2007 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 7-12-2007 

# U SA v . S mith 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 . 06-2249

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and 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 ll anova 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 2007 D e c i sion s b y an authori z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova 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 ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . S mith" (2007). 2007 D e cisio n s . P ape r 780. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007/7801 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. 06- 2249 UNI TE D ST ATE S OF AM ERI CA

v. S HAKI R M. S M I T H, A ppel l ant A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e W e ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia (D . C . C ri m i nal N o. 00 -cr -0001 0J) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H onor abl e K i m R . G i bs on Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J ul y12, 2007 B efore: R E N D E L L , A M B R O and N Y G A A R D , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed: J ul y12, 2007) OP I NI ON R E N D E L L , C i r cui tJudge . S h a k ir M . S m ith a p p e a ls f ro m th e se n ten c e o f

tw e n ty -f o u r m o n th s im p o se d in M ar ch 2006 forvi ol at i ons of hi s s upervi s ed r el eas e. Sm i th ar gues thatthe D i s tr i ct2

C our t ’ s s ent ence i s both s ubs t ant i vel yand pr ocedur al l yunr eas onabl e. Sm i th r eques t s t hat w e vac at e hi s s ent ence and r emand forr e- s ent enci ng on the gr ounds thatthe D i s tr i ct C our ts ent ence d hi m bas ed on an i m pr operdes i r e t o puni s h hi m forhi s 2004 cr i m i nal c o n d u c t, fa iled to p ro p e rlyse t f o rth its re a so n s f

o r th e se n ten c e , an d v io late d th e m a n d a te i n § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) th a tth e s e n t e n c e i m p o s e d m u s tb e s u f f i c i e n t , b u tn o tg r e a t e rth a n n e c e s s a r y, t o achi eve the val i d purpos es of s ent enci ng. W e have j ur i s di ct i on overSm i th’ s appea l p u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U. S . C. § 1 2 9 1 a n d 1 8 U. S . C. § 3 7 4 2 ( a ) ( 1 ) a n d we wi l l a f f i r m. I. In Sep t em ber 200 0, S m i th w as sent enced i n fed eral cou rtt o 5 1 m on ths’ i m pr i s onm entand thr ee y ear s s upervi s ed r el eas e af t erpl eadi ng gui l tyt o pos s es s i on of a fi r earm bya convi ct ed fe l on i n vi ol at i on of 18 U . S. C . § 922( g) ( 1) . W hi l e s ervi ng the f in a l p o rtio n o f

h is f e d e ra l se n ten c e , S m ith w a s re lea se d to a h a lf w a yh o u se . In A p ril 2004, Sm i th di d nott i m el yr eturn t o the hal fw ayhous e af t ervi s i t i ng hi s fami l yand a w arr antw as i s s ued forhi s arr es t . O n A pr i l 6, 2004, Sm i th engage d a fe der al m ar s hal i n a h igh sp ee d ca r ch ase that en d ed in h is arrest. H e w as su b seq u en tl ych arg ed in state co u rt w i th fleei ng , el ud i ng and reckl ess endan germ ent and rel eased b ack to the h al fw ayho use w hi l e thes e cha r ges w er e pendi ng. Sm i th w as r el eas ed fr om fede r al cus t odyon J une 4, 2 0 0 4 a n d b e g a n s e rv in g h is te rm o f s u p e rv is e d re le a s e . O n A ugus t3, 2004, w hi l e Sm i th w as on s upervi s ed r el eas e, he w as arr es t ed on the Jo h n sto w n H o u sin g A u th o rityp ro p e rty , an a re a f ro m w h ich S m ith h a d b e e n p re v io u sly3

