Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-01447/USCOURTS-ca8-05-01447-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Seno J. Carter
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Theodore McMillian died on January 18, 2006. This opinion

is being filed by the remaining judges of the panel pursuant to 8th Cir. Rule 47E.

2

The Honorable Ortrie D. Smith, United States District Judge for the Western

District of Missouri.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 05-1447

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Western District of Missouri.

Seno J. Carter, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: January 18, 2006

Filed: February 16, 2006

___________

Before MURPHY, McMILLIAN1

, and COLLOTON, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Seno Carter appeals the 180-month sentence the district court2

 imposed under

advisory Guidelines after he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm,

in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). His counsel has moved to withdraw and filed

a brief under Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), arguing that Carter’s sentence

is too severe. Carter has filed two pro se supplemental briefs and a motion for new

Appellate Case: 05-1447 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/16/2006 Entry ID: 2010561
-2-

counsel, arguing, among other things, that his sentence violates United States v.

Booker, 125 S. Ct. 738 (2005), and Shepard v. United States, 125 S. Ct. 1254 (2005),

and that his sentence is excessive.

We conclude that Carter was properly sentenced to the statutory mandatory

minimum based on his prior convictions. See 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1) (defendant who

violates § 922(g)(1) and has 3 prior convictions for violent felony or serious drug

offense is subject to 15-year mandatory minimum sentence). We also conclude that

Booker was not implicated by the sentence. See United States v. Thomas, 398 F.3d

1058, 1063-64 (8th Cir. 2005) (use of prior felony conviction to increase statutory

minimum penalties does not implicate Booker); United States v. Vieth, 397 F.3d 615,

620 (8th Cir.) (no Booker issue arises where sentence was based on statutory

mandatory minimum rather than on application of Guidelines), cert. denied, 125 S. Ct.

2560 (2005). Carter’s argument under Shepard--that his sentence should not have

been increased based on prior convictions--was recently rejected in United States v.

Torres-Alvarado, 416 F.3d 808, 810 (8th Cir. 2005). We further conclude that

Carter’s sentence is not excessive, overly severe, or cruel and unusual. See United

States v. Collins, 340 F.3d 672, 679 (8th Cir. 2003) (Eighth Amendment forbids only

extreme sentences that are grossly disproportionate to crime); United States v.

Johnson, 22 F.3d 674, 682-83 (6th Cir. 1994) (15-year sentence imposed on defendant

on basis of prior convictions was not grossly disproportionate to status offense of

being felon in possession of firearm, and was not cruel and unusual punishment under

Eighth Amendment).

We reject Carter’s other arguments as either waived by his valid guilty plea or

more properly raised in collateral proceedings under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Having

reviewed the record independently under Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75 (1988), we

have found no nonfrivolous issues. Accordingly, we grant counsel’s motion to

withdraw, deny Carter’s motion for new counsel, and affirm the sentence.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 05-1447 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/16/2006 Entry ID: 2010561