Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-03-02970/USCOURTS-ca8-03-02970-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Dion M. Hinton
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Laurie Smith Camp, United States District Judge for the

District of Nebraska. 

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 03-2970

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the District 

* of Nebraska.

Dion M. Hinton, also known as *

Bryon Jay Smith, * [UNPUBLISHED]

*

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: June 3, 2004

Filed: June 8, 2004 

___________

Before MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, FAGG, and SMITH, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Dion M. Hinton pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams

or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base (crack), in violation of

21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1). The district court1

 sentenced him to 262 months

imprisonment and 5 years supervised release. On appeal, his counsel has moved to

withdraw and filed a brief under Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), and

Mr. Hinton has filed a pro se supplemental brief. We affirm.

Appellate Case: 03-2970 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/08/2004 Entry ID: 1775083 
-2-

After careful review, we find the ineffective-assistance claims raised by

counsel and Mr. Hinton are not properly before us. See United States v. Jackson,

204 F.3d 812, 815 (8th Cir. 2000). The other arguments Mr. Hinton raises are also

unavailing. The convictions Mr. Hinton challenges qualify him for career-offender

status regardless whether the sentences were suspended or served (and nothing in the

record supports Mr. Hinton’s contention that either sentence was suspended), as the

convictions are crimes of violence "punishable" by imprisonment for a term

exceeding 1 year. See U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2, comment. (n.1) ("prior felony conviction"

means federal or state conviction for offense punishable by death or imprisonment for

term exceeding 1 year, regardless whether such offense is specifically designated as

felony and regardless of actual sentence imposed); United States v. Gonzales,

220 F.3d 922, 926 (8th Cir. 2000) (unsentenced guilty plea is prior conviction for

purposes of § 4B1.1). Whether the unlawful-sexual-intercourse offense could in the

future be reduced to a misdemeanor is also irrelevant for career-offender purposes.

Cf. Ewing v. California, 538 U.S. 11, 28-29 (2003) (though California courts have

discretion to reduce "wobbler" offense to misdemeanor, "it remains a felony for all

purposes 'unless and until the trial court imposes a misdemeanor sentence.' "

(citations omitted)). 

Having found no nonfrivolous issues after reviewing under Penson v. Ohio,

488 U.S. 75, 80 (1988), we affirm. We also grant counsel’s motion to withdraw. 

______________________________

Appellate Case: 03-2970 Page: 2 Date Filed: 06/08/2004 Entry ID: 1775083