### F I LE D U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E LEVE NTH CI RCUI T June 10, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN C L 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

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_________________________ ( Ju n e 10, 2005) ON P E T I T I ON F OR R E HE AR I NG B efo re B IR C H , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

Y uni orC a r ty A l m ont e pe t i t i ons thi s pa ne l f orr e he a r i ng r e ga r di ng hi s 30- m onth pr i s on s e nt e nc e f orpl e a di ng gui l ty t o i m por t i ng ade t e c t abl e a m ountof c oc a i ne i nt o the U ni t e d S t a t e s , i n vi ol a t i on of 21 U . S . C . s e c t i ons 952( a ) a nd 960( b) ( 3) . A l m ont e a r gue s tha t , unde rU ni t e d S t a t e s v. B ooke r , 543 U . S . ___, 125 S . C t . 738 ( 2005) , the di s tr i c tc our tc om m i tt e d both ac ons t i tut i ona l e rr ora nd a s ta tu to ry e rr o rb e c a u s e aju ry d id n o t f in d th e q u a n tity o f

c o c a in e A lm o n te po ss es se d and he w as se nt ence d u nd era m andat ory gui del i nes s chem e. O ur ea rl i er o p in io n r e

je c te d A lm o n te ’s c o n s titu tio n a l a r g u m e n t, b u t d id n o t a d d r e s s h is s ta tu to ry a r g u m e n t. B e c a u s e th e g o v e rn m e n t h a s c o n c e d e d o n r e h e a r in g th a t it c a nnotpr ove tha tthe s t a tut ory e rr orw a s ha rm l e s s , w e gr a ntA l m ont e ’ s pe t i t i on f or re hear i ng , vaca t e our previ ou s opi ni on , and rem and thi s c as e t o the di stri ctcourt f o rr e s e n te n c in g . I . B AC KG RO UN D A l m ont e w a s a rr e s t e d i n M i a m i e n r out e f r om S t . M a a r t e n, i n the C a r i bbe a n, t o L on do n, E ng l and. U ni t ed S t at es C ust om s a gent s di sc ov er ed thatA l m on t e had i nge s t e d 55 l a t e x pe l l e t s f i l l e d w i th c oc a i ne . A gr a nd j ury r e turne d atw o- c ount i ndi c tm e nta ga i ns tA l m ont e tha tc ha r ge d hi m w i th i m por t i ng ade t e c t abl e a m ount of c oc a i ne a nd pos s e s s i ng c oc a i ne w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e , i n vi ol a t i on of 21 U .S .C . s e c tio n 8 4 1 .3

A lm o n te p le a d e d g u ilty to im p o r tin g ad e te c tab le a m o u n t o f c o c a in e in re turn for di sm i ss al of the se cond coun tof the i nd i ctm ent . D uri ng the pl ea c o llo q u y , th e p r o s e c u to rr e c ite d th e f a c tu a l b a s is f

o rth e c h a r g e s a g a in s t A lm o n te . T h e p r o s e c u to rs ta te d th a t, if th e c a s e h a d p r o c e e d e d to tr ia l, th e g o v e rn m e n t w o u ld have prov ed, beyond a r ea sonabl e dou bt , thatA l m on t e m ettw o m en i n S t . M aa rt en w h o p a id h im $ 5 0 0 to in g e s t th e c o c a in e , th e tw o m e n a g r e e dth a t A lm o n te w o u ld re ce iv e $ 3 0 0 0 m o re u p o n h is ar riv al in L o n d o n , an d th e c o ca in e in A lm o n te’s pos s e s s i on w e i ghe d 563. 2 gr a m s . T he pr os e c ut orc onc l ude d hi s s t a t e m e ntby s a y i ng tha t , “ B a s e d on th[ a t ] e vi de nc e , aj ury c oul d ha ve f ound be y ond a r e a s o n ab le d o u b t th a t . . . A lm o n te , k n o w in g ly a n d in te n tio n a lly im p o r te d ... a de t e c t abl e a m ountof

