2007 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 12-19-2007 

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v. IS S IA H N . G R A Y S O N , A ppel l ant A p p ea l from 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 r i m i nal N o. 03- cr - 00250- 7) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e C hr i s t opherC . C onner Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

D ece m ber13, 2007 B efor e: R E N D E L L , G R E E N B E R G and V A N A N T W E R PE N , C i r cui tJ udges ( Fi l ed : D ece m ber19, 2007) OPI NI ON O F THE COURT R E N D E L L , C i r cui tJudge . I s s i ah G r ay s on w as char ged w i t h i nt er s t at e tr avel i n ai d of r acke t eer i ng i n vi ol at i on of 18 U . S. C . § 1952( a) ( 3) . H e pl ed gui l t yon M ar ch 26, 2004 and, pur s uantt o a pl ea agr eement , w as s ent ence d t o 60 m ont hs ’ i m pr i s onm ent . C ouns el has fi l ed a br i ef2

pur s uantt o A nder s v. C al i forni a, 386 U . S. 738 ( 1967) , r eques t i ng perm i s s i on t o w i t hdr aw beca us e he i s unabl e t o fi nd anynon- fr i vol ous i s s ues forappea l aft era cons ci ent i ous r evi ew of the r ecor d. G r ay s on w as gi ven not i ce of hi s couns el ’ s i nt entt o w i t hdr aw and h a s n o tf i l e d a p r o s e b r i e f. W e h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U. S . C. § 1 2 9 1 a n d 1 8 U. S . C. § 3742( a) . Fort he r eas ons s t at ed bel ow , w e w i l l gr antcouns el ’ s m ot i on t o w i t hdr aw and aff i r m t he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s j udgm entof s ent ence . E val uat i on of an A nder s br i ef r equi r es a tw ofol d i nqui r y : ( 1) w hethercouns el has t hor oughl yexami ned the r ecor d forappea l abl e i s s ues and has expl ai ned w hyanys uch i s s ues ar e fr i vol ous ; and ( 2) w hetheran i ndepende ntr evi ew of the r ecor d pr es ent s any n o n frivo lou s issue s. U n it ed S tat es v . Y o u la, 2 4 1 F . 3 d 2 9 6 , 3 0 0 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ). W h ere t he A nder s br i ef a ppear s adequa t e on i t s fac e, ourr evi ew i s l i m i t ed t o t he por t i ons of the re c o rd id e n tif

ie d in th e b ri e f

, a lo n g w ith a n yis s u e s ra is e d b ya n a p p e lla n t in a p ro s e b ri e f. See i d. at301. W e conc l ude thatt he br i ef i n t hi s cas e i s adequa t e and, i n t he abs ence of a pr o s e br i ef byt he appe l l ant , w i l l gui de ouri ndepende ntr evi ew of the r ecor d. Pur s uantt o hi s obl i gat i on undert he fi r s tpr ong of ouranal y s i s , couns el has i dent i fi ed tw o w eak a r gum ent s forappea l , namel yt hatt he s ent ence i m pos ed exc eede d t he s ent ence nece s s aryt o “pr ovi de j us tpuni s hm entfort he off ens e” a nd t o “r efl ectt he se rio u sn e ss o f

th e o f f e n se .” 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 (a )(2 )(A ). B o th o f th e se a rg u m e n ts g o to t he r eas onabl enes s of the s ent ence i m pos ed byt he D i s t r i ctC our ti n l i ghtof the fa ct or s s et fo rth in 1 8 U . S . C . § 3 5 5 3 (a) an d U n it ed S tat es v . B o o k er, 54 3 U . S . 2 2 0 (20 0 5 ).3

W e r evi ew t he over al l s ent ence forr eas onabl enes s . U ni t ed St at es v. G r i er , 475 F. 3d 556, 568 ( 3d C i r . 2006) ( ci t i ng U ni t ed St at es v. B ooker , 543 U . S. 220, 260- 63 (20 0 5 )). T h e re co rd e stab li sh es th at th e D istri ct C o u rtp rop erlyco n side red the f ac tors found i n 18 U . S. C . § 3553( a) , compl y i ng w i t h t hi s C our t ’ s deci s i on i n U ni t ed St at es v. C ooper , 437 F. 3d 324 ( 3d C i r . 2006) . T he D i s t r i ctC our t“gave m eani ngful cons i der at i on” both t o t he §3553( a) fac t or s and t o “s ent enci ng gr ounds pr oper l yr ai s ed by the p arti es w h ich h av e re co g n ized lega l m eritan d fa ctua l sup p o rt . ” Id . a t 3 2 9 , 3 3 1 . Fi nal l y , t he D i s t r i ctC our tpr ovi ded det ai l ed r eas ons fort he s ent ence i m pos ed. T he s ent ence w as notexce s s i ve t o “pr ovi de j us tpuni s hm entfort he off ens e” ort o “r efl ectt he s er i ous nes s of the off

ens e. ” A l t hough t he s t atut or ym axi m um t erm of i m pr i s onm entt hat cou l d b e i m po sed fo r the cri m e t o w hich G ray son p l ed g uil t yw as 60 m on t hs’ i m pr i s onm ent , t he 60 mont hs of i m pr i s onm enti m pos ed w as al m os tfi ftyper centbel ow w hatt he corr ectG ui del i ne r ange w oul d have be en, abs entt he cha r ge bar gai n betw een d e f e n d a n t an d th e g o v e rn m e n t. C o n se q u e n tly , G ra y so n ’s a rg u m e n t th a t h is s e n ten c e is u n re a s o n a b le w o u ld n o t s u p p o rt a n a p p e a l. O uri ndepende ntr evi ew of the r ecor d y i el ds no ot hernon- fr i vol ous ar gum ent s t hat coul d pos s i bl ys uppor tan appe al and w e ar e s at i s fi ed thatal l t he r equi r ement s of A n d ers h av e b ee n m et. A cc o rdin g ly , w e w il l A F F IR M the ju d g m en t of the D istri ct C o u rt a n d , i n a s e p a r a t e o r d e r , GR ANT c o u n s e l ’ s mo t i o n t o wi t h d r a w.