T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A,

P l ai nt i ff - A pp el l ee , v . J E S US C OR ON A- R I VE R A,

D e f e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 09- 50557 D . C . N o. 3: 08 -c r- 01 72 0-W Q H -1 ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e S o u th e rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia W i l l i a m Q . H a y e s , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d M a y4, 2011 P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: P R E G E R S O N , F IS H E R an d B E R Z O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. D e f e n d a n t - A p p e l l a n tw a s c o n v i c t e d b yj u ryo f i l l e g a l r e e n tryu n d e r8 U . S. C. § 1326. H e appe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s ( 1) de ni a l of hi s m ot i on t o di s m i s s the in d ic tm e n t f

o rim p r o p e rg r a n d ju ryin s tru c tio n s a n d ( 2 ) th e r e a s o n ab le n e s s o f h is s e n te n c e . W e h a v e ju r is d ic tio n u n d e r2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 , a n d w e a f f irm . 

# FI LED DE C 20 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSU ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctJudg e L arryA . B urns pres i ded o ver the grand j ury 1 po rt i on of thi s c as e. 2 1 . G ra n d ju ry i n stru cti o n s. T he di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s i ns truc t i ons t o the gr a nd 1 ju ry w e r e w ith in th e b o u n d s o f s im ila rin s tru c tio n s w e h a v e f o u n d c o n s titu tio n a l. See U n ite d S ta te s v . Ca r u to , 66 3 F . 3d 39 4, 39 7-40 1 (9th C i r. 20 10 ); U ni ted Stat es v . N av arr o- V ar gas , 4 0 8 F .3 d 1 1 8 4 , 1 2 0 4 -0 5 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 5 ). T h e d istrict co u rt’s g ran d j u ry i n stru ct i o n s d i d n o tco n v ey t o th e j u ry th atu p o n fi n d i n g p ro b ab l e cau se it w a s o b lig a te d to in d ic t. Se e Ca r u to , 6 6 3 F .3 d a t 3 9 7 - 4 0 1 ; N av arr o- V ar gas , 408 F .3 d a t 1 2 0 4 - 0 5 . 2. S e n t e n c i n g. a . P ro ced u ra lC h a l l en g es. i . T he di stri ctcourtdi d n otpl ai nl y e rri n fi nd i ng thatC oron aR iv e r ah a d ap r e v io u s c o n v ic tio n in A u g u s t 1 9 9 0 f o rv io la tin g C a lif

o rn iaH e a lth a n d S a f e tyC o d e § 1 1 3 6 0 ( a ) ( h e r e in a f te r“§ 1 1 3 6 0 ( a ) ” ) . See U ni ted Stat es v. V

i eke , 348 F . 3d 811, 813 ( 9th C i r . 2003) ( r e vi e w i ng s e nt e nc i ng c ha l l e nge f orpl a i n e rr or w he r e , a s he r e , the or i gi na l obj e c t i on l a c ke d a“ s pe c i f i c s ubs t a nt i ve ba s i s ” ) . T he p retri al sen t en ci n g rep o rt(P S R ) st at ed th atC o ro n a-R i v era w as co n v i ct ed i n A u g u st 19 90 of vi ol at i ng § 1 13 60 (a ). B ec ause C oron a- R i vera“ di d n otobj ec tt o the fa ctual a c c ur a c y of

the [ P S R ] , the di s tr i c tc ourtw a s e nt i t l e d t o tr e a tthe f a c tua l a s s e rt i ons3

there i n as e st abl i shed. ” U n i ted S ta tes v. Hi l

g ers , 56 0 F . 3d 94 4, 94 8 n . 4 (9th C i r. 20 09 ) ( ci t i ng F ed. R . C ri m . P roc. 32 (i )( 3)(A ) ( “ A tse nt enci ng , the court. . . m ay a c c e p t a n yu n d is p u te d p o rtio n o f th e p r e s e n te n c e r e p o rt a s af in d in g o f f a c t.” ) ) . N orw a s the di s tr i c tc ourtr e qui r e d s uas pont e t o r e c ogni z e tha tthe c onvi c t i on d o c u m e n ts d id n o t id e n tif yC o r o n a - R iv e r ab yn a m e o rc o n ta in o th e ra d e q u a te

