# 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 8 -3 7 16

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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

.

Bry an Lee Si m

ps o 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 he So ut hern Di s t ri ct o f Io w a - Des M o i n es

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Su bm i t t ed : Oct o ber 1 4, 2 0 19

Fi l ed : No v em

b er 2 6 , 2 01 9 [Un pu b l is h ed ]

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Befo re LOKEN, SHEPHERD, an d STRAS, Ci rcu it J u d g es

.

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PER CURIAM

.

Aft er p lead i n g g u i l t y t o b ei n g a fel o n i n p o s s es s io n o f a fi rearm , Bry a n L ee

Si m p s on was s en t en ced i n Ju l y 2 0 0 5 t o 1 8 0 m o n t h s im p ri s o nm en t an d t hree y ears o f

s u p erv i s ed rel eas e. In Ju l y 2 0 1 6

, fo l l o wi n g th e Su p rem e Co urt ’ s deci s io n i n J o h n so n

v

. Un i ted St at es , 1 3 5 S. Ct

. 2 55 1 (2 0 15 ), h e w a s r es en t en ced t o t i m e s erv ed an d

c om m en ced su perv i s ed rel eas e. Hi s co n d i t i o ns w ere m o d i fi ed t o r e quir e tw e n ty hour so f co m

m u n i t y serv i ce in Au g us t 2 0 1 7 an d ag ai n i n Oct ob er 2 01 7 fo l l o wi n g v io l at i on s

o f al co h o l

, co n t ro l l ed s u b s t an ce, an d co m m u n it y s erv i ce co n d i t i on s , an d fo r fai l i n g

t o b e t ru th fu l

. In Feb ru ary 2 0 1 8

, h e was o rd ered to serv e a week en d i n jai l fo r

m ari ju an a u se, fai l u re t o co m p l et e co m

m u ni t y s erv i ce, an d p ro v i d i n g fal s e

i n fo rm at i o n

. In J u l y 2 01 8, he ad m i t t ed a n ew l aw v io l at i o n , d ri v in g wh i l e su s p en d ed

. In Sep t em

b er 2 01 8, h e recei v ed an o t h er week en d jai l sen t en ce an d t wen ty h o u rs o f

co m m u n it y s erv ice fo r ag ai n us i n g m ari ju an a an d fai l i n g t o co m p l et e co m

m u n i t y

s erv i ce o b l i g at io n s

.

In Decem b er 2 0 1 8 , Si m

p s o n s t i p u l at ed t o fo u r Grad e C v i o l at i o n s : fai l u re to

co m p l et e co m m un i t y s erv i ce, fai l u re t o co m p l et e a jai l s en t en ce, fai l u r e t o co m p l y

wi t h s u b st an ce ab u s e t reat m en t

, an d a n ew arres t fo r d ri v i n g wh i l e s u sp e n d e d a n d

p o s s es s i o n o f m ari

j u an a. At t h e rev o cat i o n h eari n g , Pro b at i o n Offi cer Em i l y

No o rd h o ek t es t i fi ed co n cern in g t h e n at u re an d ci rcu m s t an ces of t h e v io l at i o n s

. Th e

d i s t ri ct co u rt

, 1 e x p res s l y co n si d eri n g t h e ad v i s o ry g ui del i n es ran g e an d 1 8 U.S.C.

§ 3 5 5 3 (a) s en t en ci n g fact o rs , rev o k e d S i m p so n ’ s s u p erv i s ed rel eas e an d s en t en ced

h i m t o 8 m on t h s i m

p ri s o n m en t (t h e b o t t o m of t h e ad v i s o ry ran g e) an d 5 2 m o n t h s o f

s u p erv i s ed rel eas e. Si m

ps o n ap p eal s t h e rev o cat i o n s en t en ce.

Si m p s o n fi rs t arg u es t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt ab u s ed it s d i s cret i o n b y i m p o s i n g a

s u b s t an t i vel y u n reas o n ab le rev o cat i o n p ri so n t erm t h at i s g reat er t han n eces s ary t o

ach i ev e t h e p u rp o s es o f s en t en ci n g

. H e arg u es t h at t h e co urt g av e to o m u ch wei g ht

t o “ t h e accu m

u l at io n o f tech n i cal v i o l at i o n s ” an d fai led t o t ak e acco u n t o f Si m p s o n ’ s

p o s i t i ve s t ep s at reen t eri n g th e co m m u n i t y aft er s erv i n g a l o n g sen t en ce. W e rev i ew

a rev o cat i o n s en t en ce “ u n d er t he s am e d eferen t i al ab u se-o f-d i s cret i o n s t an d ard t h at

ap p li es t o i n i t i al sen t en ci n g pro ceed i n gs .” Un i t ed St at es v

. W h i t e, 84 0 F.3 d 5 5 0

, 5 5 2
(8 t h Ci r. 2 01 6 ) (q uo t at i o n o m i t t ed ). Here, t he d i s t ri ct co u rt co n cl ud ed t hat a p ri so n

1 Th e Ho n o rab l e Ro bert W

. Prat t

, Un i t ed St at es Di s tri ct J u d g e fo r t h e So u t h ern Di s t ri ct o f Io wa.