b a n n e d . O f

f ice r H a ym a k e r f

o llo w e d S m ith in to o n e o f th e a p a rtm e n ts a n d o b se rv e d h im m a k e a th ro w in g m o tio n to w a rd s th e c o rn e r o f th e ro o m . A lth o u g h O f f ice r H a ym a k e r d id n o t se a rc h th e a re a a t th a t ti m e , in a su b se q u e n t se a rc h o f f ice rs r e c o v e re d a c lea r p las tic bag gie of suspect ed co cai ne b ase and three st am p b ags of suspect ed h eroi n, as w el l as a b a g g ie o f

s u s p e c te d m a ri

ju a n a . S m ith ’s s u b s e q u e n t u ri n e te s t w a s p o s itiv e f o r m a ri ju a n a . O n O ct ober18, 2004, U ni t ed St at es Pr obat i on O ffi cerW arr en J ohns on fi l ed a p e titio n o n th e D is tr ic t C o u rt a lle g in g th a t S m ith h a d v io la te d S ta n d a rd C o n d itio n s 1 , 3 , 8 and 12 of hi s s upervi s ed r el eas e. T he r es pect i ve condi t i ons ar e that : ( 1) the def endant s hal l notcomm i tanotherfede r al , s t at e orl ocal cr i m e, ( 3) the def endants hal l r eportt o t he p rob ati o n o ff

icer as d ir ec ted a n d sh all su b m ita truthf u l and co m p let e w ri tt en rep o rt w i thin the fir stfi ve d ay s of each m on th, (8) the d efen dan tshal l no tpu rchase, po sses s, us e, di s tr i but e oradmi ni s t eranynar cot i c orothercontr ol l ed s ubs t ance orany par aphernal i a r el at ed t o s uch s ubs t ance s , exce ptas pr es cr i bed bya phy s i ci an, ( 12) the defe ndants hal l not i fythe pr obat i on offi cerw i thi n 72 hour s of bei ng arr es t ed or q u e s tio n e d b ya la w e n f o rc e m e n t o f

f ic e r. Subse quent l y , Sm i th w as s ent ence d i n s t at e courtt o one- t o- tw o y ear s i ncar cer at i on forthe off

ens e of f l eei ng, el udi ng and r eckl es s endange r m entforatt empt s t o evade l aw e n f o rc e m e n t o n A p ri l 6 , 2 0 0 4 . A f te r h is re le a s e f

ro m s ta te c u s to d yo n J a n u a ry 3 0 , 2 0 0 6 , a p re lim in a ry re v o c a tio n h e a ri n g w a s h e ld o n F e b ru a ry 1 7 , 2 0 0 6 in th e D is tr ic t C o u rt . A tthe pr el i m i naryr evoca t i on hear i ng, Sm i th s t i pul at ed thathe vi ol at ed ea ch of the4

above c ondi t i ons of hi s s upervi s ed r el eas e. Speci fi cal l y , Sm i th s t i pul at ed thathe had c o m m itt e d d e f

ian t tres p a ss a n d tam p e rin g o r d e stru c tio n o f e v id e n c e , fa iled to re p o rt to h is p ro b a tio n o f

f ice r, f a iled to n o tifyh is p ro b a tio n o f f ice r w ith in 7 2 h o u rs o f

h is a rre st, and t es t ed pos i t i ve forT H C ( m ar i j uana) i n hi s ur i ne. Sm i th, how ever , di d notconce de thathe pos s es s ed a c ontr ol l ed s ubs t ance w hen he tr es pas s ed ont o the J ohns t ow n H ous i ng A uthor i typr operty . T he magi s tr at e j udge found thatthe governm enthad es t abl i s hed p ro b a b le c a u se to f

