# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ No. 1 6- 43 15

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

Pla in ti ff - App el le e

v.

Jo dy Gold sb erry Defe nd an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ No. 1 6- 43 27

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

Pla in ti ff - App el la nt

v.

Jo dy Gold sb erry Defe nd an t - Ap pe ll ee

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal s fr om

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i - St . Lou is

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Decem

be r 15 , 20 17 Fi le d: Apri l 2 6, 2 01 8__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re SM ITH, Chi ef J ud ge , KELL Y and ERICKSON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ ERICKSON, Ci rcu it Ju dg e.

Jo dy Gol ds be r r y p l e d gu il ty to be in g a fel on in po ss es si on of a fir earm , in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 92 2( g) (1 ). W he n cal cu la ti ng Gol ds be rry ’s ap pl ic ab le

se nt en c i n g gu id el in e ran ge , th e di st ric t co ur t ap pl ie d en ha nc em en ts un de r Uni te d 1 St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne § 2K2 .1(a )(2 ) ba se d on Gol ds be rry ’s pr ev io us Mi ss ou ri

co nv ic ti on s fo r se co nd -d eg ree as sa ul t on a la w en fo rcem en t of fic er an d un de r § 2K2 .1(b )(1 )(A) ba se d on it s fin di ng th at Gol ds be rry po ss es se d be twee n th ree an d

se ve n fir earm s. Gol ds be rry ap pe al s th es e de te rm in at io ns , an d th e go ve rn m en t cro ss
ap pe al s th e co ur t’s de te rm in at io n th at Gol ds be rry ’s Mi ss ou ri se co nd -d eg ree bu rg la ry

co nv ic ti on was no t a qu al ifyin g pr ed ic at e of fen se un de r th e Arm ed Care er Cri m in al Act. We hav e juri sd ic ti on un de r 28 U.S.C. § 1 29 1, an d we a ffi rm

.

I. BACKGRO UND

On Jan ua ry 29 , 20 13 , la w en fo rcem en t offi cers res po nd ed to a 91 1 call at th e

res id en ce of Jo dy Gol ds be rry ’s m ot he r. Gol ds be rry ’s m ot he r ha d be en sh ot in th e le ft

arm

. Gol ds be rry was no t pr es en t whe n of fic ers arri ve d at th e ho us e, bu t th ey

su sp ect ed Gol ds be rry

ha d fi red th e .45 cal ib er g un th at in jure d h er.

Dur in g a se arch of th e res id en ce, of f i c e r s lo cat ed si x fir earm s, se ve ral bo xe s of am m un it io n, an d a sp en t .45 cal ib er sh el l cas in g on th e ki tc he n flo or

. The fir earm s di sc ov ered were: a .22 cal ib er revo lv er in pl ai n vi ew on to p of the refr ig erat or ; fou r

The Ho no rab le Aud rey G. Flei ss ig , Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t J ud ge for th e 1 East ern Dis tri ct of M is so ur i.

-2

-lo ng gu ns , in cl ud in g a .22 cal ib er rif le an d sc op e wit h Gol ds be rry ’s fin ge rp rin ts , un de r th e be d in th e m as te r be dr oo m ; an d a .50 cal ib er ho m em ad e rif le st an di ng in th e co rn er o f th e se co nd be dr oo m

.

The di st ric t co ur t he ld ev id en ti ary he ari ng s rel at ed to two pr im ary se nt en ci ng is su es rai se d by th e pa rti es : (1 ) G o l d s b e r r y’s cl ai m th at he di d no t res id e at hi s

m ot he r’s ho u s e a t th e ti m e of th e sh oo ti ng ; an d (2 ) Gol ds be rry ’s as se rti on th at th e

o n l y f i r e a rm th at co ul d be us ed to en ha nc e hi s se nt en ce un de r th e se nt en ci n g gu id el in es was th e .22 cal ib er rif le be ari ng hi s fin ge rp rin t. The co ur t de te rm in ed th at Gol ds be rry res id ed at hi s m ot he r’s ho us e at th e ti m e of th e sh oo ti ng an d th at he was th e pe rs on who sh ot hi s m ot he r. W it h reg ard to th e fir earm s fo un d in si de th e ho us e, th e co ur t fo un d th at Gol ds be rry ha d co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on of at le as t th ree fir earm s

an d ha d act ua l po ss es si on of th e un reco ve red .45 cal ib er fir earm us ed to sh oo t Gol ds be rry ’s m ot he r.