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-s en t en ce at t h e b ot t o m o f t h e ad v i so ry ran g e was ap p ro p ri at e b ecau s e, al t h o u g h

Si m p s on i s cap ab le o f m ai n t ai ni n g em p l oy m en t an d s u p p o rt i n g h i s fam i l y an d d o es

n o t ap p ear t o b e a d an g er t o th e co m m u n i t y , two an d o n e-h al f y ears o f v io l at i on s

i n cl u d i n g d ru g an d al co h o l v i o l at i o n s an d co m m it t in g n ew law o ffen ses warran t ed an

8 m o nt h p ri s o n s en t en ce. W e co n cl u d e t h e d i s tri ct co urt act ed wel l wi t h i n i t s

s u b s t an t i al d i s cret i o n i n g i v i n g s u b s t an ti al wei gh t to Si m p s on ’ s “ rep eat ed fai l u re to

co m p l y w i th t h e co nd i t i o ns o f hi s s u p erv i sed rel eas e” an d i m p os i n g a wi t h i n -ran g e

rev o cat i on s en ten ce. Un i ted St at es v . Zo ran , 6 82 F.3 d 1 0 6 0 , 1 0 6 5 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 2 ).

Si m p s o n fu rt her arg u es th e d i s t ri ct co u rt ab u s ed i t s d is cret i o n i n i m po s i n g “ a

fu l l 5 2 m o nt h s o f s up er v i s ed rel eas e” w h en h i s o ri g i n al sen t en ce i n cl u d ed o n l y 3 6

m o nt h s o f s u p erv i s ed rel eas e. Th e g ov ern m en t ex p l ai n s t h at 52 m on t hs are m o re t h an

i s au th o ri zed : Si m

p s o n’ s in i t i al s en ten ce as an arm ed career cri m i nal was a Cl as s A

fel o n y

. See 18 U.S.C. § 3 5 5 9(a)(1 ). Th e au t h o ri zed t erm o f s up erv i s ed rel eas e was

n o t m ore t h an fi v e y ears , ev en t h o u g h o n l y t hree y ears w as i m p o s ed

. See

§ 3 5 8 3 (b )(1 ). A rev o cat i on sen t en ce m ay i n cl u de a t erm o f s u p erv i s e d r e l e a s e n ot

g reat er t h an t h e m ax im

u m term au t h o ri zed fo r t h e u n d erl y i ng co n vi ct io n , l es s an y

p ri s o n t erm i m

p o s ed u p o n rev o cat i on

. § 35 8 3(h ). Th e d i s t ri ct co urt i m p o sed a “ fu l l ”

rev o cat i on t erm , 6 0 m o n t hs

- 8 m o n t h s = 5 2 m o n t h s

. Ho w ev er, wh en Si m p s o n ’ s

i n i t i al s en t en ce was m o d i fi ed t o t im e s erv ed bas ed u p on J o h n s o n , it was no l o n g er a

C las s A fel o n y , an d t h e m ax i m u m t erm o f s u p erv i s ed rel eas e w as red u ce d t o t h r e e

y ears

. § § 3 5 8 3 (b )(2 ), (h ). Th u s , t h e g o v ern m en t co rrect ly co n cl u d es , a “ fu l l ”

rev o cat i on t erm o f s u p erv i s ed rel eas e m u s t b e l i m i t ed t o 3 6 m o n th s m i n u s 8 m o n th s ,

o r 2 8 m o n t h s

.

Acco rd i ng l y , as i n Z o ran , 6 8 2 F.3 d at 1 0 6 5

, w e vacat e t he s u p erv i s ed rel eas e

p o rt i on o f Si m

p s o n’ s rev o cat i o n s en t en ce an d rem an d wi t h i n s t r u c t i o n s t h at t h e

d i s t ri ct co u rt i m

p os e a s u p erv is ed rel eas e t erm o f 2 8 m o n th s

. In al l o t h er res p ect s , t h e

rev o cat i on ju d gm en t an d s en ten ce are affi rm ed

.

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