Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-04236/USCOURTS-ca8-05-04236-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Richard C. Crandon
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Nanette K. Laughrey, United States District Judge for the

Western District of Missouri.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 05-4236

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the 

* Western District of Missouri.

Richard C. Crandon, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: February 7, 2007

Filed: February 13, 2007

___________

Before SMITH, GRUENDER, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Richard C. Crandon appeals the 24-month sentence imposed by the district

court1

 upon revocation of his supervised release. We affirm.

Crandon originally pleaded guilty in the District of New Jersey to receiving

photographs depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of

18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2). This was a Class C felony. See 18 U.S.C. § 2252(b)(1) (20-

year maximum prison term); 18 U.S.C. § 3559(a)(3) (offense classification). Crandon

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was sentenced to 78 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. His

supervised release began in June 2003, and was overseen by the probation office in

the Western District of Missouri. After Crandon violated the conditions of his

supervised release by accessing the internet, for which he served 120 days in a

halfway house, jurisdiction over Crandon’s case was transferred to the Western

District of Missouri on August 6, 2005. At the November 2005 revocation hearing,

Crandon stipulated to violating again the conditions of release by maintaining an

internet account and by failing to submit a truthful and complete report to the

Probation Officer each month. Testimonial evidence also indicated that he had shown

pornography to his minor son. The court imposed the statutory maximum of 24

months in prison, see 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(3) (2-year maximum revocation sentence

if underlying offense was Class C felony), noting Crandon’s “compulsive and

destructive” behavior and the need to protect children.

We reject Crandon’s argument that the court’s presentencing ex parte

discussion with the probation officer violated his rights, because Crandon waived the

issue by failing to object at the sentencing hearing. See United States v. Behler, 14

F.3d 1264, 1273 (8th Cir. 1994) (defendant waived issue that district court’s ex parte

meeting with probation officer was error because he knew about meeting and failed

to object at sentencing hearing). Even if he had not waived the issue, there is no merit

to his argument. See United States v. Davis, 151 F.3d 1304, 1306 (10th Cir. 1998)

(because of close working relationship between probation officer and sentencing

court, probation officer may communicate ex parte with district court). In addition,

we conclude that the 24-month revocation sentence was not unreasonable and

therefore not an abuse of discretion. Specifically, the sentence was within authorized

limits and was based upon the district court’s consideration of appropriate factors

under 18 U.S.C. §§ 3583(e) and 3553(a). See United States v. Tyson, 413 F.3d 824,

825 (8th Cir. 2005) (per curiam) (revocation sentences are reviewed for

unreasonableness in accordance with United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005));

United States v. Franklin, 397 F.3d 604, 606-07 (8th Cir. 2005) (24-month revocation

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sentence was not abuse of discretion where transcript showed court was aware of

defendant’s multiple violations of supervised-release conditions and of Guidelines

range and statutory maximum).

Accordingly, we affirm. Counsel’s motion to withdraw is granted.

______________________________

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