At se nt en ci ng , th e co ur t fo un d th at Gol ds b e rry ’s se co nd -d eg ree Mi ss ou ri bu rg la ry co nv ic ti on was no t a qu al ifyin g pr ed ic at e of fen se un de r 18 U.S.C. § 92 4( e)

or U.S.S.G. § 4B 1.4 (b )(3 )(B)

. The co ur t in crea se d Gol ds be rry ’s of fen se le ve l to 24

un de r U.S.S.G. § 2K2 .1(a )(2 ) du e to Go l d s b erry’ s two se co nd -d eg ree Mi ss ou ri

co nv ic ti on s fo r as sa ul t o n a law en fo rcem en t o ffi cer.

Bas ed on th es e fin di ng s, the co ur t det erm in ed th at Gol ds be rry ’s ba se off en se le ve l was 24 un d e r U

. S

. S .G. § 2K2 .1(a )(2 ), whi ch was ad jus te d to le ve l 26 aft er ad di ng t h e 2

- l e ve l en ha nc em en t un de r U.S.S.G. § 2K2 .1(b )(1 )(A) fo r an of fen se in vo lv in g b et ween th ree an d se ve n fir earm s. A p ers on in cri m in al hi st or y cat eg or y VI wit h an of

fen se le ve l of 26 face d an ad vi so ry se nt en ci ng gu id el in e ran ge of 12 0
to 15 0 m on th s. The st at ut or y m ax im um se nt en ce was 12 0 m on th s. Th e c ou rt

se nt en ced Gol ds be rry

to a te rm of 1 20 m on th s’ im

pr is on m en t.

Gol ds be rry ch al le ng es th e di st ric t co ur t’s ap pl ic at io n of U.S.S.G. §§

-3

-2K2 .1(a )(2 ) an d 2K2 .1(b )(1 )(A). The go ve rn m en t ch al le ng es th e di st ric t co ur t’s

de te rm in at io n th at Gol ds be rry ’s s eco nd -d eg ree Mi ss ou ri bu rg la ry co nv ic ti on is no t a q ua li fy in g o ffen se un de r th e Arm ed Care er Cr im in al Act.

II

. DISCUSS IO N

W it h reg ard to se nt en ci ng gu id el in e de ci si on s, “ we rev ie w th e di st ric t co ur t’s fact ua l fin di ng s fo r cl ear erro r an d it s ap pl ic at io n or in te rp ret at io n of g u i d el in es pr ov is io ns de no vo .” Uni te d S ta te s v . Pet ru k, 8 36 F.3d 97 4, 9 76 (8t h C ir. 2 01 6)

.

A. U.S.S.G. § 2 K2 .1(b )(1 )(A)

Gol ds be rry arg ue s th at th e di st ric t co ur t erre d in ap pl yi ng a 2- le ve l

en ha nc em en t un d e r Gui de li ne s § 2K2 .1(b )(1 )(A). Gol ds be rry co nc ed es th at he
po ss es se d th e .22 cal ib er rif le fo un d wit h hi s fin ge rp rin t on it , bu t he arg ue s th ere was in su ffi ci en t ev id en ce t o c on ne ct hi m wit h a ny of th e o th er fi rear m s.

“ A de fen da nt ’s po ss es si on of fir earm s m ay b e a ct ua l or co ns tru ct iv e, so le or joi nt .” Uni te d St at es v. Veg a, 72 0 F.3 d 10 02 , 1 0 0 3 ( 8 t h C ir. 20 13 ). Co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on “ req ui res bo th kn owl ed ge th at th e co nt rab an d is pr e s e n t a nd do m in io n

ov er th e pr em is es whe re th e co nt rab an d is lo cat ed .” Uni te d St at es v. W ay s, 83 2 F.3 d 88 7, 89 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ). “ [C]on st ru ct iv e po ss es si on can be es ta bl is he d by a sh owi ng th at th e fir earm was se iz ed at th e de fen da nt ’s res id en ce.” Uni te d St at es v. Bo y d, 18 0 F.3 d 9 67 , 97 8 (8 th Cir . 19 99 ).

