FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT NO VEMB ER 1 , 2005 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 04- 15984 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 4 - 0 0 0 4 0 - CR- FTM - 2 9 - SPC U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s S A M H A R R I S , J R ., D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( N ove m b e r 1, 2005) B efo re B L A C K , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: S a m H a rr i s , J r . appe a l s hi s c onvi c t i on a nd 110- m onth s e nt e nc e f orbe i ng a2

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1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 2 ( g ) ( 1 ) . O n ap p e a l, H arris a rg u es th at th e d istrict co u rt co m m itted erro r in li g h t o f th e S u p re m e C o u rt’s de c i s i on i n U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B ooke r , 543 U . S . ___, 125 S . C t . 738, 160 L . E d. 2d 621 (200 5), w hen i tenhanced hi s s ent ence base d o n j ud i ci al l y f ou nd fa ct s und era m a n d a to ryg u id e lin e s s y s te m . T h e g o v e rn m e n t r e s p o n d s th a t H a rr is w a iv e d h is r i ghtt o c ha l l e nge hi s s e nt e nc e i f the s e nt e nc i ng gui de l i ne s w e r e f ound t o be unc ons t i tut i ona l . H a rr i s a l s o c l a i m s tha tthe s t a tut e unde rw hi c h he w a s c onvi c t e d, 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 2 ( g ) , is u n c o n s titu tio n a l. W e r e v ie w th e q u e s tio n o f w h e th e rad e f

e n d a n t h a s w a iv e d h is r ig h t to appe a l hi s s e nt e nc e de novo. U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B e ni t e z - Z apa t a , 131 F . 3d 1444, 1446 ( 11th C i r . 1997) . T o be e nf or c e abl e , a n appe a l w a i ve rm us ts how tha tthe defe nd antkn ow s w hathi s r i gh t s are and u nd er st ands w hathe i s gi vi ng up . U ni t ed S ta te s v . B u s h e rt, 9 9 7 F .2 d 1 3 4 3 , 1 3 5 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 3 ) . A b s e n t s u c h as h o w in g in the re cord, an appeal w ai ver i s notval i d as i ti s notkn ow i ng and v ol un t ary. Id. at 1353. In thi s c as e, H arri s and the go vernm entbo th exp re ss ed an un ders t andi ng at th e c h a n g e o f

p le ah e a r in g th a t th e s e n te n c e ap p e a l w a iv e rd id n o t p r e c lu d e H a rr is f r o m c h a lle n g in g as e n te n c e if th e g u id e lin e s w e r e f

o u n d u n c o n s titu tio n a l. W h ile the w ri tt en l angu age of H arri s’ s app ea l w ai ver s t at ed he w ai ved the ri gh tt o app ea l3

hi s s ent ence , “ di re ct l y or c ol l at er al l y, on any groun d, ” w e w i l l no ti nt erpretthat la n g u a g e to d ir e c tlyc o n tr a d ic t th e o r a l a g r e e m e n t e x p r e s s e d to th e d is tr ic t c o u rt. Je ff ri es , 90 8 F . 2d at15 23 . T o h ol d o therw i se w ou l d force H arri s i nt o a pl ea agre em enti n w hi ch he di d n otun ders t and w hi ch ri gh t s w er e gi ven u p. T he re cord s h o w s th a t H a rr is w a s to ld , a n d s o u n d e r s to o d , h e h a d p r e s e rv e d h is r ig h ts to appeal a s ent ence shou l d the gu i del i nes be uncon st i tut i on al . A n app ea l w ai ver that s ta te s ac o n tr a ryc o n c lu s io n is n o t e n f o r c e ab le . A lle n , 1 5 1 F .3 d 6 6 9 . C on se qu ent l y, H arri s has no tw ai ved h i s r i gh tt o app ea l hi s s ent ence un der B oo ker. H a rr i s n e x ta r g u e s th a tth e d i s tr i c tc o u rte rr e d i n l i g h to f th e Su p r e me C ourt ’ s de c i s i on i n U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B ooke r , 543 U . S . ___, 125 S . C t . 738, 160 L .E d .2 d 6 2 1 ( 2 0 0 5 ) , w h e n it e n h a n c e d h is s e n te n c e b a s e d o n ju d ic ia llyf o u n d f a c ts u n d e ram a n d a to ryg u id e lin e s s y s te m . H a rr i s t i me l yma d e a n o b j e c t i o n u n d e rBl a k e l yv . W a s h i n g t o n , 5 4 2 U . S. 29 6, 12 4 S . C t . 25 31 , 15 9 L . E d. 2d 40 3 (20 04 ), i n the di stri ctcourt . W e thu s r evi ew h is B la k e ly /B o o k e rc la im o n ap p e a l d e n o v o , b u t r e v e r s e o n lyf o rh a rm f u l e rr o r . U ni t ed S t at es v. P az , 40 5 F . 3d 94 6, 94 8 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ) ( ci t at i on om i tt ed). T here are tw o h arm l ess erro r st an d ard s; o n e i s ap p l i cab l e t o B o o k er co n st i tu t i o n al erro rs, a nd the othe rt o B ooke rs t a tut orye rr or s . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. M a the ni a , 409 F . 3d 1 2 8 9 , 1 2 9 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) .4

