# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.
Deb or ah Thee le r
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Nor th ern Dis tri ctof I owa - Sio ux Cit y

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Feb ru ary 29 , 20 16 Fi le d: Marc h 8 , 20 16 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , MELLOY and GRUENDER, Circu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ PER CURI AM.

Deb or ah The el er ap pe al s th e de ni al of he r m ot io n to red uc e he r s en te nc e in

a cco rd an ce wit h Am en dm en t 78 2 of th e Uni te d St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s, th e ret ro act iv e “ dr ug s m in us two ” am en dm en t.In 20 07 , The el er ple ad ed gu il ty to on e co un t o f Co ns pi racy to Di st rib ut e 5 00

gr am s of Met ha m

ph et am in e or 50 gr am s of Actu al Met ha m ph et am in e. Her ad vi so ry Gui de li ne s se nt en ci ng ran ge was 36 0 m on th s to li fe an d h e r s t at ut or y m in im um
se nt en ce was 24 0 m on th s

. Th e go ve rn m en t m ov ed fo r a be lo w-Gui de li ne s- ran ge
se nt en ce pu rs ua nt to U.S.S.G. § 5K1 .1, bu t di d no t m ov e pu rs ua nt to 1 8 U .S.C. § 35 5 3 ( e ) to pe rm it a se nt en ce be lo w th e st at ut or y m in im um

. The di st ric t co ur t 1 im po se d t he st at ut or y

m in im um sen te nc e o f 24 0 m on th s.

On Decem

be r 31 , 2 0 1 4 , The el er fil ed a pr o se m ot io n fo r a red uc ti on to he r
s en te nc e se ek in g th e be ne fit of Am en dm en t 78 2 whi ch wou ld ha ve res ul te d in an ad vi so ry Gui de li ne s se nt en ci ng ran ge of 29 2 to 36 5 m on th s. The or ig in al se nt en ci ng jud ge ad dr es se d th e m ot io n an d de te rm in ed th at , be cau se The el er ha d rec e i v e d a st at ut or y m in im um sen te nc e, a red uc ti on was n ot au th or iz ed by stat ut e.

A co ur t m ay , in so m e ci rcu m st an ces , red uc e a de fen da n t ’s se nt en ce if th e Gui de li ne s ra ng e u po n whi ch th e se nt en ce was ba se d i s s ub se qu en tl y am en de d a nd if a red uc ti on is “ co ns is te nt wit h ap pl ic a bl e po li cy st at em en ts is su ed by th e Sen te nc in g Co m

m is si on .” 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c)( 2)

. Gui de line am en dm en ts , ho wev er, d o no t su sp en d ot he rwis e ap pl ic ab le st at ut or y m in im um s, an d “ [w]ith o u t a go ve rn m en t m ot io n, th e di st ric t co ur t is wit ho ut au th or it y to im po se a se nt en ce be lo w a st at ut or y m an da to ry m in im um se nt en ce.” Uni te d Stat es v. Holb dy, 48 9 F.3d 91 0, 91 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 07 ). Here, th e pa rti es ag ree th at th e go ve rn m e n t o r i g i n al ly m ov ed

on ly pu rs ua nt to U.S.S.G. § 5K1 .1, an d no t pu rs ua nt to § 35 53 (e). The di st ric t co ur t

was an d rem ai ns wit ho ut au th or it y to se nt en ce The el er be lo w 24 0 m on th s. Cf. Uni te d St at es v. Pete rs , 52 4 F.3d 90 5, 90 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ) (p er cu ria m ) (red uc ti on pu rs ua nt to Am en dm en t 7 06 un av ai la bl e whe re ini ti al sen te nc e was th e st at ut or y m in im um ).

W e aff irm th e jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t.

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The Hon or ab le Mar k W

. Ben ne tt , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e 1 Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa

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