2005 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 7-20-2005 

# U SA v . B r ame P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 04-2345

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . B r ame " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 811. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/8111 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N o. 04- 2345 UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA A ppel l ee v. C H E S T E R B R A ME A p p e llan t

_______ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt fort he East ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a ( D . C . N o. C R . 03- 383- 01) D i s t r i ctJ udge: T he H onor abl e Ti m ot hyJ . Savage Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

D at e: J ul y14, 2005 B efor e: A L I T O , V A N A N T W E R PE N and A L D I SE R T , C i r cui tJ udges ( Fi l ed: J ul y20, 2005)

OPI NI ON O F THE COURT2

P E R C U R I A M. T hi s appea l byC hes t erB r ame pr es ent s t w o i s s ues fordeci s i on: w hethert he D i s t r i ctC our tfort he East ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a err ed i n: ( 1) i nt erpr et i ng t he U ni t ed St at es Sent enci ng G ui del i nes ; and ( 2) fai l i ng t o appl yt he t eac hi ngs of B l akel yv. W ash ing ton , 5 4 2 U . S . --- , 1 2 4 S . C t. 2 5 3 1 (20 0 4 ) as ref ined b yU n it ed S tat es v . B o o k er, 543 U . S. - - - , 125 S. C t . 738 ( 2005) . W e w i l l vaca t e the s ent ence and r emand forr es e n te n c in g . I. B eca us e w e w r i t e onl yfort he part i es , w ho ar e fa m i l i arw i t h t he fa ct s , pr ocedur al hi s t or yand cont ent i ons pr es ent ed, w e w i l l notr eci t e them exceptas nece s s aryt o t he di s cus s i on. II. B r ame sol d t o an under coveragentappr oxi m at el y39 oxy codone t abl et s . O vert he n e x t f e w w e e k s, B ra m e m a d e th re e a d d iti o n a l o x y c o d o n e sa les o f in c re a sin g v o lu m e s to th e a g e n t. F in a lly , o n M a y1 5 , 2 0 0 3 , B ra m e w a s a rre ste d w h e n h e a rriv e d to m a k e a f if th s al e t o t he age nt , and al m os t600 t abl et s cont ai ni ng oxy codone w er e r ecove r ed fr om B r ame’ s aut om obi l e. B r ame pl eade d gui l t yt o fourcount s of di s t r i but i on and one c ountof pos s es s i on w i t h i nt entt o di s t r i but e t abl et s cont ai ni ng oxy codone. S o m e o f th e o x y co d o n e tab let s inv o lved in the tr an sac ti o n s d esc ri b ed ab o v e w ere i dent i fi ed byt he br and name “O xy C ont i n; ” the r es tw er e ei t her“Per coce t , ” “Roxi cet , ” or3

“E nd ocet. ” B ram e dis t ri bu t ed a tot al of 8 44 P ercocett ablet s and 2 86 O xy C on t i n tabl et s. T he t ot al w ei ghtand amountof oxy codone f oreac h t abl eti s s i gni fi cantbeca us e the 2002 and 2003 edi t i ons of the Sent enci ng G ui del i nes ut i l i ze di ffe r entm ethods t o cal cul at e drug q u a n tityf

o r o x y c o d o n e . T h e 2 0 0 3 G u id e lin e s c h a n g e d th e c a lcu latio n th a t w a s p re v io u sly bas ed on the t ot al w ei ghtof a t abl etcont ai ni ng oxy codone. Pr i ort o s ent enci ng, B r ame fi l ed a mot i on fordow nw ar d departur e on the bas i s t hat “Per coce t( oxy codone) , a Schedul e I I drug, s houl d be tr eat ed as a Schedul e I I I drug, s uch a s h y d ro c o d o n e .” H e a rg u e d th a t b e c a u se h y d ro c o d o n e a n d o x y c o d o n e w e re c h e m ica lly s i m i l ar , Per coce t( w hi ch cont ai ns l es s t han 15 mg of oxy codone, s peci fi cal l y , 5 m g) sh o u ld lik e w ise b e tre a ted a s a S c h e d u le I II s u b sta n c e . B ra m e a ss e rte d th a t th is w o u ld re d u c e h is o f

f e n s e le v e l to 1 8 u n d e r t h e 2 0 0 2 G u id e lin e s . N evert hel es s , athi s s ent enci ng hear i ng, B r ame as ked the D i s t r i ctC our tt o cons i der h is d o w n w a rd d e p a rtu re m o tio n w h ile a p p ly in g th e 2 0 0 3 G u id e lin e s. A c c e p tin g th is i nvi t at i on, t he D i s t r i ctC our tt her eaf t erdecl i ned B r ame’ s r eques tt o t r eatPer coce ti n t he s ame m anneras hy dr ocodone, concl udi ng t hatt he Sent enci ng C om m i s s i on had ad eq u atelyco n side red the trea tm en t of P erc o ce t. B ram e’s m o ti o n fo r a d o w n w ard departur e w as deni ed and the C our ts ent ence d hi m t o 57 m ont hs i m pr i s onm ent , t he b o tto m o f

th e a p p lic a b le g u id e lin e ra n g e o f 5 7 to 7 1 m o n th s . T he for egoi ng i ndi cat es t hatt he onl yi s s ues befor e us cal l fora r evi ew of the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s i nt erpr et at i on of the Sent enci ng G ui del i nes . I n es s ence , A ppel l anthas4

chal l enged hi s s ent ence underU ni t ed St at es v. B ooker , 543 U . S. - - - , 125 S. C t . 738 ( 2005) . H avi ng det erm i ned thatt he s ent enci ng i s s ues B r ame r ai s es ar e bes tdet erm i ned byt he D i s t r i ctC our ti n t he fi r s ti ns t ance , w e w i l l vaca t e the s ent ence and r emand forr esen tenc ing in ac co rda n ce w ith B o o k er.