# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 7- 37 60

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Dom in ic L. Sm it h

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s - West ern Div is io n

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Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry

14 , 20 19 Fi le d: Ju ne 27 , 20 19

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re LOKEN, GRASZ, and STRAS, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ GRASZ, Cir cu it Ju dg e.

Dom in ic L. S mi th ap pe al s th e se nt en ce im po se d aft er hi s gu il ty pl ea to on e

co un t of be in g a fel on in po ss es si on of a fir earm , in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 92 2( g)

. He arg ue s t he di st ric t co ur t erre d i n c al cu la ti ng hi s Gu id el in es ran ge . W e aff irm. 1

The Hon or ab le Bri an S. Mi ll er, Ch ie f Ju dg e, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r 1 th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s.A t se nt en ci ng , th e di st ric t co ur t cal cu la te d Sm it h’s ba se of fen se le ve l at 26 be cau se he ha d at le as t t w o f e l o n y co nv ic ti on s of ei th er a cri m e of vi ol en ce or a

co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e of

fen se

. U.S. Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s Man ua l (“ U.S.S

. G

. ” or

“ Gui de li ne s” ) § 2K2 .1(a ) ( 1 )

. Sm it h ha d a cri m in al hi st or y of VI, an d ot he r ad jus tm en ts le d to a fin al of fen se le ve l of 29
, whi ch res ul te d in a reco m m en de d ran ge of 15 1 to 18 8 m on th s of im pr is on m en t. The st at ut e, ho wev er, res tri ct ed Sm it h’s

act ua l Gui de li ne s ran ge to a m ax im um of 12 0 m on th s. The di st ric t co ur t im po se d th e
st at ut or y m ax im um

.

Smi t h c o n c e de s he ha s a co nv ic ti on fo r a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e of fen se bu t
arg ue s for th e fir st ti m e on ap pe al th at hi s pr io r co nv ic ti on fo r Ark an sa s agg rav at ed

ro bb ery d oe s no t qu al ify as a cri m e of vi ol en ce. Alt ho ug h we g en eral ly rev ie w t he in te rp ret at io n of th e Gui de li ne s de no vo , U n i t e d S t at es v. W

at so n , 65 0 F.3 d 10 84
, 10 91 ( 8t h Ci r. 20 11 ), we rev ie w is su es rai se d fo r th e fir st ti m e on ap pe al fo r pl ai n

erro r, Uni te d St at es v. Th oma s , 79 0 F.3 d 78 4, 78 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 15 ). In or de r to pr ev ai l,
Sm it h m us t sh ow “ (1 ) th ere was erro r , ( 2) th e erro r was pl ai n, an d (3 ) th e erro r affe c t e d h i s s ub st an ti al rig ht s.” Id

. (q uo ti ng Uni te d St at es v. Mil le r , 5 57 F.3 d 91 0,
91 6 (8 th Cir . 20 09 )).

W e ha ve pr ev io us ly he ld Ark an sa s ro bb ery is no t a vi ol en t fel on y un de r th e Arm ed Care er Crim in al Act (“ ACCA”)

. Uni te d S ta te s v. Ea so n , 82 9 F.3d 63 3, 64 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ). The ACCA defi ne s vi ol en t felo ni es to in cl ud e an y fel on y th at “ ha s

as an el em en t th e us e, at te m pt ed us e, or th reat en ed us e of ph y si cal fo rce aga in st th e
pe rs on of an ot he r.” 18 U.S.C. § 92 4( e)(2 )(B) (i) (ref erre d to as th e “ el em en ts cl au se ”

or t h e “fo rce cl au se ”). In Eas on , we ob se rv ed th at Ark an sa s ro bb ery req ui res le ss fo rce th an th e vi ol en t fo rce req ui red by th e el em en ts cl au se , 82 9 F.3 d at 64 2, an d th e

sa m e de fin it io n ap pl ie s to a ‘crim e of vi ol en ce’ un de r th e Gui de li ne s. Se e U.S.S.G. § 4B 1.2 (a)( 1) ; se e al

so Uni te d St at es v. Fur qu er on , 60 5 F.3 d 61 2, 61 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). Our op in io n in Eas on rel ie d on ap pl y in g th e st an da rd fo r vi ol en t fo rce th ou gh t

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-to be req ui red by Cu rt is Jo hn so n v. Uni te d St at es , 5 59 U.S. 1 33 , 1 40 (20 10 ), to th e

el em en ts cla us e o f th e ACCA. 8 29 F.3d at 6 40 –4 1.

