2005 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 4-18-2005 

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. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . R amir ez -El i as " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1348. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/1348NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N os . 03- 3724/ 3725 UNI T E D S T AT E S OF AM E RI CA v. A D RI A N RA M I RE Z- ELI A S, A ppel l ant( N o. 03- 3724) UNI T E D S T AT E S OF AM E RI CA v. M ANUE L RA M I RE Z - M E Z A, A ppel l ant( N o. 03- 3725)

ON AP P E AL F RO M T HE UNI T E D S T AT E S DI S T RI CT CO UR T F OR

T H E E A S T E R N D IS T R IC T O F P E N N S Y L V A N IA ( D i s tC our tN os . 02- C R - 173- 06 and 02- C R - 173- 04) D i s tr i ctC our tJ udge: H on. B ruce W . K aufman Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

Sept ember15, 2004 B efore: A L ITO , A M B R O , and F ISH E R , C i rcui tJudg es.W e s ee no c onfl i ctbetw een K el l yand U ni t ed St at es v. B arbos a, 271 F. 3d 438 1 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ), o r a n yo th e r d e c is io n o f o u r C o u rt c ite d b yR a m ir e z -E lia s . ( O pi ni on Fi l ed: A pr i l 18, 2005)

OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

P E R C U R I A M: T h i s i s a d i r e c ta p p e a l i n a c r i mi n a l c a s e . Ad r i a n Ra mi r e z - E l i a s p l e d g u i l tyt o t wo count s i nvol vi ng a cons pi r acyt o pos s es s and di s tr i but e over1, 000 ki l ogr ams of mar i j uana a n d w a s s e n te n c e d to th e m a n d a to ry m in im u m s e n te n c e o f 1 0 y e a rs f

o r e a c h c ri m e . P rio r to se n ten c in g , R a m ire z -E lias a rg u e d th a t th e p e n a ltyp ro v isio n o f th e sta tu te underw hi ch he w as t o be s ent ence d, 21 U . S. C . § 841( b) ( 1) ( A ) , w as uncons t i tut i onal underA ppr endi v. N ew J er s ey , 530 U . S. 466 ( 2000) , beca us e the s t atut e r equi r es a j udge t o det erm i ne the amountof nar cot i cs i n ques t i on, w her eas A ppr endi s t at es a cons t i tut i onal r e q u i r e m e n tth a tth e j u r y d e t e r m i n e th i s a m o u n t . O u ro p i n i o n i n U n i t e d S t a t e s v . K e l l y, 27 2 F . 3d 62 2 (3d C i r. 20 01 ), has fo recl osed thi s ar gu m ent i n thi s C i rcui t . S ee al so 1 U ni t ed St at es v. Pr ay , 373 F. 3d 358, 360 n. 1 ( 3d C i r . 2004) ; U ni t ed St at es v. C hor i n, 322 F. 3d 274, 282 fn. 4 ( 3d C i r . 2003) . T he Supr eme C our t ’ s r ece ntdeci s i on i n U ni t ed St at es v . B o o k e r, 5 4 3 U .S . _
_ , 1 2 5 S . C t. 7 3 8 (2 0 0 5 ), d o e s n o t c h a n g e th is re s u lt. S e e , e .g ., U n ited S tate s v . C o lli n s, 2 0 0 5 W L 4 7 6 9 1 2 (4 th C ir. M a r. 0 2 , 2 0 0 5 ) (re a f f irm in g p o stB o o k e r t h a t § 8 4 1 is c o n s titu tio n a l u n d e r A p p re n d i) .R a m ir e z -E lia s w a s s e n te n c e d p u rs u a n t to th e U n ite d S ta te s S e n te n c in g G u id e lin e s .

H avi ng det erm i ned thati s s ues w i th r es pectt o B ookerar e bes tdet erm i ned bythe D i s t r i ct C o u rt in th e f

irst in sta n c e , w e v a c a te th e se n ten c e a n d re m a n d f o r re se n ten c in g in a c c o rd a n c e w ith th a t o p in io n .