Alo ng wit h te st im on y th at m ai l was fo un d at th e ho m e wit h Gol ds be rry ’s na m e

on it , ne ig hb or s an d fam il y m em be rs te st ifi ed th at Gol ds be rry li ve d at th e ho us e wit h hi s m ot he r. In ad di ti on , Gol ds be rry us ed hi s m ot he r’s ad dr es s whe n he was bo ok ed in to cu st od y

. Gol ds be rry ’s k n o w l e d g e of th e fir earm s an d do m in io n ov er th e

res id en ce were su ffi ci en t to es ta bl is h hi s c o n s t r u c ti ve po ss es si on of th e fir earm s

-4

-fo un d in si de th e ho us e. Gol ds b e r r y a r gu es th at hi s m ot he r’s own ers hi p of th e .22

cal ib er rev ol ve r fo un d on th e refr ig erat or pr ecl ud ed hi s co ns tru ct iv e po ss es si on

. Thi s arg um en t is un av ai li ng

. Po ss es si on m ay be “ so le or joi nt .” Veg a, 72 0 F.3 d at 10 03

. The di st ric t co ur t di d no t cl earl y err i n fi nd in g t ha t t he off en se in vo lv ed po ss es si on of be twee n t hr ee an d s ev en fir earm s.

B. U.S.S.G. § 2 K2 .1(a )(2 )

Gol ds be rry ha s two pr io r Mi ss ou ri co nv i ct io ns fo r as sa ul t on a la w

en fo rcem en t of

fic er. Onl y th e 20 09 co nv ic ti on was co nt es te d on ap pe al

. The di st ric t

co ur t no te d th e in co n s i s te nc y wit h th e co m pl ai nt ch arg in g Gol ds be rry , whi ch refe ren ced Mo

. Rev

. St at

. § 56 5.0 81 .1, an d th e in fo rm at io n fil ed two m on th s la te r th at refe ren ced a vi ol at io n of Mo

. Rev

. St at

. § 56 5.0 82 .2. The co ur t fo un d th e in fo rm at io n

co nt ai ne d a typo gr ap hi cal erro r an d th at a co nv ic ti on un de r § 56 5.0 82 .1(1 ) is a vi ol en t fel on y

.

W e ne ed no t ad dr es s th e su bs ta nc e of Gol ds be rry ’s cl ai m be cau se th e di st ric t

co ur t sp eci fic al ly no te d th at it wou ld no t ha ve ch an ge d th e ov eral l se nt en ce ev en ha d th e se co nd as sa ul t co nv ic ti on be en a no n- qu al ifyin g of fen se un de r U.S.S.G. § 2K2 .1(a )(2 ). See Uni te d St at es v. Mar ti ne z, 82 1 F

. 3 d 9 8 4 , 98 8- 89 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ) (s ta ti ng erro r is ha rm le ss “ whe re th e di st ric t co ur t sp ec i f i e s th e res ol ut io n of a p a r t i c u l a r i ss ue di d no t affe ct th e ul ti m at e de te rm in at io n of a se nt en ce

. . . su ch as whe n th e di st ric t co ur t in di cat es it wou ld ha ve al te rn at iv el y im po se d th e sa m e

se nt en ce ev en if a lo wer gu id el in e ran ge ap pl ie d” ). The co ur t sp eci fic al ly st at ed th at , reg ard le ss of th e ap pl ic ab le se nt en ci ng ran ge , it wou ld ha ve va rie d u p w a r d to th e st at ut or y m ax im

um be cau se a se nt en ce of 12 0 m on t hs “ is in fact th e ap pr op ria te

se nt en ce.”

C. Mis so uri Seco nd-Deg ree B urg la ry Conv ic tio n

-5

-Th e Uni te d St at es ha s cro ss -ap pe al ed th e di st ric t co ur t’s co nc lu si on t h a t

Gol ds be rry ’s se co nd -d eg ree bu rg la ry co nv i c t i o n f ro m Mi ss ou ri is no t a qu al ifyin g pr ed ic at e of

fen se un de r th e Arm ed Care er Cri m in al Act. The go ve rn m en t’s arg um en t is fo recl os ed by ou r rece nt de ci si on in Uni te d St at es v. Nay lo r,

__ F.3 d

__ , 20 18 W L 16 30 24 9 (8 th Ci r. 2 01 8) (en ba nc ) (co nc lu di ng a Mi ss ou ri co nv ic ti on fo r se co nd

de gr ee bu rg la ry do es no t qu al ify as a vi ol en t fel on y un de r th e Arm ed Care er Cri m in al Act)

.

II I. CONCLUSI ON

Fo r th e rea so ns st at ed ab ov e, we affi rm

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

-6

-