in d th a t S m ith h a d v io late d th e ter m s o f h is s u p e rv ise d re lea se a n d h e ld S m ith in c u s to d yu n til th e s u p e rv is e d re le a s e re v o c a tio n h e a ri n g . A t th e su p erv ised release rev o ca ti o n h ea ri n g o n M arc h 2 8 , 2 0 0 6 , the D istri ct C o u rt r evoked Smi th’ s s upervi s ed r el eas e. T he C our tfound thatSm i th’ s m os ts er i ous vi ol at i on w as a G r ade B vi ol at i on, and thatthe advi s orys ent enci ng r ange unde rthe Sent enci ng C om m i s s i on’ s pol i cys t at ement s conce rni ng r evoca t i on of s upervi s ed r el eas e w as 21- 24 m onths ’ i m pr i s onm ent . T he C our ts ent ence d Sm i th t o the maxi m um penal tyal l ow ed by s ta tu te : 2 4 m o n th s ’ i m p ri s o n m e n t. II. W e re v ie w S m ith ’s o v e ra ll s e n te n c e f o r r e a s o n a b le n e s s . U

ni t ed Stat es v. B ungar , 478 F. 3d 540, 543 ( 3d C i r . 2007) ( ci t i ng U ni t ed Stat es v. B ooker , 543 U . S. 220, 262 (2 0 0 5 )) . T he s ent enci ng gui del i nes conce rni ng i m pos i t i on of a t erm of i m pr i s onm entupon re v o c a tio n o f

s u p e rv is e d re le a s e a re a d v is o ry a n d th u s n o t b in d in g o n th e D is tr ic t C o u rt .5

U ni t ed Stat es v. Schw egel , 126 F. 3d 551, 553 ( 3d C i r . 1997) . H ow ever , t o uphol d a sen tenc e, w e m u st be sati sfied that the c o u rtg av e m ea n ing fu l con side rati o n to the fa ctors l i s t ed i n 18 U . S. C . § 3553( a) r el evantt o the r evoca t i on of s upervi s ed r el eas e and that th o s e f a c to rs w e re re a s o n a b ly ap p lie d to th e c ir c u m s ta n c e s o f th e c a s e . See U

ni t ed Stat es v. C ooper , 43 7 F . 3d 32 4, 33 0 (3d C i r. 20 06 ). T he d i stri ctcou rtdo es not need to di scuss a defe ndant ’ s cl ear l ynonm er i t or i ous ar gum ent s , orotherw i s e di s cus s and make fi ndi ngs as to ea ch o f th e § 3 5 5 3 (a) fa ctors if the rec o rd m ak es c lear tha t th e c o u rttoo k the f ac tors in to a c c o u n t in s e n te n c in g . B ungar , 478 F. 3d at543 ( ci t i ng C ooper , 4 3 7 F . 3 d at 32 9 ); R i ta v. U ni t ed Stat es , N o. 06- 5754, 2007 W L 1772146, at*12 ( J une 21, 2007) . Pur s uant t o § 3583( e) , notal l of the § 3553( a) fac t or s ar e r el evantt o r evoca t i on of s upervi s ed re le a s e . § 3 58 3(e) (3) st at es: T h e c o u rtm ay , af

ter co n side ri n g the f

ac tors set fo rth in § 3 5 5 3 (a)(1), ( a) ( 2) ( B ) , ( a) ( 2) ( C ) , ( a) ( 2) ( D ) , ( a) ( 4) , ( a) ( 5) , ( a) ( 6) , and ( a) ( 7) - r evoke a ter m o f su p e rv ise d re lea se , an d re q u ire th e d e f e n d a n t to se rv e in p riso n a ll orpartof the t erm of s upervi s ed r el eas e author i zed bys t atut e forthe offe ns e thatr es ul t ed i n s uch t erm of s upervi s ed r el eas e w i thoutcr edi tfor t i m e pr evi ous l ys erved on pos tr el eas e s upervi s i on, i f the courtfi nds . . . bythe pr eponder ance of the evi dence thatthe def endantvi ol at ed a c ondi t i on of su p e rv ise d re lea se , ex c e p t th a t a d e f e n d a n t w h o se ter m is re v o k e d u n d e r th is p a ra g ra p h m a yn o t b e re q u ir e d to s e rv e o n a n ys u c h re v o c a tio n m o re th a n ... 2 y ear s i n pr i s on i f [the off ens e thatr es ul t ed i n the t erm of s upervi s ed re le a s e ] i s a c la s s C o r D f e lo n y ... T he r el evant§ 3553( a) fac t or s ar e: ( 1) the natur e and c i r cumst ance s of the off ens e and the hi s t oryand6

