# 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 9 -1 3 01

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

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i n t i

f f - Ap pel l ee

v

.

Terry J . Th o rn to n

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

en da 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 Eas t ern Di s t ri ct o f M is s o u ri - Cap e Gi rard eau

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Su b m i t t ed : No v em

b er 1 5 , 2 0 1 9
Fi l ed : No v em

b er 2 2 , 2 01 9 [Un pu b l is h ed ]

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Befo re COLLOTON, BENTON, an d GRASZ, Ci rcu it J u d g es

.

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PER CURIAM

.Terry J

. Th o rn t o n ap p eal s t h e G u i d e l i n e s

- r an g e s en t en ce t he di s t ri ct co u rt 1

i m p o s ed aft er he pl ed g u i l t y t o b ei n g a fel o n i n p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm

. Hav i n g ju ri s d i ct i o n u n d er 2 8 U.S.C. § 1 2 9 1, t hi s co u rt affi rm s

.

Co u ns el h as m o v ed fo r l e a v e t o w i th d raw an d fi l ed a b ri ef u n der An d er s v.
Ca l if o r n i a , 3 8 6 U.S. 7 3 8 (1 9 6 7 ), wh i ch ch al len g es t he d i s tri ct co u rt ’ s i m p o s i t i o n o f

fi ve cri m i n al h i s to ry po i n t s fo r a t h ree-co u nt ro b b ery co n v i ct i o n p u rs uan t t o U.S.S.G.
§ 4 A1 .1 (e), an d an en h an cem en t u n d er U.S.S. G. § 2 K2 .1 (b )(6 )(B). Co u n s el al s o

arg u es th e co u rt fai led t o ad eq u at el y ex p l ai n t h e s en ten ce, an d t h at th e sen t en ce was

s u b s t an t i vel y

u n reas on ab l e.

T hi s co urt co n cl u d es t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt co rrect l y as s es s ed t h e fi v e cri m i n a l

h i s t o ry p oi n ts fo r t h e ro b b ery co n v i ct io n

. S

ee Un it ed S t a t es v. Bet t

s , 5 09 F.3 d 4 4 1,

4 4 5 (8 t h Ci r. 20 0 7 ) (s t an dard o f rev i ew); see a l s o U .S.S.G. § § 4 A1 .1 (a), (e); U.S.S.G.
§ 4 A1 .2 (a)(2 ); Un i t ed S t a t es v. S h i n e , 9 1 0 F.3 d 1 0 6 1

, 1 0 63 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 8 ) (M i s s o u ri

fi rs t

- d eg ree ro b bery is a cri m e o f v i o l en ce). Th e d i s t ri ct co urt p ro p erl y ap p l i ed t h e

en h an cem en t u n d er s ect io n 2 K2 .1 (b )(6 )(B), b ecau s e Th o rn t o n p o s s es s ed a fi rearm in

co n nect io n wi t h an o t h er fel o n y o ffen s e, i .e., p o s s es s io n o f m ari ju an a. S ee U.S.S.G.
§ 2 K 2 .1 (b )(6 )(B), co m

m en t

. (n

. 1 4 (A)) (ap p l y Gu i d el i n e i f fi rearm faci l i t at ed

, o r h ad

t h e p o ten t i al t o faci l i t at e, an o t h er fel o n y o ffen s e); U

n i t ed S t at es v. Ja r vi s , 8 1 4 F.3 d

9 3 6

, 93 7 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 16 ) (t h i s co u rt rev ers es i f t he d i s t ri ct co u rt a p p l i ed t h e § 2 K2 .1 (b )(6 ) en h an cem en t b as ed o n a t em p oral an d s p at i al n ex u s b et ween t h e d ru g s

an d fi rearm , wi t h o u t ap p l y in g th e “ f aci l i tat e” s t an d ard o f n o t e 1 4(A); t h e i n feren ce

t h at a fi rearm i s fo r p ro t ect i o n o f d ru g s i s p erm i s si b l e wh en th e am o un t o f d ru gs i s

m o re t h an res i d u e); Un i t ed S t a t es v. S n eed

, 7 4 2 F.3 d 3 4 1

, 3 4 4

- 4 5 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 4 ) (affi rm i n g ap p l i cat i o n o f en h an cem en t wh ere u n l o ad ed fi rearm was fo u n d in

b ack pack an d d ru g s w ere fo u n d i n d efen d an t ’ s p ock et ; wh en a d ru g u s er ch o o s es to

1 Th e Ho n o rab l e St ep hen N. Li m b au gh

, J r., Un i t ed St at es Di s tri ct Ju d ge fo r t h e Eas t ern Di s t ri ct o f M i ss ou ri

.

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-carry il l eg al d ru gs o u t i n to pu b l i c--i n cl u di n g i n a car--wi t h a fi rearm , an “ in

co n nect io n wi t h ” fi nd i n g wi l l rarel y b e cl earl y erro n eo u s ).

Th e d i s t ri ct co u rt ad eq u at el y ex p l ai n ed t h e s en t en ce, an d t h e s en t en ce was n ot

s u b s t an t i vel y u n reas o n ab l e. Th e reco rd refl ect s t h at t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt co n s i d ered an d

d i s cu s s ed rel ev an t 18 U.S.C. 35 5 3 (a) fact o rs

. S ee U n i t ed S t at es v. Feems t er , 5 7 2

F.3 d 4 5 5

, 4 6 1 -6 2

, 4 6 4 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 9 ) (en b an c) (ab u se o f di s cret io n o ccu rs wh en

co u rt fai ls t o co n s id er rel e v an t fact o r, g iv es s ig n i fi can t wei gh t t o i m p ro p er o r
i rrel ev an t fact o r, or co m

m i t s cl ear erro r of

ju d g m en t in wei g hi n g ap p ro p ri at e fact o rs ).

Th e co urt i m

p o s ed a s en t en ce wi th i n th e Gu i d el i n es ran g e as m o d i fi ed b y t h e

s t at u to ry m ax i m

u m

. S ee Un i t ed S t a t es v. S t

. Cl a i r e , 8 3 1 F.3 d 1 0 3 9, 1 04 3 (8 t h Ci r.
2 0 1 6 ) (wi t h i n -Gu id el i n e s s en t en ce i s acco rd ed p res um p ti o n o f s u b s t an t i v e

reas on ab l en es s o n ap p eal ).

Th e ju d g m en t i s affi rm ed . Co u n s el ’ s m ot i o n t o wi t h d raw i s g ran t ed

.

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