FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT JANUARY 8, 2008 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. 06- 16540 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 98 -001 04 -C R -W D O -5 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 J O H N W E S L E Y L O W E , 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 o rth e M id d le D is tr ic t o f G e o r g ia

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 8, 2008) B efo re T JO F L A T , B L A C K an d C A RN E S , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J ohn L ow e , pr oc e e di ng pr o s e , appe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de ni a l of hi s 182

U .S .C . § 3 5 8 2 ( c ) ( 2 ) m o tio n f o rar e d u c tio n in s e n te n c e . L o w e p le a d e d g u ilty to one c ountof

a rm e d pos t a l r obbe ry , buthi s w r i tt e n pl e aa gr e e m e nts t i pul a t e d tha the had al so com m i tt ed tw o add i t i on al robb er i es . A s are sul t , he w as tre at ed un der U ni t ed St at es S ent enci ng G ui del i nes § 1B 1. 2(c) (N ov . 19 98 ) a s havi ng been conv i ct ed of addi t i on al robb er i es , and h i s gui del i ne ra ng e w as ul t i m at el y e nh ance d pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G. § 3D 1. 4. L o w e c o n te n d s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt ab u s e d its d is c r e tio n in d e n y in g h is m ot i on f orar e duc t i on i n s e nt e nc e be c aus e , a c c or di ng t o L ow e , A m e ndm e nt s 591 a n d 6 1 3 to th e G u id e lin e s ap p ly to U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .2 ( c ) a s w e ll a s § 1 B 1 .2 ( a ) . L ow e c ont e nds tha tthe r e i s no r e a s on tha tthe l i m i t a t i on on the m e a ni ng of “s tip u la tio n ” c o n ta in e d in U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .2 c o m m e n t. ( n . 1 ) ¶ 3 s h o u ld n o t ap p ly to s u b s e c tio n ( c ) a s w e ll a s s u b s e c tio n ( a ) . H e a r g u e s th a t in c o rp o r a tin g m u ltip le c ount s unde rU . S . S . G . § 3D 1. 1 a l t e r s the appl i c abl e ba s e of f e ns e l e ve l w i thi n the m e a ni ng of

§ 1B 1. 2( a ) a nd tha t , the r e f or e , hi s c a s e f

a l l s w i thi n the a m bi tof

the am endm entt o the appl i ca t i on no t e t o sub se ct i on (a ).

“ W e r e vi e w adi s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de c i s i on w he the rt o r e duc e as e nt e nc e pur s ua nt t o 18 U . S . C . § 3582( c ) ( 2) , ba s e d on as ubs e que ntc ha nge i n the s e nt e nc i ng g u id e lin e s , f

o rab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n . A d is tr ic t c o u rt b y d e f in itio n ab u s e s its di s c r e t i on w he n i tm a ke s a n e rr orof l a w . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. B r ow n, 332 F . 3d 1341,3

13 43 (11th C i r. 20 03 ) ( i nt ernal qu ot at i on m arks and ci t at i on om i tt ed). W hi l e adi s tr i c tc ourtge ne r a l l y m a y notm odi f y at e rm of

i m pr i s onm e nt onc e i ti s i m pos e d, w he r e as ubs e que ntr e tr oa c t i ve l y appl i c abl e a m e ndm e ntt o the G ui de l i ne s ha s l ow e r e d as e nt e nc i ng r a nge , 18 U . S . C . § 3582( c ) ( 2) pe rm i t s the di s tr i c tc ourtt o r e duc e the s e nt e nc e of ade f e nda ntw ho w a s i m pr i s one d ba s e d on the form er , hi gh errang e. U ni t ed S t at es v. V aut i er , 14 4 F . 3d 75 6, 75 9 (11 th C i r. 1 9 9 8 ) . Gu i d e l i n e s Am e n d m e n t5 9 1 i s r e tr o a c t i v e l y ap p l i c ab l e . U. S . S . G. § 1 B 1 .1 0 ( c ) ; U n ite d S ta te s v . M o r e n o , 4 2 1 F .3 d 1 2 1 7 , 1 2 1 9 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . G ui del i nes A m endm ent61 3 i s not . S ee U . S . S . G . § 1 B 1. 10 (c ). S e c t i on 1B 1. 2( a ) pr ovi de s tha t , “ i n the c a s e of apl e aa gr e e m e ntc ont a i ni ng a s t i pul a t i on tha ts pe c i f

