Williams v. United States

District Court, N.D. Texas·Decided April 21, 2022·No. 4:22-cv-00344·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS FORT WORTH DIVISION DAVID O. WILLIAMS, Movant, No. 4:22-cv-0344-P v. (No. 4-21-cr-0035-P-1) USA, Respondent.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER David O. Williams (“Movant”), an inmate confined in the Federal Correctional Institute in Memphis, Tennessee, has filed a pro se “Motion for Sentence Reduction under 18 U.S.C. [§] 3582(c)(1)(A) Compassionate Release” (“Motion”). ECF No. 23. He seeks an early release and, alternatively, home confinement or placement in a halfway house. Id. at 1, 3. Having considered the Motion, the facts of this case, and the applicable law, the Court concludes that the Motion should be, and it hereby is, DENIED without prejudice. I. BACKGROUND In April 2007 in the Western District of Louisiana, Movant was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and sentenced to 262 months with credit for time served, to be followed by a ten-year term of supervised release. ECF No. 2 at 18–20. In July 2016, the confinement portion of Movant’s sentence was reduced to 240 months. ECF 2-1 at 41–42. In February 2020, the Western District of Louisiana Court granted Movant’s motion for a reduced sentence under 18 U.S.C. §3582(c)(1)(A) as amended by the First Step Act (“the Compassionate Release Act”). ECF No. 2-1 at 42– 44. His sentence was reduced to time served, and he was placed on ten years’ supervised release. ECF No. 2 at 33–34; ECF No. 2-1 at 4, 44. In February 2021, this Court accepted jurisdiction over Movant. ECF No. 1. On August 31, 2021, the Government alleged that Movant had violated several conditions of his supervised release. Movant pled true to violating conditions forbidding unlawful drug possession and use and conditions requiring substance abuse treatment. ECF No. 6, 2-3; ECF No. 22. On October 7, 2021, this Court revoked Movant’s supervised release and sentenced him to eight months’ imprisonment. ECF No. 20. On October 12, 2021, the Court entered a judgment conforming with the oral pronouncement. ECF No. 22. Movant began serving his eight-month sentence in November 2021. Id. Now, he again seeks an early release or, alternatively, home confinement or placement in a halfway house. Id. at 1. He alleges that the following conditions support his request: • his age (74); • the denial of medical treatment; • his underlying health problems, including chronic medical conditions, COVID-19 side effects, and respiratory syndrome; • the risk of contracting another variant of COVID; • the conditions of his incarceration, including lockdown, quarantine, the absence of programs, and distance from his family; • his acceptance in “several after care programs”; • his “successful program[m]ing and clear conduct”; • his completion of numerous education courses; and • his having served 2/3 of his sentence with good behavior. ECF No. 23 at 1–3. Movant’s request for early release arises under the Compassionate Release Act, and his alternative requests for home confinement or release to a halfway house arise under the Elderly Offender Pilot Program, 34 USCA § 60541(g), and 18 U.S.C. § 3624, as expanded by the CARES Act. II. COMPASSIONATE RELEASE Compassionate release is discretionary, not mandatory. United States v. Chambliss, 948 F.3d 691, 693–94 (5th Cir. 2020). A. Legal Standard 1. The Compassionate Release Act The Compassionate Release Act provides in pertinent part: (c) Modification of an Imposed Term of Imprisonment.— The court may not modify a term of imprisonment once it has been imposed except that—

(1) in any case—

(A) the court, . . . upon motion of the defendant after the defendant has fully exhausted all administrative rights to appeal a failure of the Bureau of Prisons[“BOP”] to bring a motion on the defendant’s behalf or the lapse of 30 days from the receipt of such a request by the warden of the defendant’s facility, whichever is earlier, may reduce the term of imprisonment (and may impose a term of probation or supervised release with or without conditions that does not exceed the unserved portion of the original term of imprisonment), after considering the factors set forth in section 3553(a) to the extent that they are applicable, if it finds that—

(i) extraordinary and compelling reasons warrant such a reduction . . .

and that such a reduction is consistent with applicable policy statements issued by the Sentencing Commission . . . .

18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A). Section 3553(a) sentencing factors are: (1) the nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defendant; (2) the need for the sentence imposed— (A) to reflect the seriousness of the offense, to promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense; (B) to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct; (C) to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant; and (D) to provide the defendant with needed educational or vocational training, medical care, or other correctional treatment in the most effective manner; (3) the kinds of sentences available; (4) the kinds of sentence and the sentencing range established for— (A) the applicable category of offense committed by the applicable category of defendant as set forth in the guidelines— (i) issued by the Sentencing Commission pursuant to section 994(a)(1) of title 28, United States Code, subject to any amendments made to such guidelines by act of Congress (regardless of whether such amendments have yet to be incorporated by the Sentencing Commission into amendments issued under section 994(p) of title 28); and (ii) that, except as provided in section 3742(g), are in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced; or (B) in the case of a violation of probation or supervised release, the applicable guidelines or policy statements issued by the Sentencing Commission pursuant to section 994(a)(3) of title 28, United States Code, taking into account any amendments made to such guidelines or policy statements by act of Congress (regardless of whether such amendments have yet to be incorporated by the Sentencing Commission into amendments issued under section 994(p) of title 28); (5) any pertinent policy statement— (A) issued by the Sentencing Commission pursuant to section 994(a)(2) of title 28, United States Code, subject to any amendments made to such policy statement by act of Congress (regardless of whether such amendments have yet to be incorporated by the Sentencing Commission into amendments issued under section 994(p) of title 28); and (B) that, except as provided in section 3742(g), is in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced.1 (6) the need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct; and (7) the need to provide restitution to any victims of the offense. 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). 2. Applicable Caselaw and Commission Note A prisoner who moves for compassionate relief must have “first file[d] a request with the BOP.” United States v. Franco, 973 F.3d 465, 467–68 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 141 S. Ct. 920 (2020); see 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A). This requirement is not jurisdictional, but it is mandatory. Franco, 973 F.3d at 467.

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