“ [ C ] o n s t i tu t i o n a l e rr o r s a r e h a rm l e s s wh e r e th e g o v e rn m e n tc a n s h o w, b ey o n d a r ea so n ab le d o u b t, th at th e e rr o r d idn o t co n trib u te to th e d ef en d an t’ s ul t i m at e s ent ence . ” I d. (c i t at i on om i tt ed). In contra st , B oo ker s t atut ory e rr ors are s u b je c t to th e le s s d e m a n d in g n o n - c o n s titu tio n a l e rr o rte s t. I d . a t 1 2 9 2 . U n d e rth is te s t, an o n - c o n s titu tio n a l e rr o ris h a rm le s s if , w h e n th e p r o c e e d in g s a r e v ie w e d in the i re nt i r e ty , “ one c a n s a y‘ w i th f a i ra s s ur a nc e . . . tha tthe [ s e nt e nc e ] w a s not s u b s ta n tia llys w a y e d b yth e e rr o r .’” I d .( c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . W ith r e g a r d to B o o k e rc o n s titu tio n a l e rr o r s , a n in d iv id u a l’s S ix th A m endm entri gh tt o tri al by j ury i s vi ol at ed w here a j ud ge enhances an i ndi vi dua l ’ s s e nt e nc e ba s e d s ol e l yon j udi c i a l l yf ound f a c t s pur s ua ntt o a m a nda t orygui de l i ne s s y s t e m . P a z , 405 F . 3d a t948. H ow e ve r , w he r e ade f e nda nt a dm i t s the f

a c t s tha te nha nc e hi s s e nt e nc e , the r e i s no S i xth A m e ndm e ntvi ol a t i on un der B oo ker. U ni t ed S t at es v. S hel t on , 40 0 F . 3d 13 25 , 13 30 (11th C i r. 20 05 ). In thi s c as e, H arri s a dm i tt ed al l the fa ct s thatw er e use d t o fac t or hi s s ent ence e nha nc e m e nt . A s ar e s ul t , the r e i s no S i xth A m e ndm e ntvi ol a t i on. H ow e ve r , the d is tr ic t c o u rt e rr e d in s e n te n c in g H a rr is u n d e ram a n d a to ryg u id e lin e s s y s te m . S he l t on, 400 F . 3d a t1330- 31. A c c or di ngl y , w e m us tde t e rm i ne w he the rthe go vernm enthas m eti t s burden t o sho w thatthe courtw as no tsubst ant i al l y s w ay ed bythe e rr or . M a the ni a , 409 F . 3d a t1292. I n thi s c a s e , the gove rnm e ntdi d not5