Rec en tl y , th ou g h
, t h e Su pr em e Co ur t, al so co ns id eri ng th e ACCA, ha s

co nc lu de d th e fo rce req ui red in th e el em en ts cl au se is th e sa m e as th e fo rce in ge ne ric

ro bb ery in th e en um erat ed of fen se s cl au se

. Se e St ok

el in g v. Uni te d St at es , 13 9 S. Ct

. 54 4, 55 1 (2 01 9)

. Thu s, aft er St ok el in g , fo r pu rp os es of ro bb ery we tre at th e le ve l of fo rce a s t he same un de r bo th th e el em en ts cla us e an d t he en um erat ed off en se

.

Pl ai nl y st at ed
, St ok

el in g ab ro ga te d ou r fo rce an al y si s in Eas on

. St ok el in g el uc id at ed Cu rt is Jo hn so n by cl a r i f yi n g th at th e el em en ts cl au se on ly req ui res th at

“ [s ]uffi ci en t fo rce m

us t be us ed to ov erco m e res is ta nc e

. . . ho wev er s l i g h t th e

res is ta nc e.” Se e St ok

el in g , 13 9 S. Ct

. at 55 1 (q uo ti ng W

. Cl ark & W

. Mar sh al l, Law of Cri m es 55 3 (H. Lazel l e d., 2d ed

. 19 05 )). The Co ur t no te d th e fo rce in th e el em en ts cl au se is de riv ed fro m th e de fin it io n of co m m on la w ro bb ery. Se e id

. The ke y di st in ct io n in de te rm in in g whe th er a st at e ro bb ery st at ut e m eet s th is de fin it io n of fo rce is whe th er th e “ st at ut e req ui res ‘resi st an ce by th e vi ct im th at is ov erco m e by th e ph y si cal fo rce of th e of

fen de r’” or en co m

pa ss es “ [m ]ere ‘sna tc hi ng of pr op ert y fro m

an ot he r.’” Id

. at 5 55 (qu ot in g Rob in so n v . St at e , 69 2 S o.2 d 8 83 , 88 6 (F la . 19 97 )).

Thi s co ur t’s rece nt de ci si on in Uni te d St at es v. Sw op es re a c h e d a si m il ar

co nc lu si on on th e de fin it io n of for ce. 8 86 F.3d 66 8, 6 71 (8 th Ci r. 20 18 ) (en ba nc ).
W e fo un d a Mi ss ou ri ro bb ery st at ut e sa ti sf ie d th e el em en ts cl au se be cau se th e st at ut e
req ui red su ffi ci en t fo rce to ov erco m e a vi ct im ’s res is ta nc e. Id

. at 67 1. W e ob se rv ed th at Mi ss ou ri co ur ts al lo wed a co nv ic ti on whe re “ th ere was a ‘[t]uss le ’ be twee n th e de fen da nt an d th e vi ct im ,” id

. at 67 2 (qu ot in g St at e v. Ch il ds , 25 7 S .W .3d 65 5, 66 0 (Mo

. Ct

. App

. 20 08 ) (al te rat io n in or ig in al )), bu t ov ert ur ne d a co nv ic ti on “ whe re th e de fen da nt m erel y ‘grab be d th e [v ic ti m ’s] pu rs e by it s st rap , to ok it fro m he r sh ou ld er

an d ran of

f,’” id

. (q uo ti ng St at e v. Ti v i s , 8 8 4 S .W .2d 28
, 29 (Mo

. Ct

. App

. 19 94 )).
W e al so ap pl ie d th is de fin it i o n f r o m b ot h Sw op es an d St ok el in g in an ot he r rece nt

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-de ci si on rev ie w i n g a Mi nn es ot a ro bb ery st at ut e. Se e Ta yl or v. Uni te d St at es , No. 17 -1 76 0, 2 01 9 WL 24 07 74 6, at *2 (8t h C ir. J un e 7 , 20 19 ).