c h a ra c ter istics o f

th e d e f e n d a n t; ( 2) the nee d forthe s ent ence i m pos ed –

. . . (B ) to a f f o rd a d e q u a te d e ter re n c e to c rim in a l co n d u c t; ( C ) t o pr ot ectthe publ i c fr om fur thercr i m es of the def endant ; and ( D ) t o pr ovi de the def

endantw i th neede d educa t i onal orvocat i onal tr ai ni ng, m edi cal car e, orot hercorr ect i onal tr eatm enti n the mosteff ect i ve m an n er;

. . . (4) the k ind s o f se n tenc e a n d the s en tenc ing ran g e e stab li sh ed fo r — (A ) th e a p p lica b le c a teg o ryo f o f f e n se c o m m itt e d b yth e a p p lica b le cat egoryof def

endantas s etfor th i n the gui del i nes ( B ) i n t he ca s e of a vi ol at i on of pr obat i on ors upervi s ed r el eas e, the appl i cabl e gui del i nes orpol i cys t at ement s i s s ued bythe Sent enci ng C om m i s s i on pur s uantt o 28 U . S. C . § 994( a) ( 3) , t aki ng i nt o acc ountany amendm ent s m ade t o s uch gui del i nes orpol i cys t at ement s byactof C ongr es s ( r egar dl es s of w hethers uch amendm ent s have y ett o be i ncorpor at ed bythe Sent enci ng C om m i s s i on i nt o amendm ent s i s s ued u n d er 2 8 U . S . C . § 9 9 4 ); (5 ) a n yp e rtin e n t p o licysta tem e n t —

. . . (6 ) T h e n e e d to a v o id u n w a rra n ted se n ten c e d isp a rities a m o n g d e f e n d a n ts w i th s i m i l arr ecor ds w ho have be en found gui l tyof s i m i l arconduct ; and ( 7) the nee d t o pr ovi de r es t i tut i on t o anyvi ct i m s of the off ens e. Sm i th fi r s tar gues thatthe D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s s ent ence w as unr eas onabl e bec aus e the C our tr el i ed “pr i m ar i l y , i f nots ol el y , on [hi s ] cr i m i nal hi s t oryand the cr i m i nal conduct form i ng the bas i s forthe s upervi s ed r el eas e vi ol at i on i n i m pos i ng the maxi m um t erm of i m pr i s onm entavai l abl e. ” A ppel l antB r . 18. H ow ever , the hi s t oryand cha r act er i s t i cs of the def endantar e fa ct or s thata courts houl d cons i derw hen i m pos i ng s ent ence fol l ow i ng th e re v o c a tio n o f

s u p e rv is e d re le a s e . See 1 8 U . S . C . § 3 5 8 3 (e)(3) (stati n g that a c o u rt s houl d cons i derthe fa ct or s i n 18 U . S. C . § 3553( a) ( 1) i n deci di ng w hethert o r evoke a7

term o f su p erv ised release an d req u ir e a d ef en d an t t o serv e a term o f im p ri so n m en t) ; U ni t ed Stat es v. B lacks t on , 940 F. 2d 877, 893 ( 3d C i r . 1991) . I n i m pos i ng i t s s ent ence , the D i s tr i ctC our tcons i der ed manyfac t or s , i ncl udi ng butnotl i m i t ed t o Sm i th’ s ext ens i ve c rim in a l re c o rd , d isre sp e c t f o r th e law , an d in a b ili tyto a d h e re to th e c o n d iti o n s o f h is s u p e rv is e d re le a s e . T h e s e a re p e rm is s ib le s e n te n c in g c o n s id e ra tio n s u n d e r § 3 5 8 3 (e )( 3 ). Sm i th al s o ar gues thatthe D i s tr i ctC our tfai l ed t o pr oper l ys etfor th the r eas ons for its s e n te n c e a n d f

