FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT JANUARY 11 , 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ 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

________________________ N o. 05- 13775 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 95 -000 10 -C R -A A A -16-4 U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t, v ersu s T O N Y R I L E Y , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e .

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e S o u th e rn D is tr ic t o f G e o r g ia

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 11, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , M A R C U S an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

Th e G o v e rn me n tap p e a l s th e d i s tr i c tc o u rt ’ s g r a n to f r e l i e f u n d e r1 8 U . S. C. § 3582( c ) ( 2) r e duc i ng T ony R i l e y ’ s s e nt e nc e f r om 292 m onths t o 151 m onths . T he G ov ernm entas se rt s the di stri ctcourterre d w hen i tre du ce d R i l ey ’ s s ent ence un der § 3582( c ) ( 2) be c aus e A m e ndm e nt668 c oul d notha ve tr i gge r e d the appl i c a t i on of the st atut e. T he di stri ctcourterre d, and w e r ever se . I . B AC KG RO UN D R i l ey , a p ro se pr i s one r , f i l e d a“ L e tt e runde rthe C om pa s s i on R ul e f or R e d u c tio n o f

S e n te n c e .” T h e G o v e rn m e n t d id n o t f ile a n im m e d ia te r e s p o n s e to R i l e y ’ s l e tt e r . T he di s tr i c tc ourti nt e rpr e t e d R i l e y ’ s l e tt e ra s am ot i on a nd gr a nt e d a r e duc t i on i n R i l e y ’ s s e nt e nc e . S pe c i f i c a l l y , the di s tr i c tc ourtc onc l ude d the R ul e of L e ni ty di d notappl y t o R i l e y ’ s c a s e , a nd tha tR i l e y ’ s s e nt e nc e w a s not un const i tut i on al un der U ni ted Stat es v. B oo ke r , 12 5 S . C t . 73 8 (20 05 ); ho w ever , R i l e y ’ s s e nt e nc e w a s due t o be m odi f i e d unde r§ 3582, w hi c h pe rm i t s the m o d if ic a tio n o f

as e n te n c e w h e n th e ap p lic ab le s e n te n c in g r a n g e is s u b s e q u e n tly r e d u c e d b y aG u id e lin e s a m e n d m e n t. T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt e x p r e s s lys ta te d , “it w o u ld s e n te n c e R ile y to ad if

f e r e n t te rm o f

in c a r c e r a tio n if

th e c a s e w e r e b e f

o r e it to d a y .” I n r e duc i ng R i l e y ’ s s e nt e nc e , the di s tr i c tc ourtbe ga n a ta n of f e ns e l e ve l of 4 0 , th e o ff

en se lev el u n d erw h ich R il ey w as o rig in ally se n ten ce d . It fo u n d R il ey ’s l i m i t e d pa rt i c i pa t i on i n the drug c ons pi r a c y qua l i f i e d hi m f ora2 l e ve l r e duc t i on,Amendment 668 modified the max imum base offense leve ls for certain off enders 1 convicted f

or drugoffenses. U.S.S.G. App. C, Amdt. 668. This Amendment eliminated the mitigating -role c ap of § 2D 1.1(a) (3), a nd, in order to address propor tionality concerns, inserted a sliding scale in both § 2D1.1 and § 2D1.11, so that a person rece iving a

mitigatingrole re duction would rec eive a

correspondingreduction in his base of fenselevel. Id. 3 pu rs uantt o § 3B 1. 2(b), and h i s off ense l evel w ou l d b e an add i t i on al 4 l evel s l ow er , p u rsu an tt o § 2 D 1 . 1 (a)(3 ) as am en d ed u n d er A m en d m en t6 6 8 , creat i n g an o ffen se 1 l evel of 34 , w hi ch w i th R i l ey ’ s c ri m i nal hi st ory c at egory of I , yi el ded an i m pr i s onm e ntr a nge of

