Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03066/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03066-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
United States of America
Appellee
Anthony Rudolph Vasquez
Appellant

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. 05-3066

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

*

v. * Appeal from the United States

* District Court for the

Anthony Rudolph Vasquez, * Western District of Missouri.

*

Appellant. * [UNPUBLISHED]

___________

Submitted: October 24, 2006

Filed: November 8, 2006

___________

Before RILEY, COLLOTON, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Anthony R. Vasquez (Vasquez) pled guilty to possessing with intent to

distribute cocaine base (Count 1) and cocaine (Count 2), in violation of 21 U.S.C.

§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), and (b)(1)(C). At sentencing, over Vasquez’s objections, the

district court1

 concluded he was a career offender based in part on his two previous

felony convictions for crimes of violence–a Missouri conviction for second-degree

attempted burglary and a Colorado conviction for second-degree assault with intent

to cause serious bodily injury in the heat of passion. The court imposed concurrent

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120- month prison terms, and concurrent supervised release terms of 5 years on Count

1 and 3 years on Count 2. On appeal, Vasquez challenges the denial of his careeroffender objections, arguing that neither of the predicate offenses was a “crime of

violence.”

Career-offender status requires, among other things, at least two prior felony

convictions of either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense. See

U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1(a). A “crime of violence” is any federal or state offense punishable

by more than one year in prison that “(1) has as an element the use, attempted use, or

threatened use of physical force against the person of another, or (2) is burglary of a

dwelling, arson, or extortion, involves use of explosives, or otherwise involves

conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another.” See id.

§ 4B1.2(a). “[T]he offense of conviction (i.e., the conduct of which the defendant was

convicted) is the focus of inquiry.” See id. § 4B1.2 cmt. n.2. We review de novo

whether a prior conviction is a crime of violence under section 4B1.2(a). See United

States v. Hollis, 447 F.3d 1053, 1054 (8th Cir. 2006) (per curiam).

First, Vasquez’s Missouri conviction for second-degree attempted burglary is

a crime of violence. See United States v. Strong, 415 F.3d 902, 907-08 (8th Cir.

2005).

Second, under Colorado Revised Statutes section 18-3-203(1)(f.5)(I), a person

confined in a detention facility commits second-degree assault if the detainee, "with

intent to infect, injure, harm, harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm," causes a detention

facility employee "to come into contact with blood, seminal fluid, urine, feces, saliva,

mucus, vomit, or any toxic, caustic, or hazardous material by any means." Under

United States Sentencing Guideline § 4B1.2(a)(2), an offense that is punishable by

more than a year in prison and presents a serious risk of physical injury is a crime of

violence. See United States v. McCall, 439 F.3d 967, 971-72 (8th Cir. 2006) (en

banc) (interpreting 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(B)(ii), which is substantially similar to

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Because we conclude Vasquez's conviction under Colorado Revised Statutes

section 18-3-203(1)(f.5)(I) was a crime of violence under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(2), we

need not consider whether Vasquez's conviction was a crime of violence under

U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(1). 

Having considered Vasquez's pro se arguments, we reject them as meritless. 

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U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a) and explaining “the inherent potential for harm must be present,

if not in every violation, at least in a substantial portion of the circumstances made

criminal by the statute”). To determine whether an offense involves conduct that

presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another, we take a common sense

approach to evaluate the risks and consequences associated with the offense. United

States v. Johnson, 415 F.3d 990, 999 (8th Cir. 2005). Section 18-3-203(1)(f.5)(I) of

the Colorado Revised Statutes proscribes conduct that presents a serious risk of

physical injury to another, specifically, the threat infectious diseases pose. We

therefore conclude the district court properly classified Vasquez's assault conviction

as a "crime of violence" under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(2) and sentenced Vasquez as a

career criminal under U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1.2

Accordingly, we affirm the sentence.

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