c oc a i ne i nt o the U ni t e d S t a t e s . . . . ” A l m ont e a gr e e d tha tthe f a c tua l s t a t e m e ntm a de by the pr os e c ut orw a s c orr e c ta nd c onf i rm e d tha the ha d no que s t i ons r e ga r di ng tha ts t a t e m e nt . A l m ont e a l s o e xpr e s s l y w a i ve d hi s r i ghtt o a tri al b y j u ry. A tthe s e nt e nc i ng he a r i ng, A l m ont e obj e c t e d t o the pr e s e nt e nc e i nve s t i ga t i on r e p o r t o n th e g r o u n d th a t h is s tip u la tio n r e g a r d in g th e q u a n tity o f c o c a in e a t h is p le ac o llo q u y w a s n o t, in f a c t, as tip u la tio n r e g a r d in g d ru g q u a n tity u n d e rB la k e ly v. W a s hi ngt on, 542 U . S . ___, 124 S . C t . 2531 ( 2004) , a nd s e c t i on 1B 1. 2 of the s e nt e nc i ng gui de l i ne s . A l m ont e ’ s a tt orne y di d not , how e ve r , di s put e a ny pa r tof4

the pl e ac ol l oquy a nd a c know l e dge d tha tA l m ont e a gr e e d w i th the s t a t e m e ntof f a c t s pr e s e nt e d by the gove rnm e nt . T he di s tr i c tc our tove rrul e d the obj e c t i on a nd s e nt e nc e d A l m ont e t o 30 m onths i n pr i s on. T he s t a tut ory m a xi m um pe na l ty f orthe cr i m es t o w hi ch A l m on t e pl ea ded g ui l ty i s 20 years , 21 U . S . C . se ct i on 96 0(b)(3), a n d th e s e n te n c in g r a n g e u n d e rth e g u id e lin e s w a s b e tw e e n 3 0 a n d 3 7 m o n th s . A lm o n te ap p e a le d , a n d w e a f f irm e d in a n u n p u b lis h e d o p in io n . W e d et erm i n ed th atA l m o n t e co u l d n o tp rev ai l o n h i s co n st i tu t i o n al arg u m en tb ecau se h e ad m i tt ed t o th e d ru g q u an t i ty fo r w h i ch h e w as ch arg ed , b u tw e d i d n o td i scu ss s ta tu to ry e rr o r . I I . STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW “W h e r e th e r e is atim e ly o b je c tio n , w e r e v ie w th e d e f e n d a n t’s B o o k e rc la im i n o rdert o d et erm i ne w hether the error w as harm l es s. ” U ni t ed S t at es v. M atheni a, N o . 0 4 - 1 5 2 5 0 , ___F .3 d ___ , 2 0 0 5 W L 1 2 0 1 4 5 5 , a t * 2 ( 1 1 th C ir . M a y 2 3 , 2 0 0 5 ) . A s th i s C o u rtd i scu ssed i n M ath en i a, “ [t ] h ere are tw o h arm l ess erro r st an d ard s. O ne of them appl i es t o B oo ker c on st i tut i on al errors , the other t o B oo ker s t atut ory e rr o r s .” I d . T h e f

ir s t s ta n d a r d , f

o rc o n s titu tio n a l e rr o r , r e q u ir e s th e g o v e rn m e n t to s how “ be y ond ar e a s onabl e doubt , tha tthe e rr ordi d notc ontr i but e t o the defe nd ant ’ s ul t i m at e s ent ence . ” I d. T he se cond st andard, for s t atut ory e rr or, r e q u ir e s u s to d e te rm in e w h e th e rth e e rr o re ith e rd id n o t a f f e c t th e s e n te n c e o ro n ly5

ha d ave ry s l i ghte f

f e c t . I d. ( quot i ng U ni t e d S t a t e s v. H orna da y , 392 F . 3d 1306, 1 3 1 5 -1 6 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 4 )). T h e st an d ard o f rev i ew fo r st atu t o ry erro r “ i s n o teasy for the go vernm entt o m ee t . Iti s a s di ff i cul tfor the go vernm entt o m ee tthat s ta n d a r d a s it is f

o rad e f e n d a n t to m e e t th e th ir d - p r o n g p r e ju d ic e s ta n d a r d f