151 t o 188 m onths . T he c ourtc onc l ude d § 3582( c ) ( 2) a llo w e d ac o u rt to r e d u c e ate rm o f im p r is o n m e n t if

th e d e f e n d a n t w a s s e n te n c e d to at e rm of i m pr i s onm e ntba s e d on ar a nge tha tha s be e n s ubs e que nt l y l ow e r e d, but the courtshou l d con si der any appl i cabl e § 35 53 (a ) f ac t ors. T he di stri ctcourtthen c ons i de r e d the na tur e a nd c i r c um s t a nc e s of the of f e ns e , the hi s t ory a nd char ac t er i st i cs of R i l ey , j ustpu ni shm entfor R i l ey , and the need t o avo i d sent ence d i sp ari ty. Itco n cl u d ed R i l ey w as a m i n o r p art i ci p an tan d i tw as u n j u stt o p u n i sh hi m l onge rtha n the l e a de rof the c ons pi r a c y , w ho w a s s e nt e nc e d t o onl y 265 m onths . T he c ourtobs e rve d R i l e y r e c e i ve d the l onge s ts e nt e nc e c om pa r e d t o the s e nt e nc e s of

hi s c o- c ons pi r a t or s . A c c or di ng t o the c ourt , the ne w r a nge of i m pri sonm entw ou l d adequ at el y det erR i l eyand st i l l prot ec tthe pu bl i c, and further i ncar ce ra t i on of R i l eyw ou l d n otse rve any re habi l i t at i on pu rposes . T he di stri ct c ourta c know l e dge d the pol i c y s t a t e m e nt s l i m i t i ng r e tr oa c t i vi ty of a m e ndm e nt s but4

i nt erpret ed tho se po l i cypref er ence s e xp re ss ed by the S ent enci ng C om m i ss i on as on l y a dv i soryaf

t er B oo ke r . T he di s tr i c tc ourtthe n gr a nt e d R i l e y ’ s m ot i on a nd red u ced h i s sen t en ce t o 1 5 1 m o n th s. T he G ov ernm entm ov ed for r ec on si dera t i on , cont endi ng thatnei ther A m endm ent66 8 n or the B oo ke rho l di ng appl i ed re troac t i vel y s o as t o tri gg er § 3582( c ) ( 2) ’ s pr ovi s i ons . T he G ove rnm e nta r gue d R i l e y ’ s s e nt e nc e c oul d not l egal l y be r educed un der § 35 82 (c )( 2) base d o n A m endm ent66 8 b ec ause that am en d m en ti s n o ti n cl u d ed u n d er U . S . S . G . § 1 B 1 . 1 0 (c), w h i ch p ro v i d es a fi n i t e l i st o f a m e n d m e n ts w h ic h m a y b e m a d e th e s u b je c t o f a§ 3 5 8 2 ( c ) ( 2 ) m o tio n . T he di s tr i c tc ourtde ni e d the G ove rnm e nt ’ s m ot i on f orr e c ons i de r a t i on, c o n c lu d in g th e G o v e rn m e n t’s le g a l a r g u m e n t w a s m is p la c e d . I t a g r e e d R ile y c o u ld no tuse § 35 82 t o att ac k the const i tut i on al i ty of hi s s ent ence vi a B oo ke r , butthe c o u rt d is tin g u is h e d th a t ap p r o a c h to th e in s ta n t o n e . T h e c o u rt f o u n d it w a s o n ly r e q u ir e d to c o n s id e rp o lic y p r e f e r e n c e s e x p r e s s e d b y th e S e n te n c in g C o m m is s io n . T h e c o u rt co n clu d ed as th e G u id elin es w er e n o w ad v iso ry in n atu re , R il ey ’s s e nt e nc e r e duc t i on w a s notpr e c l ude d. I I . DI S CUS S I ON G ener al l y, a c ou rtm ayno tm od i fyan i m po se d sent ence un l es s there ar e e x c e p tio n a l c ir c u m s ta n c e s . See 18 U . S . C . § 3 58 2(c) . H ow ever , w hen5

ade f e nda nt. . . ha s be e n s e nt e nc e d t o at e rm of i m pr i s onm e ntba s e d on a s e nt e nc i ng r a nge tha tha s s ubs e que nt l y be e n l ow e r e d by the S e nt e nc i ng C o m m is s io n p u r s u a n t to 2 8 U .S .C . 9 9 4 ( o ) , u p o n m o tio n o f th e d e f e n d a n t . . . the courtm ayre du ce the t erm of i m pri sonm ent , af t erconsi deri ng the fa ct ors s e tf orth i n s e c t i on 3553( a ) t o the e xt e nttha tthe y a r e appl i c abl e , i f s uc h a r e duc t i on i s c ons i s t e ntw i th appl i c abl e pol i c y s t a t e m e nt s i s s ue d by the S e nt e nc i ng C om m i s s i on. I d. § 3 58 2(c) (2). T h e G u i d el i n es p o l i cy st at em en tp ro v i d es [ w ] he r e ade f