i c a l l y e s t abl i s he s am or e s e r i ous of f e ns e tha n the of

f e ns e of conv i ct i on , ” the appl i cabl e off ense gu i del i nes s ec t i on shou l d b e det erm i ned b as ed o n th e s tip u la te d o f

f e n s e . U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .2 ( a ) . S e c tio n 1 B 1 .2 ( c ) p r o v id e s th a t a pl e aa gr e e m e nt“ c ont a i ni ng as t i pul a t i on tha ts pe c i f i c a l l y e s t abl i s he s the com m i ss i on of addi t i on al offe nse( s) shal l be tre at ed as i f the defendanthad b ee n conv i ct ed of addi t i on al coun t (s ) c hargi ng tho se offe nses . ” U . S . S . G . § 1 B 1. 2(c) . G u id e lin e s A m e n d m e n t 5 9 1 c h a n g e d th e f ir s t ap p lic a tio n n o te to § 1 B 1 .2 to prov i de thata di stri ctcourtcoul d app l y agu i del i ne for am ore s er i ou s off ense than the of f e ns e of c onvi c t i on onl y w he r e the pl e aa gr e e m e nts t i pul a t e d tha tthe4

defe nd anthad com m i tt ed the m ore s er i ou s off ense , and n otw here the di stri ctcourt m e r e ly m a d e f

in d in g s o f

f a c t th a t th e m o r e s e r io u s o f f e n s e h a d b e e n c o m m itte d . S e e U . S . S . G . A pp. C , A m e nd. 591. G u i d el i n es A m en d m en t6 1 3 ch an g ed th e th i rd p arag rap h o f th e fi rst appl i c a t i on not e t o § 1B 1. 2 t o l i m i tw ha tc ons t i tut e d as t i pul a t i on by pr ovi di ng th a t: A s s e t f

o rth in th e f

ir s t p a r a g r ap h o f

th is n o te , a n e x c e p tio n to th is g e n e r a l ru le [ th a t th e s e le c tio n o f th e ap p lic ab le g u id e lin e s e c tio n is base d o n the offens e of c on vi ct i on ] i s thati f apl eaagre em ent(w ri tt en o r m ad e o ral l y o n th e reco rd ) co n t ai n s a st i p u l at i o n th atest ab l i sh es a m or e s e r i ous of

f e ns e tha n the of

f e ns e of c onvi c t i on, the gui de l i ne se ct i on appl i cabl e t o the st i pu l at ed offe nse i s t o b e use d. A fa ctual s t a t e m e ntoras t i pul a t i on c ont a i ne d i n apl e aa gr e e m e nt( w r i tt e n or m a de or a l l yon the r e c or d) i s as t i pul a t i on f orpurpos e s of

s ubs e c t i on (a ) onl y i f both the defendantand the go vernm entexpl i ci t l y a gree that th e factu al st at em en to r st i p u l at i o n i s a st i p u l at i o n fo r su ch p u rp o ses. U . S . S . G . A pp. C , A m e nd. 613; s e e a l s o U . S . S . G . § 1B 1. 2 c om m e nt . ( n. 1) ¶ 3. T h e d istrict co u rt d idn o t ab u se it s d iscr etio n in d en yin g L o w e’s § 3582( c ) ( 2) m ot i on f

orar e duc t i on i n s e nt e nc e be c aus e the r e ha s be e n no r e tr oa c t i ve l y appl i c abl e G ui de l i ne s a dj us tm e nttha tl ow e r e d the gui de l i ne r a nge used i n sent enci ng hi m . A m endm ent s 591 and 6 13 appl y t o § 1B 1. 2(a) ; nei ther af fe ct s § 1B 1. 2(c) , the prov i si on w hi ch prov i ded thatL ow e w as t o b e s ent ence d as i f he had been conv i ct ed of the addi t i on al robb er i es st i pu l at ed i n h i s pl ea a gr e e m e nt . S e e U . S . S . G. A pp. C , A m e nds . 591, 613.5

AF F I RME D.