# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 8 -2 5 25

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Un i t ed St at es o f Am eri ca,

l l ll l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i nt i

f f - Ap p el lee

,

v

.

Ni ch o l as Bu rrel l Dav i d so n ,

l l ll l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l Def

en d a n t - Ap pel l an t

.

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Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e So u t h ern Di s t ri ct o f Io wa - Dav en p o rt

_ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _

Su b m i t t ed : M ay

1 3

, 2 0 1 9
Fi l ed : Au g u s t 9 , 2 0 1 9

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Befo re COLLOTON, BEAM , an d SHEPHERD, Ci rcu i t J u d g es

.

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COLLOTON, Ci rcu i t J u d g e.

Ni ch o l as Dav i d s o n p l ead ed gu i l t y t o o n e co u n t o f u n l awfu l p o s s es s i o n o f a

fi rearm as a prev i ou s ly co nv i ct ed fel o n

. S ee 1 8 U.S.C. §§ 9 2 2 (g )(1 ), 9 2 4 (a)(2 ). Th e
d i s t ri ct co u rt 1 s en t en ced h i m t o 1 1 0 m o nt h s’ im p ri so n m en t. Dav i ds o n a p p e a l s ,

1 Th e Ho n o rab l e Jo h n A. J arv ey , Ch i ef Ju d ge, Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r
t h e So ut h ern Di st ri ct o f Io wa.c ha llen g i n g t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt ’ s cal cu l at i o n o f t h e ad v i s o ry g u i d el i n e s en ten c ing r a nge

.

He d i s p u t es i n creas es t o th e gu i d el i ne ran g e fo r p o s ses s i o n of a fi rearm i n co n n ect i o n
wi t h an ot h er fel o n y , USSG § 2 K2 .1 (b )(6 )(B), an d fo r reck l es s en d an g erm en t d u ri n g

fl ig h t fro m l aw en fo rcem en t

, i d

. § 3 C1 .2

. W e co n cl ud e t h at t h ere was no p ro ced u ral

erro r, an d t h erefo re affi rm

.

P o l i ce i n Dav en p o rt

, Io w a, l earn ed in J u l y 2 0 1 7 t h at Dav i d s o n w as s el l i n g

m ari ju an a ou t of a car n ear a l o cal ap art m en t co m p l ex

. A co n fi d en t ial i nfo rm an t

,

u n d er s up erv i si o n o f th e p o li ce, b o u g h t 2

. 5 gram s of m ari ju an a fro m D av i d so n , wh o
wei g h ed t h e d ru g s o n a d i g i t al s cal e b efo re t ran s ferri n g t hem

.

Two d ay s l at er, p o l i ce d eci d ed t o arres t Dav id so n at a l o cal p l ay g ro u n d

. W h en

h e s aw t he o ffi cers , Dav i d s o n fl ed

, an d t h e o ffi cers ch as ed h i m

. A b o u t fo rt y t o fi ft y

y ard s i n t o th e fo o t p u rs u it

, Dav i d s o n p u l l ed a p i s t o l fro m hi s w ai s t b an d an d t h rew i t

t o t h e s i d e

. H e t h en ran t o a res i d en t i al area, wh ere h e cl i m b ed a s i x-fo o t p ri v acy

fen ce an d en t ered a b ack y ard

. Po l i ce cau g h t h i m t h ere, b u t h e co n t in u ed res i s t i n g an d

fo u g ht wi t h o ffi cers . Sev eral o ffi cers recei v ed m i n o r i n j u ri es d u ri n g t h e s t ru g g l e.

Po l i ce fo u n d 1 3.7 g ram s o f m ari ju an a, at l eas t $ 1 ,3 0 0 i n cas h, an d car k ey s o n

Dav id s o n ’ s p ers o n

. Offi cers s earch ed t h e car th at m at ch ed t h e k ey s an d fo u n d

ap p ro x i m at el y 7 .3 5 g ram s o f m ari ju an a, t h ree fu n ct i o n i n g d ig i tal s cal es , p ack ag i n g

m at eri al

, an d a d u ffl e b ag wi t h m ari j u a n a res i d u e. Po l i ce al s o search ed t wo

ap art m en t s t h at Dav i d s o n rep ort ed l y freq u en t ed

, an d s ei zed m ari ju an a a n d d ru g

p arap h ern al i a.

Dav i d s o n p l ead ed gu i l t y t o u n l awfu l l y p o s s es s in g a fi rearm as a prev i o u s l y

co n vi ct ed fel o n , an d t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt s en t en ced h i m t o 1 1 0 m o n th s ’ i m pri s o n m en t

. In cal cu l at i n g t h e ad v i s o ry g u i d el i n e ran g e, t h e co u rt ap p l i ed a fo u r-l ev el i n creas e fo r

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm i n co n n ect i o n wi t h an o t h er fel o n y o ffen s e an d a two -l ev el

i n creas e fo r reck l es s en d an germ en t d u ri n g fl i g h t

.

-2

-On ap p eal

, Dav id s on d i s p u t es t h e fi n d i n g t h at h e p os s es s ed “ an y fi rearm o r

am m u n i t io n i n co n n ect i o n wi t h an o t h er fel o n y o ffen se.” Id

. § 2 K2 .1 (b )(6 )(B). Th e
d i s t ri ct co u rt fo u n d t h at Dav i ds o n p o s s es s ed a fi rearm i n co nn ect i o n wi t h t h e fel o ny

o ffen s e o f p o s ses s i on wi t h i n ten t t o d i s tri b ut e m ari ju an a. Th e co urt reas o n ed t h at

Dav id s o n ’ s o ffen s e “ was cl earl y p o s s es s i on wi t h i n t en t t o d i s t ri b u t e m ari ju an a b as ed

o n h i s earl ier sal e t o t h e co nfi den t i al i n fo rm an t, t h e am o u n t o f c a s h

, t h e m an n er in

wh i ch t h e m ari

ju an a was p ack ag ed

, p res en ce of a f i r e a r m , an d t h e s earch warran t

ev i d en ce.” Dav i ds o n co nt en d s , h o w e v er, t h at h e di d n o t i n t en d t o d i s t ri b u t e t h e

m ari ju an a t h at h e p os s es s ed , s o h i s d ru g o ffen s e was n ot a fel o ny

.

