2005 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 6-6-2005 

# D ont a s v . H olt P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 05-1211

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " D ont as v . H o lt " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1063. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/1063CP S - 1 7 5 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N O . 

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________________ 

### ELEFHERI OS DONTAS, Appe l l ant

v. WARDEN R ON AL D R . HO LT

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt F o r th e M id d le D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i v. N o. 04- cv- 02791) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e R i char d P. C onaboy

__________________________ Subm i t t ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 27. 4 and I . O . P. 10. 6 M ar ch 24, 2004 BEFORE: ALI TO, M c KEE an d AM BRO , CI RCU I T J UD GES

( Fi l ed : J une 6, 2005)

_________________ OP I NI ON

_________________ P E R C UR I AM A p p e llan t, E lef

h e rio s D o n tas , ap p e a ls f ro m th e D istric t C o u rt’s o rd e r d e n y in g h is pet i t i on forw r i tof habe as corpus fi l ed pur s uantt o 28 U . S. C . § 2241. I n hi s habea s pet i t i on, D ont as chal l enges t he ca l cul at i on of hi s good conductt i m e ( “G C T ”) byt he B ur eau of

Pr i s ons ( “B O P”) . A ccor di ng t o t he B O P, D ont as i s el i gi bl e undert he appl i cabl e s t atut e, 18 U . S. C . § 3624( b) , t o earn up t o 682 day s of G C T w i t h a r es ul t i ng2

p rojec ted re lease d ate o f D ec em b er 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 . D o n tas, h o w ev er, argu es th at th e B O P ’s c a lc u la tio n o f

h is G C T d e p ri v e s h im o f th e a m o u n t to w h ic h h e is e n title d b ys ta tu te (i .e ., 784 day s of G C T ) . D ont as as s er t s t hat§ 3624( b) al l ow s hi m t o earn up t o 54 day s per y earof the t erm of s ent ence i m pos ed, not54 day s pery earof t i m e ac tual l ys erved as t he B O P ’s cal culat i on provides. T hi s C our tr ece nt l yi s s ued an opi ni on concl udi ng t hatt he B O P’ s i nt erpr et at i on of § 3624( b) i s r eas onabl e, and thus ent i t l ed t o defe r ence . See O ’ D onal d v. J ohns , – F. 3d –, 2005 W L 647669, *2 ( 3d C i r . M ar . 22, 2005) ( N o. 04- 2990) , ci t i ng C hevr on, U . S. A . , I nc. v. N atur al R es . D ef. C ounci l , 467 U . S. 837, 844 ( 1984) ; St i verv. M eko, 130 F. 3d 574, 577 ( 3dC i r . 1997) . W e conc l uded that“the B O P’ s i nt erpr et at i on comport s w i t h t he l anguage of the s t atut e, eff ectuat es t he s t atut or ydes i gn, es t abl i s hes a ‘ fai rpr or at i ng s c h e m e , ’ e n a b l e s i n m a t e s t o c a l c u l a t e t h e t i m e t h e y m u s ts e r v e w i t h r e a s o n a b l e c e r t a i n t y, and pr event s cert ai n i nm at es fr om earni ng G C T fort i m e dur i ng w hi ch theyw er e not inca rce rated . ” Id . , cit ing P ac h ec o -C am ac h o v . H o o d , 2 7 2 F . 3 d 1 2 6 6 , 1 2 7 0 -71 (9th C ir . 2001) . W e furt herr ej ect ed, as m er i t l es s , t he ar gum entr ai s ed byD ont as t hatt he D i s t r i ct C o u rt sh o u ld h a v e a p p lied th e ru le o f len itya n d re so lv e d th e sta tu te’ s a m b ig u ityin h is fa v o r. A ccor di ngl y , beca us e i tcl ear l yappea r s t hatno s ubs t ant i al ques t i on i s pr es ent ed by t his app eal , w e w i l l sum m ari l yaffirm t he o rderof the D i stri ctC ou rtden y i ng D on t as’ pet i t i on pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 27. 4 and I . O . P. 10. 6.