e nda nti s s e rvi ng at e rm of i m pr i s onm e nt , a nd the gui de l i ne r a n g e ap p lic ab le to th a t d e f e n d a n t h a s s u b s e q u e n tlyb e e n lo w e r e d a s ar e s u lt o f a n a m e n d m e n t to th e G u id e lin e s M a n u a l lis te d in s u b s e c tio n ( c ) b e lo w , a r e duc t i on i n the de f

e nda nt ' s t e rm of

i m pr i s onm e nti s author i z e d unde r18 U . S . C . § 3 58 2(c) (2). U . S . S . G . § 1B 1. 10( a ) . A m e ndm e nt s c ove r e d by thi s pol i c y s t a t e m e nta r e : 126, 130, 156, 176, 269, 329, 341, 371, 379, 380, 433, 454, 461, 484, 488, 490, 499, 5 0 5 , 5 0 6 , 5 1 6 , 5 9 1 , 5 9 9 , 6 0 6 , a n d 6 5 7 . I d. § 1 B 1 .1 0 ( c ) . O n lyth o s e a m e n d m e n ts w hi ch l ow erthe appl i cabl e G ui del i ne rang e and ar e l i st ed i n § 1B 1. 10 (c ) tri gg er e lig ib ilityf

o rc o n s id e r a tio n u n d e r§ 3 5 8 2 ( c ) ( 2 ) . I d. § 1 B 1 .1 0 , c o m m e n t. ( n . 1 ) .

“ F a i l ur e t o f

ol l ow s uc h c om m e nt a ry c oul d c ons t i tut e a n i nc orr e c tappl i c a t i on of the gu i del i nes, subj ec t i ng the se nt ence t o p ossi bl e r ever sa l on appeal . ” I d. § 1 B 1 .7 . Th e d i s tr i c tc o u rtc l e a r l y e rr e d i n r e d u c i n g Ri l e y ’ s s e n t e n c e . 1 8 U . S. C. § 3 58 2(c) (2) provi des are du ct i on i n sent ence m ustbe c o n s is te n t w ith ap p lic ab le p o l i cy st at em en t s i ssu ed b y th e S en t en ci n g C o m m i ssi o n . T h e G u i d el i n es l i st6

s p e c if ic a m e n d m e n ts c o v e r e d , a n d A m e n d m e n t 6 6 8 is n o t in c lu d e d . See U. S . S . G. 1 B 1 . 1 0 (c). T h u s, a red u ct i o n p u rsu an tt o A m en d m en t6 6 8 i s n o t c o n s is te n t w ith th e G u id e lin e s . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s r e a s o n in g th a t th e G u id e lin e s a r e n o w a d v is o ry is m i s pl a c e d. T he author i ty t o r e duc e the s e nt e nc e c om e s f r om 18 U . S . C . § 3582, an d th i s st atu t e w as n o taffected b y B o o ker a nd the a dvi s ory na tur e of the G u id e lin e s p o s t- B oo ke r . F urthe r , w e ha ve he l d B o o ker is n o t ap p lic ab le to § 3 5 8 2 ( c ) ( 2 ) m o tio n s . U ni te d State s v . Mor e no , 42 1 F . 3d 12 17 , 12 20 (11th C i r. 2 0 0 5 ). T h er ef

o re , th e d istrict co u rt clea rly e rr ed b y g ra n ti n g a r ed u ctio n to R il ey ’s s e nt e nc e ba s e d on A m e ndm e nt668 a nd the a dvi s ory G ui de l i ne s , a nd by de ny i ng th e G o v e rn m e n t’s m o tio n f o rr e c o n s id e r a tio n . I I I . CONCL US I ON I n a c c or da nc e w i th the f or e goi ng r e a s ons , w e r e ve r s e the m odi f i c a t i on of R ile y ’s s e n te n c e a n d r e m a n d th e c a s e to th e d is tr ic t c o u rt w ith in s tru c tio n s to re i nst at e hi s pre vi ou sl y i m po se d sent ence . RE V E RS E D a n d RE MAND E D.