FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT A ugus t 31, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ 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. 05- 10450 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 4 - 0 0 0 9 3 - CR- CG 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 V I N C E N T E R I C T H O M A S , 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 So u th e rn D i s tr i c to f A l a b a ma

_________________________ ( A ugus t31, 2005) B efo re B IR C H , B A R K E T T an d M A R C U S , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: V i nc entE ri c T ho m as appeal s hi s 37-m on th sent ence , i m po se d aft erhe pl ed gu i l ty t o posse ss i on of a fi re arm by a fe l on , i n vi ol at i on of 18 U . S .C . § 9 2 2 (g)( 1).2

O n appe a l , T hom a s a r gue s , f orthe f i r s tt i m e , tha tthe di s tr i ct co u rt e rr e d by s e nt e nc i ng hi m und era m a nda t ory S e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s s c he m e , i n vi ol a t i on of U ni t ed S tate s v. B oo ker, 54 3 U . S . ___, 12 5 S . C t . 73 8, 16 0 L . E d. 2d 62 1 (20 05 ), a nd B l a ke l y v. W ash i ngt on, 542 U . S . 296, 124 S . C t . 2531, 159 L . E d. 2d 403 ( 2 0 04) . A f

t e rth o r o u g h r e v i e w o f th e r e c o r d , w i th p a r t i c u l a ra tt e n t i o n t o th e PSI a n d s e n t e n c i n g tr a n s c r i p t , a n d c a r e f u l c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f

th e p a r t i e s ’ b r i e f

s , we a f f i r m. B e c a u s e T h o m a s d id n o t r a is e a B o o k e r c la im b e lo w , w e r e v ie w h is c la im f o rp la in e rr o ro n ly . S e e U n ite d S ta te s v . D o w lin g , 4 0 3 F . 3 d 1 2 4 2 , 1 2 4 6 - 4 7 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 05 ). U nd erpl ai n err or anal ys i s, a def endantm ustshow (1) a n er ro r, (2) that is p la in , a n d ( 3 ) th a t a f f e c ts s u b s ta n tia l r ig h ts . I d . a t 1 2 4 7 . I f th e d e f e n d a n t is a b le t o m a ke a s how i ng of

a l l thr e e , w e the n m a y e x erci se o u r di s c r e t i on t o not i c e the e rr ori f the e rr or“ s e r i ous l y a f f e c t s the f

a i rne s s , i n t eg ri t y , orpubl i c r e put a t i on of j udi c i al p r oc e e di ngs . ” I d. W e ha ve he l d, i n the c ont e xtof B ooke re rr or s , tha tthe p l ai n erro r t esti s sa t i sfi ed o n l y w h en th e d efen d an tcan sh o w th at“ ‘ th ere i s a re as on abl e probabi l i ty of adi ff er entre sul ti f the gu i del i n es had b ee n app l i ed i n an advi sory i nst ea d o f a b i nd i ng fa shi on . ’ ” I d. (quo t i ng U ni t ed S t at es v. R od ri gu ez , 39 8 F . 3d 12 91 , 13 01 (11t h C i r. ), ce rt . deni ed 12 5 S . C t . 29 35 (200 5)). T he fa ct s r el ev antt o T ho m as ’ s B oo ker c l ai m ar e s tra i gh t forw ar d. T ho m as3

pl ed gu i l ty, w i tho uta w ri tt en p l eaagre em ent , t o k no w i ng l y posse ss i ng a f i re arm aft e rha vi ng be e n c onvi c t e d of a f e l ony , i n vi ol a t i on of

18 U . S . C . § 922( g) ( 1) , a nd proceeded t o sent enci ng . T he P re se nt ence Invest i gat i on R eport(“ P S I” ) set T hom a s ’ s ba s e l e ve l of f e ns e a t20, p u rs ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 2K 2. 1( a ) ( 4) ( A ) , a nd reco m m en d ed a 2 - l ev el red u ct i o n fo r T h o m as’ s accep t an ce o f resp o n si b i l i ty, pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 3E 1. 1( a ) . B a s e d on a n a dj us t e d of f e ns e l e v el of

18 a c r im in a l h is to ry c a te g o ry I V , T h o m a s ’s G u id e lin e s r a n g e w a s 4 1 - 5 1 m o n th s . A tthe se nt enci ng hear i ng , T ho m as req u es t ed, and w as grant ed, an addi t i on al on e- l evel re du ct i on for a cc ept ance of re spon si bi l i ty, re sul t i ng i n a G ui del i nes r a nge of 37- 46 m onths . T hom a s a l s o m ove d f oradow nw a r d de pa r tur e , pur s ua nt t o U . S . S . G . § 5 K 2 . 2 3 , a n d a d o w n w ard ad j u stm en tt o h i s cri m i n al h i st o ry cat eg o ry, b o th o f w h i c h t h e d is tr ic t c o u r t d e n ie d . T h o m a s a ls o r e q u e s te d th e d is tr ic t c o u r t to he a rt e s t i m ony f

