# 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 2- 11 55

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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.

Ri ch ard Lave rn Hos ki ns

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 So ut he rn Dis tri ct of I owa - Dav en po rt

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Su bm it te d: Sep te m

be r 17 , 20 12 Fi le d: Octo be r 15 , 20 12 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re MELLOY, BEAM, an d B ENTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

Defen da nt Ri ch ard Hos ki ns ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t's de ni al of hi s m ot io n fo r 1

a red uc ti on in se nt en ce pu rs ua nt to 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c)( 2)

. The di st ric t co ur t reject ed

The Hon or ab le Jo hn A. Ja rv ey , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e So ut he rn 1 Dis tri ct of I owa

.Hos ki ns 's cl ai m th at hi s se nt en ce un de r a Fed eral Ru le of Cri m in al Pro ced ur e

11 (c)( 1) (C) pl ea ag reem en t was "b as ed on " th e crac k- co cai ne gu id el in es

. W e affi rm

.

I.

Pu rs ua nt to a Ru le 11 (c)( 1) (C) ag reem en t, Hos ki ns pl ed gu il ty to c on sp iri ng
to m an uf act ur e, di st rib ut e, an d po ss es s wit h in te nt to di st rib ut e 50 gr am s or m or e of

co cai ne ba se in vi ol at io n of 21 U.S.C. §§ 84 6, 84 1( a)(1 ), an d 84 1( b) (1 )(A). Und er th e ag reem en t, Hos k i n s ' s se nt en ce was "3 27 m on th s im pr is on m en t an d a te rm of

su pe rv is ed rel eas e fo r at lea st 10 y ears ."

F o r H o s k i n s to be el ig ib le fo r a red uc ti on in se nt en ce, hi s se nt en ce m us t b e "b as ed on a se nt en ci ng ran ge th at ha s su bs eq ue nt ly be en lo wered ." 18 U.S.C. §
35 82 (c)( 2)

. To de te rm in e whe th er th e 32 7- m on th se nt en ce was "b as ed on " th e crac kco cai ne gu id el i n e s , we m us t ex am in e th e va rio us reas on s fo r th e se nt en ce as st at ed
in th e pl ea ag reem en t. Fi rs t, th e pl ea ag reem en t st at es th at th e "p art ie s ag ree th at th is

se nt en ce ta ke s in t o a c c o u nt th e co op erat io n al read y pr ov id ed by th e de fen da nt ."
Nex t, t he pl ea ag reem en t s ta te s t ha t t he sen te nc e is

ba se d up on a co ns id erat io n of th e Uni te d St at es Sen te nc in g Co m m is si on Gui de li ne s an d th e en ha nc ed m an da to ry m in im um th at wou ld us ua ll y ap pl y in th is type of cas e an d th e st at ut es th at ap pl y to th is of fen se an d fed eral cri m in al cas es in ge ne ral

. The pa rti es un de rs ta n d t ha t th e pr ov is io ns of th e Sen te nc in g Gui de l i n e s are ad vi so ry , no t m an da to ry , an d th e di st ric t co ur t wil l co ns id er th em , al on g wit h th e fact or s se t fo rth in Tit le 18
, Uni te d St at es Co de
, Sect io n 35 53 (a), in de te rm in in g whe th er to acce pt th is pl ea ag r e e men t an d im po se th e st ip ul at ed se nt en ce. The Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s es ta bl is h a se nt en ci ng ran ge ba se d up on fact or s de te rm in ed to be pre se nt in th e cas e. . . .

The pl ea ag reem en t th en de ta il s va rio us p o t e nt ia ll y ap pl ic ab le Gui de li ne s fact or s, in cl ud in g type an d qu an ti ty of dr ug s in vo lv ed
, ro le in th e of fen se , po ss es si on

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-of a da ng ero us weap on , cri m in al hi st or y , acce pt an ce of res po ns ib il it y , an d as si st an ce

to th e Gov ern m en t. Th e Gov ern m en t ad m it te d th at Hos ki ns pr ov id ed su bs ta nt ia l

as si st an ce. Reg ard in g ev ery ot he r li st ed Gui de li ne s fact or , th e pl ea ag reem en t st at es th at "t he pa rti es ha ve reac he d no ag reem en t" as to whe th er th e fact or s are ap pl ic ab le

.