Dav i d s o n p o ss es s ed 1 3.7 g ram s o f m ari ju an a p ack ag ed i n s ev eral p l as t i c b ag s ,

an d an ex p ert t es t i fi ed t h at Dav i d s o n’ s hy b ri d m ari ju an a w as o ft en s o l d i n g r a m o r

h al f-g ram q u an ti t i es

. He al s o p o s s es s ed $ 1 ,3 0 0 i n c a s h w h e n arres t ed

, an d h e
d i s card e d a f

i rearm d u ri n g t h e p reced i n g fo o t ch as e. Th es e fact o rs al l s u p p o rt an

i n feren ce t h at t h e s ei zed m ari ju an a was fo r d i s t ri bu t io n an d n ot m erel y fo r p ers o n al

u s e. S ee Un i ted S t a tes v. Br o ckma n , 9 2 4 F.3 d 9 8 8

, 9 9 3-9 4 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 9 ) ; U n i t ed

S t a t es v. Th o mp s o n , 8 8 1 F.3 d 62 9 , 6 3 2 -3 3 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 8 ). Ad d t o t h at Dav i d s o n ’ s
d i s t ri b u t i o n o f m ari

ju an a to an i n fo rm an t two d ay s earl i er, t h e sei zu re of m ari ju an a,

s cal es , an d p ack ag i ng m at eri al fro m a car t o wh i ch Dav id s o n h ad th e k ey s , an d o t h er
d ru g t raffi ck i n g ev i d en ce fo u n d i n t wo ap art m en t s t h at Dav i d so n freq u en ted

. Th ere

was am p l e ev i d en ce t o s u p p o rt a fi n di n g o f p os s es s i on wi t h i n t en t t o d i s t ri b u t e, an d

t h ere w as n o cl ear erro r i n ap p l y i n g t h e fo u r-l ev el in creas e u n d er § 2 K2

. 1 (b )(6 )(B).

Dav i d s o n al s o ch al l en ges t h e d i st ri ct co urt ’ s ap p l i cat i o n o f a tw o- le v el i n creas e

fo r “ reck l es s l y creat [i n g] a su b s t an t i al ri s k o f d eat h o r s eri o u s b o d i ly in j u ry t o an o t h er

p ers o n i n t h e co u rs e o f fl eei n g fro m a l aw en fo rcem en t o f f i cer.” U SSG § 3 C1 .2

. Dav id s o n arg u es th at § 3 C1 .2 i s m o s t o ft en ap p l i ed t o car ch as es , e.g

. , Un i t ed S t a t es

v. S t

. Ja m es , 4 15 F.3 d 8 00

, 8 0 6 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 5 ), an d d o es n o t ap p l y i n t h e co n t ex t o f

h i s sh o r t

- l i v ed fl i g h t o n fo o t

. H e p ort ray s h i s fl ig h t as an i n s ti n ct i v e res p o n s e t h at

-3

-fai l ed t o creat e t he req u i si t e ri s k t o o t h ers

. S ee Un i t ed S ta t es v. R eyes -Os eg uer a , 1 0 6

F.3 d 1 4 8 1 , 1 4 8 3 (9 t h Ci r. 1 9 9 7 ).

W e s ee n o cl ear erro r i n t he di s tri ct co u rt ’ s fi n di n g

. Th e reck l es s en d an g erm en t

ad ju s t m en t can ap p l y t o fo o t ch as es as wel l as car ch as es , see Un i ted S t a t es v. Ba t es , 5 6 1 F.3 d 7 5 4

, 7 5 7 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 9 ), an d t h ere was s uffi ci en t ev i d en ce t o t ri g g er t h e

i n creas e here. Dav id so n fl ed fro m p ol i ce an d h o pp ed a si x -fo o t fen ce i n a res i d en t i al

area, t h ereb y creat i n g a ri sk o f h arm t o o ffi cers w ho s cal ed th e b arri er aft er h i m

. By

s t ru g g l i n g wi t h t h e arres t in g o ffi cers , h e creat ed a s ub s tan t i al ri s k o f s eri o us b o d i l y

i n ju ry b ey o n d t h e m i n o r i n ju r i e s t h a t act u al l y res u l t ed

. By di s card i n g h is fi rearm
d u ri n g t h e ch as e, D av i d s o n al s o creat ed t h e po s si b i l i t y o f t h e weap o n acci d en t l y
d i s ch arg i n g . Th e co urt reas o n ab l y co u l d fi n d t h at Dav i ds o n w as aware of t h e ri s k s

creat ed by h i s co n d u ct

, an d t h at h e g ro s s l y d ev i at ed fro m t h e s tan d ard o f care t h at a

reas on ab l e p ers on wo u l d ex erci s e i n t h at s i t u at i o n

— i

. e

. , p eacefu l s urren d er. See

USSG § 3C1 .2

, co m

m en t

. (n .2 ); i d

. § 2 A1 .4

, co m

m en t

. (n .1 ). W e th erefo re co n cl u d e

t h at t h e di s t ri ct co urt d i d no t co m m i t p ro ced u ral erro r i n cal cu l at i n g Dav i d s o n ’ s

g u i d el i n e ran g e.

Th e ju d g m en t o f t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt i s affi rm ed

.

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