# 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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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 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.

Je rm ai ne All en Fo rd

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

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Apri l 4 , 20 17 Fil ed : Ap ril 26 , 20 17

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re WOL LMAN an d LOKEN, Circ ui t J ud ge s, an d R OSSITER, Dis tri ct Ju dg e. 1

__ __ __ __ __ __ ROSSI TER, Dis tri ct Ju dg e.

The Hon or ab le Ro be rt F. Ro ss it er, Jr ., Uni te d St at e s D i s t r i ct Ju dg e fo r th e 1 Dis tri ct of Ne br as ka , si tt in g b y de si gn at io n.Je rm ai ne Fo rd ap pe al s fro m th e ei gh te en m on th pr is on s en te nc e th e di st ric t

co ur t im po se d aft er rev ok in g Fo rd ’s su pe r v i s e d rel eas e. Fo r th e reas on s st at ed 2 be lo w, we affi rm

Fo rd ’s sen te nc e.

I. BACKGRO UND On Apr il 17 , 20 06 , Fo rd pl ed gu il ty to on e co un t of po ss es si ng m ari juan a wit h in te nt to di st rib ut e an d on e co un t of carr y in g a fir earm in rel at io n to a dr ug tra ffi ck in g cri m e. On N o v e mb e r 9 , 20 06 , th e di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced Fo rd to 80 m on th s in pr is on fo ll owe d by th ree y ears of su pe rv is ed rel eas e. The te rm of su pe rv is ed rel eas e be ga n u po n F or d’s re le as e fro m pri so n o n Ap ril 26 , 20 11

.

A f t e r Fo rd ad m it te d he was no t st ay in g in hi s rep or te d res id en ce, th e di s t r i c t

co ur t m od ifi ed Fo rd ’s co nd it io ns of su pe rv i s i o n to in cl ud e cu rfew su pe rv is io n an d al co ho l te st in g fo r 12 0 da y s. Fo rd was la te r arre st ed fo r dr iv in g un de r th e in flu en ce of al co ho l (“ DUI ” ) a n d t h e di st ric t co ur t ad de d 18 0 da y s of al co ho l te st in g. Fo rd fai le d to co m

pl y wit h th e al co ho l t es ti ng an d was als o a rres te d fo r fai lu re to ap pe ar in Ill in oi s co ur t fo r th e DUI ch arg e. The di st ric t co ur t rev ok e d F or d’s su pe rv is ed rel eas e on Feb ru ary 15 , 20 13 , an d se nt en ced hi m to ni ne m on th s in pr is on an d two y ears of su pe rv is ed rel eas e. Fo rd was rel eas ed fro m pr is on an d be ga n th e two y ears of hi s s eco nd su pe rv is ed rel eas e te rm on Octo be r 24 , 20 13

.

Fo rd ’s se co nd su pe r v is ed rel eas e pe rio d in cl ud ed m or e in ci de nt s of

no nc om pl ia nc e, in cl ud in g dr iv in g wit h a su sp en de d li cen se , te st in g po si ti ve fo r

m ari juan a, an d tre sp as si ng an d cau si ng cri m in al da m ag e to pr o p e r t y. Due to th es e in frac ti on s, th e di st ric t co ur t m od ifi e d F or d’s co nd it io ns of su pe rv is ed rel eas e an d

or de red hi m to se rv e 18 0 da y s in a ha lfwa y ho us e

. I n A p r i l o f 20 15 , pr ob at io n

The Hon or ab le Ja m es E. Grit zn er, Uni te d S t a t e s Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r th e 2 So ut he rn Dis tri ct of I owa

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-of

fic ers fo un d d r u gs an d dr ug pa rap he rn al ia in Fo rd ’s ho m e an d th e di st ric t co ur t

or de red cu rfew s up erv is io n fo r up to 12 0 d ay s.

On Sep te m

be r 23 , 20 15 , ab ou t on e m on th be fo re th e en d of Fo rd ’s su pe rv is ed rel eas e pe rio d, th e go ve rn m en t m ov ed to rev ok e Fo rd ’s su pe rv is ed rel eas e fo r st ay in g at a pl ace ot he r th an hi s au th or i z e d res id en ce an d fai li ng to ad vi se th e pr ob at io n of fic er of hi s whe reab ou ts

. On Decem be r 28 , 20 15 , whi le th e fir st m ot io n was pe nd in g, th e g o v e r nm en t fil ed a se co nd m ot io n to rev ok e su pe rv is ed rel eas e an d pe ti ti on ed th e di st ric t co ur t fo r an arre st warra nt

. The se co nd m ot io n an d p et it io n were b as ed on Fo rd ’s arres t i n Il li no is on th e p rev io us da y for do m es ti c b at te ry

.