The pl ea ag reem en t al so di sc us se s Hos ki ns 's pr io r dr ug co nv ic ti on s. W hi le th e pl ea ag reem en t m ak es no off ic ia l fi nd in g on Hos ki ns 's c aree r-o ffen de r st at us un de r Uni te d St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s § 4B 1.1
, th e ag reem en t do es st at e th at Hos ki ns "ad m it s th at he ha s two pr io r fel on y dr ug co nv ic ti on s an d m ay be a Care er Offen de r

un de r § 4B 1.1 of th e Fed eral Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s." Hos ki ns al so ad m it s th at th es e

co nv ic ti on s pl aced hi m un de r 21 U.S.C. § 84 1( b) (1 )(A), w hi ch m an da te s a li fe

se nt en ce fo r in di vi du al s pr ev io us ly co nv ic te d of two dr ug fel on ie s. Howev er, un de r th e p le a ag reem en t, th e Gov ern m en t ag reed to co ns id er o nl y on e o f Hos ki ns 's p rio r fel on ie s as pa rt o f se nt en ci ng

.

The pr es en te nc e in ve st ig at io n rep or t (PSR) cal cu la te d a ba se of fen se le ve l of
36 be cau se Hos ki ns 's of

fen se in vo lv ed at le as t 1.5 ki lo gr am s of co cai ne ba se , bu t le ss th an 4.5 ki lo gr am s. Afte r ad jus tm en ts fo r ro le in th e of fen se an d acce pt an ce of

res po ns ib il it y, H o s ki ns 's to ta l of fen se le ve l was 36
, whi ch pr od uc ed a Gui de li ne s

ran ge of 32 4 to 40 5 m on th s. The PSR fo un d th at Hos ki ns is a care er of fen de r, whi ch

pr od uc ed a Gui de li ne s ra ng e o f 26 2 t o 3 27 m on th s.

The di st ric t co ur t ap pr ov ed th e pl ea ag reem en t an d se nt en ced Hos ki ns to th e 32 7 m on th s st ip ul at ed in th e R u l e 1 1 ( c )(1 )(C) ag reem en t. On Decem be r 16 , 2 01 1,
Hos ki ns fil ed a m ot io n fo r red uc ti on in se nt en ce pu rs ua nt to 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c)( 2)

. Hos ki ns a s s e r t e d t h at he is el ig ib le fo r a red uc ti on pu rs ua nt to Free m an v. Uni te d
St at es , 13 1 S. Ct

. 26 85 (2 01 1)
, be cau se hi s se nt en ce was "b as ed on " a Gui de l i n e s

ran ge su bs eq ue nt ly lo wered by th e Sen te nc in g Co m m is si on , th e crac k- co cai ne
gu id el in es

. See U.S. Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s Man ua l, ap p. C, am en d. 75 0 (2 01 1)

. The di st ric t co ur t de ni ed Hos ki ns 's m ot io n, fin di ng th at hi s se nt en ce was no t ba se d on th e

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-crac k- co cai ne gu id el in es

. The di st ric t co ur t he ld th at th e st ip ul at ed se nt en ce in th e

ag reem en t was no t ba se d on a Gui de li ne s ran ge , bu t in st ead on Hos ki ns 's su bs ta nt ia l

as si st an ce to th e Gov ern m en t an d hi s de si re to av oi d a m an da to ry li fe se n t e n c e

. Alt ern at iv el y , th e di st ric t co ur t he ld th at if th e ag reem en t was ba se d on a Gui de li ne s

ran ge , it was ba se d on th e car eer- of fen de r gu id el in es , whi ch ha ve no t s ub se qu en tl y be en lo wered . Hos ki ns no w app eal s.

II.

On ap pe al
, Hos ki ns on ly arg ue s th at t h e d i s tri ct co ur t in co rrec tl y co nc lu de d
th at hi s pl ea ag re em en t was ba se d on th e care er-o ffen de r gu id el in es an d no t th e

crac k- co cai ne gu id el in es

. "We rev ie w de no vo th e di st ric t co ur t's au th or it y to m od ify

a se nt en ce un de r 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c)( 2) ." Uni te d St at es v. Tol li ve r, 57 0 F.3 d 10 62
, 10 65 (8t h C ir. 2 00 9)

.