“ i nd i ci a of r el i abi l i ty. ” T he P S R addend um st at ed thatthe P S R w as prepare d base d o n fi ng erpri nt -m at ched rapshee t s, the prob at i on offi ce r t es t i fi ed at sen t en ci n g th ath e rel i ed o n o ffi ci al d at ab ases an d C o ro n a-R i v era d i d n o tsu g g est th e p r e p a r in g o f

f ic e rh a dr e a s o n to p r e v a r ic a te . Se e U ni te d State s v . M

ar i nC ue v as , 1 4 7 F .3 d 8 8 9 , 8 9 5 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 8 ) ( d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t ab u s e its di s c r e t i on bya c c e pt i ng P S R a s r e l i abl e e vi de nc e w he r e pr oba t i on of f i c e rw ho pr e pa r e d r e portobt a i ne d hi s i nf orm a t i on f

r om “ ar e l i abl e s our c e [ l i ke ] the c o m p u te r iz e d c r im in a l h is to ry ” a n d “h a d n o r e a s o n to p r e v a r ic a te ” ) .

ii. T he di s tr i c tc ourtdi d notpl a i nl ye rri n c onc l udi ng unde rthe m od i fi ed ca t egori ca l approach, w hi ch C oron a- R i veradecl i ned t o add re ss before the di stri ctcourt , thatC oron a- R i vera ’ s c on vi ct i on w as a “ drug tra ff i cki ng offe nse”T he com m ent s t o U S S G § 2 L 1. 2 d ef i ne “ drug tra ff

i cki ng offe nse” as “ an 2 o f f e n s e u n d e rf

e d e r a l, s ta te , o rlo c a l la w th a t p r o h ib its th e m a n u f a c tu r e , im p o rt, expo rt , di stri bu t i on , or di spensi ng of, or offe r t o sel l a c on trol l ed subst ance (or a c o u n te r f e it s u b s ta n c e ) o rth e p o s s e s s io n o f ac o n tr o lle d s u b s ta n c e ( o rac o u n te r f e it su b stan ce ) w ith in ten t t o m an u fa ctu re , i m p o rt, ex p o rt, d istrib u te, o r d isp en se [,]” U S S G § 2 L 1 . 2 , cm t . n . 1 (B )(i v ), an d “ fel o n y” as “ an y fed eral , st at e, o r l o cal o ffen se pu ni shabl e by i m pri sonm entfor at erm exce edi ng on e y ear[ , ] ” id . a t c m t. n . 2 . C o r o n a - R i v e r a ’ s o th e ra tt e m p t s t o e s c ap e th e p l a i n l a n g u a g e o f US S G § 3 2 L 1 .2 f a il to p e r s u a d e . Se e U

n ite d S ta te s v . T

r e a dw e ll , 5 9 3 F .3 d 9 9 0 , 1 0 0 6 ( 9 th C i r . 2010) ( “ I f

the t e xtof

agui de l i ne i s una m bi guous , i t s pl a i n m e a ni ng c o n tr o ls .” ) . 4 and a “ fe l on y” w i thi n the m eani ng of U S S G § 2 L 1. 2. A l tho ug h § 11 36 0(a) 2 p ro scri b es a ran g e o f act i o n s, th e P S R ad d en d u m i n cl u d ed co n v i ct i o n d o cu m en t s, i ncl ud i ng a f

el on y c om pl ai ntst at i ng thatC oron a- R i vera(und eran al i as ) w as ch arg ed o n l y w i th “ S al e o f M ari j u an a. ” T h e att ach ed p l ea ag reem en tl i k ew i se r e ve a l e d tha the pl e d gui l ty“ a s c ha r ge d” a nd a dm i tt e d t o “ unl a w f ul l y[ s e l l i ng] m a r i j ua na . ” T he pl e aa gr e e m e nta l s o s t a t e d tha the f a c e d am a xi m um of