Here, we co nc lu de Ark an s a s ro bb ery al so req ui res th e sa m e le ve l of fo rce as th is un de rs ta nd in g of com m on la w ro bb ery. In de te rm in in g whet he r an of fen se is a cri m e o f vi ol en ce, “ we ap pl y a cat eg or ic al ap pr oa ch , l oo ki ng to th e el em en ts of t he of fen se to de te rm in e whe th e r th e co nv ic ti on co ns ti tu te s a cri m e of vi ol en ce.”
Fur qu er on , 6 05 F.3 d at 61 4. We con si de r “ bo th th e te xt of th e st at ut e an d ho w t he

st at e co ur ts ha ve ap pl ie d t he st at ut e.” Sw op es , 88 6 F .3d at 6 71

.

In rel ev an t pa rt, th e Ark an sa s ro bb ery st at ut e pr ov id es th at “ [a ] pers on co m m it s

ro bb ery if

. . . th e pe rs on em pl oys or th reat en s to im m ed ia te ly em pl oy ph y si cal fo rce
up on an ot he r pe rs on .” Ark

. Co de Ann

. § 5- 12 -1 02

. The Ark an sa s Su pr em e Co ur t ha s ex pl ai ne d th at th e ad op ti on of a cri m in al co de in 19 75 ch an ge d A r k a n s a s ’s

ro bb ery st at ut e fro m em

ph as iz in g “ th e ta ki ng of pr op e r t y t o ‘th e th reat of ph y si cal ha rm to th e v ic ti m .’ ” McEly ea v. St at e , 20 0 S .W .3d 88 1, 88 3 (Ark . 2 00 5) (q uo ti ng Ja rr et t v. St at e , 58 0 S.W .2d 46 0, 46 1 (Ark

. 19 79 )). It ha s fo u n d “ jerk in g th e do or fro m [a vi ct im ], co rn eri ng he r in th e ba ck ha ll way an d gr ab bi ng he r dr es s” co ns ti tu te s

su ffi ci en t fo rce f

or rob be ry

be cau se th at co nd uc t o ve rcam e res is ta nc e. Fai rc hi ld v. St at e , 60 0 S.W .2d 16
, 17 (Ark

. 19 80 ). In co nt ras t, th e Ark an sa s Su pr em e Co ur t ha s
st at ed “ th e m ere s na tc hi ng of m on ey or go od s fro m th e ha nd of an ot he r is no t

ro b b e r y, un le ss so m e in

jury is do ne to th e pe rs on or th ere be so m e st ru gg le fo r
po ss es si on of th e pr op ert y pr io r to th e act ua l ta ki ng or so m e fo rce us ed in or de r to
ta ke it .” Par ker

v. St at e , 52 9 S .W .2d 86 0, 8 63 (Ark . 19 75 ).

Fro m th es e de ci si on s, we un de rs ta nd th at Ark an sa s ro bb ery req ui res su ffi ci en t fo rce to ov erco me a vi ct im ’s r es is ta nc e an d do es no t cri m in al iz e m ere sn at ch in g of

pr op ert y

. Ark an sa s ro bb ery, th en , sa ti sf ie s bo th th e el em en ts cl au se an d ge ne ric

ro bb ery in th e en um erat ed off en se s cl au se of U.S.S.G. § 4B 1.2

.

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-As a res ul t, we co nc lu de bo th Ark an sa s ro bb ery an d Ark an sa s ag gr av at ed

ro bb ery are cri m es of vi ol en ce. An of fen se is a cri m e of vi ol en ce if it s le ss er in cl ud ed of fen se is a cri m e of vi ol en ce. Se e Uni te d St at es v. Dou gl as , No. 11 CR3 24
, 20 17 W L 47 37 24 3, at *3 (D. Mi nn

. Oct. 19
, 20 17 ). Und er Ark an sa s la w, “ [r]ob be ry is a le ss erin cl ud ed of

fen se of ag gr av at ed ro bb ery. ” Bro wn v. St at e , 60 S.W .3d 42 2, 42 5 (Ark

. 20 01 ). It fo ll ows th at be cau se Ark an sa s ro bb ery is a cri m e o f v i ol en ce, Ark an sa s
ag gr av at ed ro bb ery is al so a cri m e of vi ol en ce. Thu s, we ho ld th e d i s t r i c t c ou rt
pr op erl y cat eg or iz ed Sm it h’s pr io r co nv ic ti on fo r Ark an sa s ag gr av at ed ro bb ery as a cri m e o f vi ol en ce fo r pu rp os es of U.S.S.G. § 2K2 .1(a )(1 ).

Acco rd in gl y , we affi rm

th e jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t.

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