Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-06-01209/USCOURTS-ca8-06-01209-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Cortez Turner
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Jean C. Hamilton, United States District Judge for the Eastern

District of Missouri. 

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 06-1209

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the Eastern

* District of Missouri.

Cortez Turner, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: February 7, 2007

Filed: February 14, 2007

___________

Before COLLOTON, HANSEN, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Cortez Turner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent

to distribute heroin and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. In

April 2004, he was sentenced to 64 months of imprisonment and 4 years of supervised

release. Turner did not file an appeal, but in December 2005 filed a motion under 18

U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) seeking to reduce his sentence. The district court1

 denied Turner's

motion, and he appeals.

Appellate Case: 06-1209 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/14/2007 Entry ID: 3278706
-2-

Section 3582(c)(2) provides that "in the case of a defendant who has been

sentenced to a term of imprisonment based on a sentencing range that has

subsequently been lowered by the Sentencing Commission . . . the court may reduce

the term of imprisonment, after considering the factors set forth in 3553(a) to the

extent that they are applicable, if such a reduction is consistent with applicable policy

statements issued by the Sentencing Commission." 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). Turner

argues he is entitled to a sentence reduction based on Amendment 591. After

reviewing the record, it is clear that Turner is not entitled to a sentence reduction

based on this amendment because it was already in effect at the time Turner was

sentenced. Amendment 591 became effective on November 1, 2000, more than three

years before Turner was sentenced. See United States v. Alvarez, 210 F.3d 309, 310

(5th Cir. 2000) (per curiam) (where Guidelines amendment became effective before

defendant was sentenced, the motion to lower the defendant's sentence was not based

upon a range that was "subsequently" lowered by the Sentencing Commission);

United States Sentencing Guidelines Manual (USSG), App.. C, Amend. 591; see also

United States v. Ibarra-Torres, 161 F. App'x 613 (8th Cir. 2006) (per curiam)

(unpublished) (adopting holding in Alvarez regarding USSG amendments in effect at

the time of sentencing). 

Accordingly, we affirm the district court's dismissal of Turner's motion.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 06-1209 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/14/2007 Entry ID: 3278706