o r r e je c tin g h is re q u e s t f

o r a s e n te n c e o f

o n e y e a r a n d o n e d a y . W e di s agr ee. T he r ecor d s houl d demonstr at e thatthe courtcons i der ed the r el evant§ 3553( a) fac t or s and anys ent enci ng gr ounds pr oper l yr ai s ed bythe part i es w hi ch have r ecogni zed le g a l m e ri t a n d f

a c tu a l s u p p o rt in th e re c o rd . C ooper , 4 3 7 F .3 d a t 3 2 9 ; R ita , 2 0 0 7 WL 1 7 7 2 1 4 6 , at * 1 2 . H o w e v e r, th e c o u rt d o e s n o t h a v e to d isc u ss a n d m a k e f in d in g s a s to ea ch o f th e re leva n t § 3 5 5 3 (a) fa ctors if the rec o rd m ak es c lear the co u rttoo k the f ac tors in to a c c o u n t in s e n te n c in g . I d. ( ci t i ng Un i t e d

S ta t e s v . Wi l l i a ms , 4 2 5 F .3 d 4 7 8 , 4 8 0 (7 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 )) . T h e D istric t C o u rt’s s tate m e n ts re f lec t it s re a so n s f

o r im p o sin g th e 2 4 m o n th s ent ence and make cl earthati tcons i der ed the ar gum ent s of couns el fori m pos i ng a l ow er s ent ence . T he C our tfound thatSm i th’ s conduct“has notdemonstr at ed an a cce pt ance of re s p o n s ib ility n o r a c h a n g e o f h is w a y s th a t le a d h im in to th e s e p ro b le m s .” A p p . 1 2 3 . T he C our tal s o t ook i nt o acc ountthe i ns t abi l i tyof the def endantand the s tr ong p o s s ib ility, in lig h t o f

p a s t c o n d u c t, th a t h e m ig h t c o m m it s im ila r c ri m e s in th e f u tu re .8

A ddi t i onal l y , the C our tal s o cons i der ed the s ent enci ng r ange r ecomm ended i n the Sent enci ng C om m i s s i on’ s pol i cys t at ement . G i ven thata courtneed notm ake f i ndi ngs as t o eac h of the r el evant§ 3553( a) fac t or s , the D i s tr i ctC our tpr oper l ydi s cl os ed i t s r eas ons for the im po sed sent ence. Sm i th als o o bject s t o the D i stri ctC ou rt ’s fai l ure t o d i scuss Sm i th’ s r eques tfora s ent ence of a y earand a da y . H ow ever , the r ecor d r efl ect s thatt he C our tcons i der ed Sm i th’ s r eques t , butfound thatSm i th’ s l ack of r es pectforthe l aw s and i rr e v e r e n c e f

o ra l r e a d y i m p o s e d s e n t e n c e s , a s w e l l a s h i s c o n t i n u e d d a n g e rt o s o c i e ty, m e rited a se n ten c e o f

2 4 m o n th s’ im p riso n m e n t. L a stly , S m ith a rg u e s th a t th e se n ten c e im p o se d w a s “ g re a ter th a n n e c e ss a ry ” to achi eve the val i d purpos es of s ent enci ng. W e r evi ew the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s s ent ence for r eas onabl enes s . W e ca nnotconcl ude thatthe det erm i nat i on thata 24- m onth s ent ence s h o u ld b e im p o s e d w a s u n re a s o n a b le . III . A c c o rd in g ly , fo r th e re a so n s s e t f o rth , w e c o n c lu d e th a t S m ith ’s s e n ten c e is re a so n a b le a n d w e w ill a f f irm th e ju d g m e n t o f

th e D istric t C o u rt.