f our ye ar s’ i m pri sonm ent . T he fe l on y c om pl ai ntand w ri tt en pl eaagre em entar e q u in te s s e n tia l e v id e n c e u n d e rth e m o d if ie d c a te g o r ic a l ap p r o a c h . See U ni ted S ta tes v. A lm a za n -B ecerra , 537 F . 3d 1094, 1095, 1100 ( 9th C i r . 2008) ( r e l y i ng on s im ila rr e c o r d s to h o ld th a t ac o n v ic tio n f o rth e s a m e a c t u n d e rth e s a m e C a lif o rn ia st atut e w arrant ed a 16-l evel enhancem entun der the m od i fi ed ca t egori ca l approach). 35 iii. T he di s tr i c tc ourtdi d notabus e i t s di s c r e t i on i n i m pos i ng a 9 0 - m o n th s e n te n c e . Se e U n ite d S ta te s v . Ca r ty , 52 0 F . 3d 98 4, 99 3 (9th C i r. 20 05 ). T he di s tr i c tc ourtm e thodi c a l l yc ons i de r e d a l l of the § 3553 f

a c t or s a nd pr ovi de d a re as on ed expl anat i on w hy i tw as nece ss ary t o sent ence C oron a- R i verat o a l on ger s e n te n c e th a n f

o rp r e v io u s s im ila rc o n v ic tio n s . b . S u b st an ti ve ch al l en ge. T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t ab u s e its di s c r e t i on i n a dhe r i ng t o the G ui de l i ne s r a nge de s pi t e ( 1) the a l l e ge d s t a l e ne s s of th e A u g u s t 1 9 9 0 c o n v ic tio n a n d C o r o n a - R iv e r a ’s la c ko f a n yv io le n t o rp h y s ic a lly h a rm f u l c o n v ic tio n s s in c e th e n , a n d ( 2 ) w h a t h e r e f e r s to a s “th e e x c e p tio n a lly b e n ig n n a tu r e ” o f

th e “p lu s 1 6 ” c o n v ic tio n . Se e Ca r ty , 5 2 0 F .3 d a t 9 9 3 . U n lik e in U ni ted Stat es v. A m ez cua-V asqu ez , 56 7 F . 3d 10 50 (9th C i r. 20 09 ), the di stri ctcourt c ons i de r e d a l l of

the § 3553 f

a c t or s i n l i ghtof

the c onc e rns C or ona - R i ve r ar a i s e d, a nd c a m e t o the r e a s one d c onc l us i on tha thi s l e ngthyc r i m i na l hi s t orya nd re ci di vi sm re qu i re d a se nt ence of 90 m on ths t o d et erfuture vi ol at i on s and prot ec t th e c o m m u n ity . C

f . i d. at10 57 (“ [T ] he di stri ctcourtappl i ed the G ui del i nes s e nt e nc e w i thoutc ons i de r i ng the de f e nda nt - s pe c i f

i c f a c t s tha tm a de the r e s ul t i ng s e nt e nc e unr e a s onabl e unde r§ 3553( a ) – i . e . , the s t a l e ne s s of the pr e di c a t e pr i or co n v icti o n [.]”). A m ez cu a- V as q u ez , m o re o v er , d idn o t h av e C o ro n a- R iv er a’s s ig n if ic a n t im m ig r a tio n r e c o r d a n d s u b s e q u e n t h is to ryo f p e ttyc r im e . B e c au s e it6

w as thi s hi st ory thatw arrant ed the l on g sent ence , no tthe si m pl e f ac tthatC oron aR i ve r aqua l i f

i e d f ora n e nha nc e m e nt , C or ona - R i ve r a ’ s 28( j ) l e tt e ri de nt i f

y i ng a pr opos e d a m e ndm e ntt o the G ui de l i ne s tha tw oul d r e duc e hi s of f e ns e l e ve l by 8, w e r e it m a d e r e tr o a c tiv e , d o e s n o t p r o v id e ab a s is to f in d a n ab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n . A F F I R M E D .