o rp la in e rr orr e vi e w . ” I d. I I I . DI S CUS S I ON A l m on t e a rgues thatthe di stri ctcourterroneou sl y c al cul at ed hi s s ent ence ba s e d on the s t a t e m e ntof f a c t s by the pr os e c ut orr e ga r di ng A l m ont e ’ s pos s e s s i on of m or e tha n 500 gr a m s of c oc a i ne . A l m ont e c ont e nds tha tas e nt e nc e ba s e d on po ss es si on of m ore than 5 00 gram s of c ocai ne w ou l d res ul ti n the appl i ca t i on of a m a nda t ory m i ni m um s e nt e nc e of f i ve y e a r s i n pr i s on a nd, unde rs e c t i on 1B 1. 2 of th e s e n te n c in g g u id e lin e s , A lm o n te a r g u e s th a t h e c o u ld n o t s tip u la te v e rb a lly to s uc h a n unc ha r ge d c r i m e . A l m ont e c ont e nds tha thi s ba s e of f e ns e l e ve l a nd r e l e va nta dj us tm e nt s w oul d ha ve r e s ul t e d i n as e nt e nc e of be tw e e n 8 a nd 12 m on ths i n p ri son b utfor the fa ctthatthe di stri ctcourtse nt ence d A l m on t e und era m a nda t ory gui de l i ne s s y s t e m . A l m ont e ur ge s r e ve r s a l of hi s s e nt e nc e be c a us e the 3 0 m o n th s in p r is o n to w h ic h h e w a s s e n te n c e d e x c e e d th a t r a n g e . A l m on t e’ s c on st i tut i on al error a rgum entfa i l s. B ef ore the S up re m e C ou rt deci ded B oo ker, w e s t at ed that“ a s t i pu l at i on t o a spec i fi c drug q uant i ty–w hether a s6

pa r tof aw r i tt e n pl e aa gr e e m e nt , pa r tof aj ury tr i a l , ora ts e nt e nc i ng–s e rve [ s ] a s the equi val entof a j ury f

i nd i ng on thati ss ue, si nce the st i pu l at i on t akes the i ss ue aw ay f r o m th e ju ry .” U n ite d S ta te s v . S a n c h e z , 2 6 9 F .3 d 1 2 5 0 , 1 2 7 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) . B oo ker di d n otchange thatrul e. A ft erB oo ker, w e hel d thata s ent ence i m po se d b a s e d o n f

a c ts th a t ad e f

e n d a n t a d m itte d d u r in g h is g u ilty p le aw a s n o t a const i tut i on al error. U ni t ed S t at es v. S hel t on , 40 0 F . 3d 13 25 , 13 30 (11th C i r. 2005) . L i ke S he l t on, A l m ont e a dm i tt e d t o the f a c t s r e c i t e d by the pr os e c ut or , one o f w h ic h w a s th a t A lm o n te p o s s e s s e d 5 6 3 .2 g r a m s o f c o c a in e . T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t, there fore , di d n otcom m i ta c on st i tut i on al error w hen i tbase d A l m on t e’ s s ent ence o n h is a d m is s io n o f

th a t f a c t. A l m on t e’ s s t atut ory e rr or ar gu m ent , ho w ever , succ ee ds. W hi l e thi s c as e w as pe ndi ng on appe a l , the S upr e m e C our tde t e rm i ne d “ tha tthe S i xth A m e ndm e nt r i g h tt o tr i a l b yj u ry i s v i o l a t e d w h e r e u n d e rama n d a t o ry g u i d e l i n e s s y s t e m a s e nt e nc e i s i nc r e a s e d be c a us e of a n e nha nc e m e ntba s e d on f a c t s f ound by the j udge thatw er e nei ther a dm i tt ed by the defendantno r f ou nd by the j ury. ” U ni t ed S t at es v. R od ri gu ez , 39 8 F . 3d 12 91 , 12 98 (11th C i r. 20 05 ). A l m on t e w as se nt ence d p re B oo ker und erthe m andat ory s ent enci ng sy st em , and the go vernm entconcedes that i tc a nnots us t a i n i t s bur de n of pr ovi ng tha tthe e f

f e c tof the s t a tut ory e rr oron A l m ont e ’ s s e nt e nc e w a s ha rm l e s s . W e m us t , the r e f or e , r e m a nd f

orr e s e nt e nc i ng.7 I V . CONCL US I ON A l m ont e ’ s c ons t i tut i ona l e rr ora r gum e ntf a i l s be c a us e he a dm i tt e d t o the d ru g q u a n tity f

o u n d b y th e d is tr ic t c o u r t. W e m u s t, h o w e v e r , r e m a n d th is c a s e to the di stri ctcourtbecause the go vernm entca nn otprov e thatthe B oo ker s t atut ory erro r w as h arm l ess. A l m o n t e’ s p et i t i o n fo r reh eari n g i s G R A N TED , we VA C A TE both ourpr e vi ous opi ni on i n thi s c a s e a nd A l m ont e ’ s s e nt e nc e , a nd RE MAND th is c a s e to th e d is tr ic t c o u r t f o rr e s e n te n c in g .