Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02037/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02037-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
William Earl Cox
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Dean Whipple, Chief Judge, United States District Court for

the Western District of Missouri.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-2037

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Western District of Missouri.

William Earl Cox, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: May 4, 2005

Filed: May 13, 2005

___________

Before MELLOY, McMILLIAN, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

William Cox appeals the concurrent 15-year and 10-year sentences the district

court1

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

violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(e)(1), and tampering with a witness or

informant, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(1). His counsel has moved to

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

that the 15-year sentence was too harsh; and the sentences relied on prior state

Appellate Case: 04-2037 Page: 1 Date Filed: 05/13/2005 Entry ID: 1902480
-2-

convictions that were too remote in time, obtained in violation of Cox’s right to

counsel, or not of a violent nature.

These arguments fail. The district court was required to impose a sentence of

at least 15 years imprisonment for the section 922(g) offense, because Cox had three

previous convictions for a violent felony or a serious drug offense--namely, 1981 and

1984 Oklahoma convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and

a 1998 Missouri conviction for unlawful use of a weapon. See 18 U.S.C.

§§ 924(e)(1), 924(e)(2)(A)(ii) (serious drug offense includes state offense of

possessing controlled substance with intent to distribute, punishable by maximum

prison term of 10 years or more), 924(e)(2)(B)(i) (violent felony includes any crime

punishable by more than 1 year imprisonment that “has as an element the use,

attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another”);

Okla. Stat. tit. 63 §§ 2-204(C)(12), 2-401(A)(1) & (B)(1) (2004) (possession of

marijuana with intent to distribute is punishable by maximum term of life in prison);

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.030.1(4), 030.7 (2004 Supp.) (person unlawfully uses weapon

by exhibiting in another’s presence, in angry or threatening manner, any weapon

readily capable of lethal use; Class D felony). These prior convictions were not

excludable because of their age, see U.S.S.G. § 4B1.4, comment (n.1) (time periods

for counting prior sentences under U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2 are not applicable in determining

whether defendant is subject to enhanced sentence under § 924(e)); and the

presentence report (to which Cox did not object) indicates representation by counsel

in each of the prior cases.

Having carefully reviewed the record under Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75, 80

(1988), we find no nonfrivolous issues. Accordingly, we grant counsel’s motion to

withdraw, and we affirm. 

______________________________

Appellate Case: 04-2037 Page: 2 Date Filed: 05/13/2005 Entry ID: 1902480