In Free m an , th e U.S. Su pr em e Co ur t de te rm in ed if, an d whe n, a de fen da nt who

en te red in to a Ru le 11 (c)( 1) (C) ag reem en t can m ov e fo r a red uc ti on in se nt en ce un de r 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c)( 2)

. 13 1 S. Ct

. 26 90

. Fo ur Ju st ic es he ld th at R u l e 11 (c)( 1) (C)

ag reem en ts are " b a s e d o n " a Gui de li ne s ran ge an d can be su bjec t to a red uc ti on in

se nt en ce be cau se di st ri c t c o u rt jud ge s are req ui red to us e th e Gui de li ne s as a ran ge whe n d e t e r m in in g whe th er to acce pt an ag reem en t. See id

. at 26 95

. Ju st ic e So to m ay or , who co nc ur red in th e jud gm en t, affi rm ed th e lo wer co ur t o n n a r r owe r
gr ou nd s. Id

. Bec au se Ju st ic e So to m ay or 's op in io n was de ci de d on na rro wer gr ou nd s th an th e pl ur al it y , we tre at he r op in io n as th e co nt ro ll in g au th or it y

. See, e.g ., Uni te d
St at es v. Rub as hk in
, 65 5 F.3d 84 9, 86 5 (8t h Cir. 20 11 ) ("When th ere is no m ajor it y
op in io n in a Su pr em e Co ur t cas e, th e ho ld in g of th e [C]ou rt m ay be vi ewed as th at
po si ti on ta ke n by th os e Mem be rs who co nc ur red in th e jud gm en t o n t h e n a r ro wes t
gr ou nd s." (ci ta ti on an d i nt ern al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d) ).

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-Ju st ic e So to m ay or he ld th at th e se n t en ce in a Ru le 11 (c)( 1) (C) ag reem en t is

"'b as ed on ' th e ag reem en t it se lf." Free m an , 13 1 S. Ct

. at 26 96

. Acco rd in g to Ju st ic e So to m ay or , u si ng th e Gui de li ne s a s a " yard st ic k" whe n craf ti ng a Ru le 11 (c)( 1) (C)

ag reem en t is no t en ou gh to m ak e th e ag reem en t "b as ed on " a pa rt i c u l a r Gui de li ne s

se nt en ci ng ran ge

. Id

. In st ead
, th e Ru le 11 (c)( 1) (C) ag reem en t m us t "ex pr es sl y us e[]" th e su bs eq ue nt ly lo wered Gui de li ne s ran ge. Id

. at 26 98

. Ju st ic e So to m ay or de sc rib ed

two ci rcu m st an ces in whi ch a se nt en ce in a Ru le 11 (c)( 1) (C) ag reem en t is "b as ed on "

a Gui de li ne s ran ge an d el ig ib le fo r a red uc ti on in se nt en ce: 1) th e ag r e e men t st at es th at th e de fen da nt wil l be se nt en ced "wi th in a pa rti cu la r Gui de li ne s se nt en ci ng

ran ge ," or 2) th e ag reem en t cal ls fo r a "s pe ci fic te rm of im p r i s o n ment — su ch as a

nu m be r of m on th s — bu t al so mak e[ s] cl ea r th at th e ba si s fo r th e sp e c i f i e d te rm is

a Gui de li ne s se nt en ci ng ran ge ap pl ic ab le to th e of fen se to whi ch th e de f

e nd an t pl ead ed gu il ty." Id. at 26 97 (em ph as is ad de d)

.

W e ag ree wit h t he di st ric t co ur t's fin di ng th at Hos ki ns 's pl ea ag reem en t do es

no t ex pr es s l y us e th e crac k- co cai ne gu id el in es

. The ag reem en t st at es th at it "t ak es in to acco un t" Hos ki ns co op erat io n. Fu rth er, t h e a g r eem en t refe rs to 21 U.S.C. §
84 1( b) (1 )(A), whi ch wou ld m an d a t e a li fe se nt en ce fo r Hos ki ns wit ho ut th is Ru le
11 (c)( 1) (C) ag reem en t. W hi le th e ag reem en t al so di sc us se s th e Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s, th es e are on ly de sc rib ed as a fact or , whi ch do es no t "m ak e cl ear" th at th e b a s i s f o r th e se nt en ce is th e crac k- co cai ne gu id el in es

. In fact
, th e crac k- co cai n e
gu id el in es ran ge is no t m en ti on ed

. In st ead , Hos ki ns 's 3 27 -m on th sen te nc e is at t he

to p of th e care er-o ffen de r ran ge

. The refo re, th e p l e a a g r e e m en t do es no t su pp or t Hos ki ns 's as ser

tio n th at hi s 32 7- m on th se nt en ce was ba se d on a su bs eq ue nt ly lo wered

gu id el in e ran ge

.

III.

Fo r th e fo reg oi ng reas on s, we af fir m th e d is tri ct co ur t's jud gm en t.

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