio’s trial commenced on September 25, 2000. During the jury instruction conference, Vidrio’s counsel objected to the government’s proffered instructions, arguing that drug quantity was not an issue for the jury’s determination. This objection resulted in the following colloquy between the government’s lawyers (collectively referred to as “AUSA”), defense counsel (“Mejia”), and the district court, concerning the applicability of Apprendi to the withdrawal of the government’s jury instructions regarding drug quantity:

MEJIA: I have an objection to the verdict form as presented with respect to weight.

COURT: What is your objection?

MEJIA: That the quantity is not an element of the offense that the jury need render verdict in this case.

COURT: All right. You would rather I withdraw that from the jury’s consideration.

MEJIA: Yes, Sir.

AUSA: I guess if we can have an agreement from the defense that, in the future, there will be no argument that weight is an element of the offense, then -

AUSA: Or that weight does not need to be determined by the jury.

AUSA: If he’s prepared to make that concession now, I think that will cover everything.

MEJIA: I’m not going to argue weight.

COURT: Do you agree it is not an element for the jury’s consideration?

MEJIA: I agree with that.

COURT: All right.

MEJIA: I will, however, argue strenuously as to his truth with respect to whether there were two loads or three, and that — and I intend to do that at length.

COURT: You can argue that until you are blue in the face.

MEJIA: But I will not argue the differential between greater than or less than a thousand kilos and what the evidence is if there’s a doubt of the-

COURT: You will not argue that — you are not going to argue that there is any jury question on the matter of weight, right?

MEJIA: I will not argue that at all.

COURT: You are going to argue -

MEJIA: I will not mention weight.

COURT: Pardon?

MEJIA: I will not mention weight in any way.

[567]*567COURT: And you will legally agree that [sic] that is not an element for the jury to decide?

MEJIA: I agree with that. That’s my position.

AUSA: Your honor, as I understand Apprendi, the phrasing that I’d like to hear from Mr. Mejia is that he will not argue at sentencing that the fact that the jury did not determine the weight is a matter [sic] and that he’s willing to leave to your Honor at sentencing an ultimate determination of the weight that will apply to Mr. Vidrio’s conduct.

COURT: Well, that is the only way it could come out. I mean, if somebody has to determine weight-let us assume he is found guilty and someone has to determine weight. And if Mr. Mejia agrees that it is not a jury function or an element of the offense, then it is going to be left to me one way or another. I mean, there is not any other way it can slice.

MEJIA: Absolutely.

COURT: Right?

MEJIA: That’s absolutely the truth.

COURT: That is the understanding, then.

MEJIA: Yes.

R93, pt.3, 342-44.

On the understanding that if the defendant was found guilty the judge, not the jury, would determine the amount of marijuana, the government tendered three general verdict forms to the court, giving the jury the option of finding Vidrio: (1) guilty on both counts; (2) not guilty on both counts; or (3) guilty of one count and not guilty of the other count. Per defense counsel’s request, the jury was not instructed to make a finding regarding drug quantity on either count of the superseding indictment. During jury deliberations, the jury twice raised questions about drug quantity, and each time the district court, with the agreement of the parties, informed the jury that the specific quantity of marijuana involved was not an issue for its consideration or determination. The jury ultimately found Vidrio guilty of attempting to possess, with intent to distribute, marijuana (Count 2), but could not reach a unanimous verdict on the conspiracy charge (Count l).1

Prior to sentencing, a probation officer prepared a presentence investigation report recommending that Vidrio be held accountable for attempting to possess, with intent to distribute, between 1,000 and 3,000 kilograms of marijuana. The probation officer arrived at this figure by using the weight of the marijuana load involved in the count of conviction (561 kilograms2), as well as the two other loads of marijuana involved in Count 1, which she considered as relevant conduct for purposes of sentencing.3 Vidrio filed a memorandum objecting to the probation officer’s Sentencing Guideline calculations, arguing that: (1) the government forfeited its right to seek an enhanced sentence against him by failing to submit jury instructions regarding drug quantity, and (2) if he was to be “held accountable for any specific drug quantity, it could only be the 561 kilograms of marijuana that he stipulated to for the count of conviction. The district [568]*568court rejected these arguments, finding that Vidrio: (1) waived the issue of drug quantity at the jury instruction conference, and (2) agreed to allow the court to decide the issue of drug quantity at sentencing. The district court then accepted the probation officer’s recommendation, and sentenced Vidrio to 121 months in prison. Vidrio appeals.

II.

If, as here, the quantity of drugs involved in any particular case has the effect of increasing the statutory maximum term of imprisonment, the issue “must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” Apprendi v. New Jersey,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Apprendi v. New Jersey
530 U.S. 466 (Supreme Court, 2000)
United States v. Mardisco Staples and Delwin Brown
202 F.3d 992 (Seventh Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Donald Behrman
235 F.3d 1049 (Seventh Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Wendell Nance, Sr.
236 F.3d 820 (Seventh Circuit, 2001)
United States of America v. Kerry Poulack
236 F.3d 932 (Eighth Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Charles R. Robinson IV
250 F.3d 527 (Seventh Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Quincy T. Collins
272 F.3d 984 (Seventh Circuit, 2001)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
26 F. App'x 565, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-vidrio-ca7-2001.