N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT UNITED STATES OF AM ERIC A,

Pla i ntiff-Appe lle e , v. AR TUR O C HAVEZ-M ELGOZA,

De fe nda nt-Appe l la

nt. No. 15-50210

D.C . No. 3:14-c r-03692-B EN M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Southe rn Distric t of C a lifornia R oge r T. B e nite z , Distric t Judge , Pre s iding Subm itte d April 11, 2017 ** B e fore : GOULD, C LIFTON, a nd HUR W ITZ, C i rc uit Judge s. Arturo C have z -M e lgoz a a ppe a ls from

the distric t c ourt’ s judgm e nt a nd c ha lle nge s the 37-m onth se nte n c e im pose d following his guilty -ple a c onvic tion for im porta tion of c oc a ine , in viola

tion of 21 U.S.C . §§ 952, 960. W e have jurisdic tion unde r 28 U.S.C . § 1291, a nd we va c ate and re m and for re se nte nc ing.



# F IL ED APR 20 2017 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without oral a

rgum e nt. Se eFe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).C have z -M e lgoz a argue s tha

t the distric t c ourt e rre d in de ny ing a m inor role re duc t ion to his ba se offe nse le ve l unde r U.S.S.G. § 3B 1.2(b). Afte r C have z M e l goz a wa s se nte nc e d , the Unite d State s Se nte nc ing C om m ission issue d Am e ndm e nt 794 (“ the Am e ndm e nt” ), whic h am e nde d the c om m e nta ry to the m inor role Guide line . The Am e ndm e nt is re troa c tive to c a se s pe nding on dire c t a ppe a l. Se eUnite d State

s v . Quinte ro-Le

y v a , 823 F.3d 519, 523 (9th C ir. 2016). The Am e ndm e nt c la

rifie d tha t, in a sse s sing whe the r a

de fe nda nt should re c e ive a m inor role a djustm e nt, thec ourt should c om pa re him to the othe r pa rtic i pa nts in the c rim e , rathe r tha n to a hy pothe tic a l a

ve ra ge pa rtic ipa nt. Se e U.S.S.G. App. C . Am e nd. 794; Quinte ro-Le y v a , 823 F.3d a

t 523. In a ddition, the Am e ndm e nt c la

rifie d tha t “ [t] he fa c t tha

t a de fe nda nt pe rform s a

n e sse ntia l or indispe nsa

ble role in thec rim ina l a c tivity is not de te rm inative .” U.S.S.G. § 3B 1.2 c m t. n.3(C ) (2015). Fina lly , the Am e ndm e nt a dde d a non-e xha ustivelist of fa c tors that a c ourt “ should c onside r” in de te rm ining whe the r to a pply a m inor role re duc t ion. Se eid. B e c a

use we c annot de te rm ine from the re c ord whe the r the distric t c o urt followe d

the guida nc e of the Am e ndm e nt’ s c la rify ing la n gua g e and c onside re d a ll of thenow-re le va nt fa c tors, we va c ate C have z -M e lgoz a ’ s se nte nc e and re m and for re s e nte nc ing unde r the Am e ndm e nt. Se eQuinte ro-Le y v a , 823 F.3d at 523-24.

1 5 - 5 0 2 1 0 2For purpose s of re se nte nc ing, we note tha t be c a u se C have z -M e l goz a

is sa fe ty va l ve e ligible , he is e xe m pt from the sta tutory m inim um te rm of supe rvise d re le a se . S

e e U.S.S.G. § 5C 1.2 c m

t. n.9. VACAT E D and RE M ANDE D for r e se nte nc i ng.

1 5 - 5 0 2 1 0 3