a ddr e s s i t s bur de n a nd c oul d notm e e ti ti n a nyc a s e . A c l os e r e vi e w of the s e nt e nc i ng tr a ns c r i pts how s tha tthe r e c or d i s a m bi guous a s t o w ha ts e nt e nc e the di stri ctcourtw ou l d h ave i m po se d h ad i tappl i ed the gu i del i nes i n an adv i sory m a nne r . A c c or di ngl y , be c aus e “ [ w ] e s i m pl ydo notknow w ha tthe s e nt e nc i ng c ourtw oul d ha ve done , ” the gove rnm e ntc a nnotm e e ti t s bur de n t o s how tha tthe erro r w as h arm l ess. U n i t ed S t at es v . D av i s, 4 0 7 F . 3 d 1 2 6 9 , 1 2 7 1 . A cco rd i n g l y, w e vac at e and re m and H arri s’ s s ent ence for r es ent enci ng consi st entw i th B oo ker. F in a lly , f o rth e f ir s t tim e o n ap p e a l, H a rr is a r g u e s th a t h is c o n v ic tio n s h o u ld b e o v e rtu rn e d b e c au s e th e s ta tu te u n d e rw h ic h h e w a s c o n v ic te d , 1 8 U .S .C . § 922( g) , i s unc ons t i tut i ona l . H a rr i s r e l i e s on U ni t e d S t a t e s v. M a xw e l l , 386 F . 3d 10 42 (11th C i r. 20 04 ), t o sup po rthi s c on t ent i on . A l tho ug h w e genera l l y r evi ew co n st i tu t i o n al i ssu es d e n o v o , i ti s w i th i n o u r d i scret i o n w h eth er t o ad d ress a const i tut i on al i ss ue w hen i thas bee n rai se d for the fi rs tt i m e on app ea l . U ni t ed S ta te s v . W r ig h t, 3 9 2 F .3 d 1 2 6 9 , 1 2 8 0 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) , c e rt. d e n ie d , ( 1 2 5 S .C t. 17 51 (200 5). W hen an i ss ue i s r ai se d for the fi rs tt i m e on app ea l , thi s C ou rt r e vi e w s the a r gum e ntf

orpl a i n e rr or . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. H a l l , 314 F . 3d 565, 566 ( 11th C i r . 2002) . “ P l a i n e rr oroc c ur s w he r e ( 1) the r e i s an e rr or ; ( 2) tha ti s pl a i n or ob vi ou s; (3) a ff

ec t i ng the defendant ’ s s ub st ant i al ri gh t s i n thati tw as prej ud i ci al a n d n o t h a rm le s s ; a n d ( 4 ) th a t s e r io u s lya f f e c ts th e f a irn e s s , in te g r ity , o rp u b lic6

r e put a t i on of

the j udi c i a l pr oc e e di ngs . ” I d. ( c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . T he r e c a n be no pl ai n err or w here there i s no p re ce dentfr om the S up re m e C ou rtor thi s C ou rt di r e c t l yr e s ol vi ng a n i s s ue . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. L e j a r de - R a da , 319 F . 3d 1288, 1291 (11th. C i r. 20 03 ). W e f in d th a t o u rd e c is io n in U n ite d S ta te s v . W r ig h t, 3 9 2 F .3 d 1 2 6 9 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2004) , de c i de d a f

t e rM a xw e l l , c ontr ol s thi s c a s e . I n W r i ght , the de f e nda nt ch al l en g ed th e co n st i tu t i o n al i ty o f § 9 2 2 (g ), assert i n g g ro u n d s v ery si m i l ar t o th o se w e de c i de d i n M a xw e l l . I d. a t1280. W e s t a t e d tha tw e ha d pr e vi ous l yr e j e c t e d the s a m e a r g u m e n t a n d h a d c o n s is te n tlyu p h e ld § 9 2 2 ( g ) ’s c o n s titu tio n a lity . I d . W e a l s o not e d tha tw e c oul d nota nd w oul d notove rrul e pr i orpr e c e de nt , a s onl ythe S up re m e C ou rtor thi s C ou rtsi tt i ng en banc coul d d o so. Id. W e there fore af fi rm ed W ri gh t ’ s c on vi ct i on s. Id. at12 81 . C on si deri ng the prece dentthathas c o n s is te n tlyh e ld th a t § 9 2 2 ( g ) is c o n s titu tio n a l, th e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t c o m m it pl a i n e rr or . A c c or di ngl y , H a rr i s ’ s c onvi c t i on i s a f f i rm e d. CO NV I CT I ON AF F I RME D; S E NT E NC E V AC AT E D A ND RE M ANDE D F OR RE S E NT E NCI NG.