r om hi s m i ni s t e ra nd a r e pr e s e nt a t i ve f r om t h e drug tr e a tm e nt p ro g ram i n w h i ch h e w as en ro l l ed . T h e d istri ctco u rtd i d n o tal l o w ei th er w i tn ess t o t es t i fy , bu tac kn ow led g ed b o th thatT ho m as w as a m em ber of a c hu rc h, and t hat he w as i n d rug t re atm ent . T he di stri ctcourtse nt ence d T ho m as t o a 37 -m on th t erm of i m pr i s onm e nt . T hi s appe a l f ol l ow e d. In B lak ely, th e S u p re m e C o u rt h eld th a t, u n d erth e S tate o f W as h in g to n ’s m a nda t ory s e nt e nc i ng gui de l i ne s s y s t e m , the i m p o s i t i on of a s e nt e nc i ng4

e nha nc e m e ntba s e d upon f a c t s ne i the ra dm i tt e d b y t he de f e nda ntnorf

ound by the j ury vi ol a t e d the defen d a nt ’ s S i xth A m e ndm e ntr i ghtt o a j ury tr i a l . B l a ke l y , 542 U .S . a t - - - , 1 2 4 S . C t. a t 2 5 3 4 - 3 8 . T h e r e a f te r , th e S u p r e m e C o u r t e x te n d e d th is ho l di ng t o the fe dera l S ent enci ng G ui del i nes. B oo ker, 54 3 U . S . at-- -, 12 5 S . C t . at 76 0. B as ed on the S up re m e C ou rt ’ s a nal ys i s i n B oo ker, w e have stated th atthere a r e tw o ty pe s of

B ooke re rr or : ( 1) a S i xth A m e ndm e nte rr or-- t h e er r orof i m pos i ng a s e nt e nc i ng e nha nc e m e ntba s e d on j udi c i a l f i ndi ngs tha tgo be y on d the f a c t s ad m i t t ed b y the de f e nda ntorf

ound by the j ury , a nd ( 2) a s t a tut ory e rr or- - the e rr orof be i ng s e nt e nc e d unde ra m a nda t or y gui de l i ne s s y st em . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. S hel t on , 40 0 F . 3d 13 25 , 13 30 -31 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ). H e r e , th e r e w a s n o B o o k e rc o n s titu tio n a l e rr o rb e c a u s e th e d is t r i c t c o u r t d id no tenhance T ho m as ’ s s ent ence base d o n j ud i ci al fa ct fi nd i ng . D es pi t e the abse nce of a S i xth A m endm entvi ol at i on , because T ho m as w as se nt ence d u nd era m an d at o ry sen t en ci n g reg i m e, th ere w as B o o k er n o n -co n s titu t i o n al , o r st atu t o ry, e rr or . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. G a l l e gos - A gue r o, 409 F . 3d 1274, 1277 ( 11th C i r. 2 0 05) (c it ing R od ri gu ez , 39 8 F . 3d at13 00 ). “ T he use of the gu i del i nes a s m andat ory w as e rr or , e ve n i n the a bs e nc e of a S i xth A m e ndm e ntvi ol a t i on. ” G a l l e gos - A gue r o, 4 0 9 F .3 d a t 1 2 7 7 ( c itin g S h e lto n , 4 0 0 F .3 d a t 1 3 3 0 - 3 1 ) . W e h a v e r e c o g n iz e d th a t B o o k e re rr o r s s a tis f y p r o n g s ( 1 ) a n d ( 2 ) o f

th e p la in5

e r r or t e s t . Se e Ro d r i g u e z , 3 9 8 F. 3 d a t1 2 9 8 - 9 9 . To s a t i s f y th e th i r d p r o n g o f

t he pl ai n err or t es t , a def

endantm ustshow that the error a ctual l y did m ak e a d i ff er ence : i f i ti s e qu al l y pl ausi bl e that the erro rw or ke d i n f

a vorof the de f e ns e , the de f

e nda ntl os e s ; i f

the ef fe ct o f th e error i s s o u ncer t ai n thatw e do n otkn ow w hi ch, i f e i ther, s i de i the l pe d the de f

e nda ntl oses. W h er e the e rr or s c oul d ha ve c ut e ith e rw a y a n d u n c e r ta in ty e x is ts , th e b u r d e n is th e d e c i s i v e f a c to rin the thi r d pr ong of

th e pl a i n e rr ort e s t , a nd the bur de n i s on the d e f e n d a n t. I d. a t1300. A de f

e nda ntdoe s nots a t i s f

y hi s b u rd en u n d er t h e thi r d pr ong of the pl a i n e rr ort e s tw he n “ nothi ng i n the r e c or d i ndi c a t e s tha tthe j u d g e m i g h tha ve i m po se d a di ff

er entsen ten ce in the new advi sory re gi m e. ” D ow l i ng , 40 3 F . 3d at 12 47 . T hat i s the c a s e he r e . Thoma s ha s no t s ho w n a r e a s on a bl e pr ob a bi l i ty of a di ff er entre sul thad the di stri ctcourtno tappl i ed the G ui del i nes i n a m andat ory fa shi on . A c c or di ng l y , he c a nn ot s ho w pl a i n e rr or ba s e d on Book e r a nd w e a ff i rm hi s s ent ence . AF F I RME D.