The di st ric t co ur t he ld a he ari ng on th e g o v e r n m en t’s m ot io n to rev ok e
su p e r v i s e d rel eas e on Ju ne 8, 20 16

. The di st ric t co ur t or ig in al ly ch arac te riz ed th e he ari n g a s b a s e d on th e se co nd m ot io n bu t la te r cl ari fie d th e ba tt ery co ul d no t be a vi ol at io n of su pe rv is ed rel eas e be cau se it oc cu rred aft er th e te rm in at io n of th e
su pe rv is ed rel eas e pe rio d. The di st ric t co ur t de te rm in ed Fo rd co m m it te d a Grad e C 3 vi ol at io n by fai li ng to co m pl y wit h th e res id e n c e req ui rem en ts of hi s su pe rv is ed rel eas e. The ad vi so ry Uni te d St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s’ (“ Gui de li ne ”) ran ge fo r
a Grad e C vi ol at io n wit h Fo rd ’s cri m in al hi st or y was si x to twel ve m on th s in pr is on

. Tak in g th e arre st fo r do m es ti c as sa ul t in to acco un t as a se nt en ci ng fact or un de r 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a), al on g wit h Fo rd ’s pa st vi ol at io ns , th e di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced Fo rd to eig ht een m on th s i n p ris on wit h n o s up erv is ed rel eas e p eri od to fol lo w.

Fo rd ap pe al ed hi s se nt en ce, al le gi ng th e di st ric t co ur t ab us ed it s di sc ret io n by

se nt en ci ng Fo rd to a pe rio d of im pr is on m en t gr eat er th an th e ad vi so ry Gui de li ne
ran ge

. Fo rd arg ue s th e d is tri ct co ur t co m m it te d pr oc ed ur al erro r by n ot ad eq ua te ly

“ The Co ur t is no t fin di ng a vi ol at io n b a s ed up on wha t ha pp en ed to Ms

. 3 Ro we[.]”
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-co ns id eri ng th e Gui de li ne ran ge an d pl aci ng to o m uc h em ph as is on th e ba tt ery. Fo rd al so cla im s h is sen te nc e is su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le

.

II

. DISCUSS IO N Fo rd cl ai m s th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t pr op er ly ta ke th e ad vi so ry Gui de li ne
ran ge in to acco un t an d pl aced to o m uc h weig ht on hi s do m es ti c a s s a u l t

. Fo rd “ di d

no t ob ject at se nt en ci ng to th e ad eq ua cy of th e di st ric t co ur t’s ex pl an at io n or
co ns id erat io n of § 35 53 (a), so we rev ie w hi s ob je ct io n on ap pe al fo r pl ai n erro r.” Uni te d St at es v. Gra

y , 53 3 F .3d 94 2, 94 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ). As Fo rd co nc ed ed at th e
se nt en ci ng he ari ng , th e di st ric t co ur t co ul d co ns id er th e as sa ul t as a se nt en ci ng fact or
un de r § 35 53 (a). The di st ric t co ur t st at ed it was aware th e ad vi so ry Gui de li ne ran ge
was si x to twel ve m on th s, bu t it sp eci fic al ly no te d Fo rd ’s ris k to th e co m m un it y an d i n c r e a se d th e se nt en ce to ei gh te en m on th s. The di st ric t co ur t di d no t err whe n it pr op erl y an al y zed th e § 3 55 3( a) fa ct or s.

Fo rd al so arg ue s th e se nt en ce is su bs ta nt iv el y un re a s o n a bl e. W e rev ie w th e
su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of a se nt en ce im po se d aft er th e rev oc at io n of su pe rv is ed rel eas e un de r th e ab us e-o f-d is cret io n s t a nd ard

. Uni te d St at es v. Ben to n , 62 7 F.3 d 10 51 , 10 55 (8 th Cir . 20 10 ). Abu se -o f-d is cret io n a na lysis is ap pr op ria te ev en whe n th e se nt en ce ex ceed s th e G u i d e li ne ran ge

. Uni te d St at es v. Gal l , 55 2 U.S. 38 , 41 (2 00 7)

. Giv en Fo rd ’s tro ub le d hi st or y whi le on su pe rv is ed rel eas e, an d th e do m es ti c
as sa ul t, th e di st ric t co ur t d id no t ab us e it s d is cret io n i n s en te nc in g F or d t o e ig ht een

m on th s i n p ris on , whi ch is wit hi n t he st at ut or y li m it s. 4

II I. CONCLUSI ON W e aff irm Fo rd ’s sen te nc e.

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Bec au se th e or ig in al su pe rv is ed rel eas e te rm was two y ears , th e di st ric t co ur t 4

co ul d n ot sen te nc e Fo rd to m or e th an two y ears in pri so n. 1 8 U.S.C. § 35 83 (e)( 3)

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