FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P E ALS E LE V EN T HC IRC U IT JANUARY 10, 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 12204 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 3 - 0 0 0 7 2 - CR- FTM - 2 9 - SPC U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s A L P H O N S O J A M E S , J R ., D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( Jan u ar y 10, 2008) B efo re A N D E R S O N , H U L L an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A lp h o n s o J a m e s , J r . ap p e a ls h is 1 8 0 - m o n th s e n te n c e f o rk n o w in g ly2

pos s e s s i ng a f

i r e a r m a nd a m m uni t i on i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . §§ 922( g) ( 1) a nd 92 4(e) , af

t erhavi ng been conv i ct ed of a cr i m e pun i shabl e by i m pri sonm entfor a t e r m e xc e e di ng one y e a r . O n appe a l , J a m e s a r gue s tha thi s s e nt e nc e m us tbe vaca t ed and rem anded for res ent enci ng because the di stri ctcourtfa i l ed t o con si der a dow nw a r d de pa r tur e f ors ubs t a nt i a l a s s i s t a nc e pur s ua ntt o W ad e v . U ni ted Stat es , 504 U . S . 181, 112 S . C t . 1840, 118 L . E d. 2d 524 ( 1992) . J a m e s a s s e r t s tha tthe gove rnm e ntw i thhe l d a U . S . S . G . § 5K 1. 1 m ot i on t o pe na l i z e hi s f a i l ur e t o s i gn a p le a a g r e e m e n t. H e m a in ta in s th a t th e r e is a c o n s titu tio n a l a n d s ta tu to ry r ig h t to pl e a d gui l ty w i thouta pl e a a gr e e m e nt . A l t e rna t i ve l y , he s ugge s t s tha tthe r e i s no ra t i on al basi s f

or the go vernm ent ’ s pol i cyof on l y f i l i ng § 5 K 1. 1 m ot i on s w hen defe nd ant s e nt eri nt o p l eaagre em ent s. T hu s, he concl ud es thatthe di stri ctcourt shou l d h ave c on si dere d i m po si ng a s ent ence bel ow the st atut ory m andat ory mi n i mu m. G e ne r a l l y , w he the ra di s tr i c tc our tm a y de pa r tdow nw a r d f r om the G ui de l i ne r a nge unde r§ 5K 1. 1 i n the abs e nc e of a m ot i on by the gove rnm e nti s a que s t i on of la w s u b je c t to d e n o v o r e v ie w . U ni ted Stat es v. D orse

y , 4 9 7 F .3 d 1 2 2 1 , 1 2 2 4 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 07 ). B ec ause Ja m es di d n otal l ege thatthe go vernm enthad an unc ons t i tut i ona l m ot i ve be f or e the di s tr i c tc our t , how e ve r , w e w i l l r e vi e w onl y f or p la in e rr o r . U

n i ted S ta tes v. W

a rd , 4 8 6 F .3 d 1 2 1 2 , 1 2 2 1 ( 1 1 th C ir .) , ce rt. deni ed ,3

— U .S . — , 1 2 8 S . C t. 3 9 8 , — L . E d . 2 d — ( 2 0 0 7 ) . W h e n r e v ie w in g f o rp la in error, w e c anno tre vers e “ un l es s there i s: (1) e rr or, (2) thati s pl ai n, and (3) that af fe ct s s ub st ant i al ri gh t s. ” Id . (i n t ern al q u o t at i o n m ark s o m i tt ed ). If th ese cond i t i on s a re m et , w e m ay then exerci se ou r di sc re t i on t o n ot i ce a f orfe i t ed error, butonl y i f

“ the e rr ors e r i ous l y a f

f e c t s the f a i rne s s , i nt e gr i ty , orpubl i c r e put a t i on of j ud i ci al proceedi ng s. ” Id . (i nt ernal qu ot at i on m arks om i tt ed). F urtherm ore, an error i s pl ai n o nl y i f i ti s “ cl ea r und ercurr entl aw . ” U ni te d State s v . Chau , 426 F . 3d 13 18 , 13 22 (11th C i r. 20 05 ) ( per c uri am ) ( i nt ernal qu ot at i on m arks om i tt ed). S e c t i on 5K 1. 1 of

the G ui de l i ne s pr ovi de s tha t“ [ u] pon m ot i on of the gove rnm e nts t a t i ng tha tthe de f e nda ntha s pr ovi de d s ubs t a nt i a l a s s i s t a nc e i n the i nve s t i ga t i on orpr os e c ut i on of a nothe rpe r s on w ho ha s c om m i tt e d a n of f e ns e , the courtm ay departfr om the gu i del i nes. ” U . S . S . G . § 5 K 1. 1. S ec t i on 5K 1. 1 con fe rs the po w er , bu tno tthe du ty, t o fi l e am ot i on w here a def endanthas provi ded s u b s ta n tia l a s s is ta n c e . D orse y , 4 9 7 F .3 d a t 1 2 2 4 . T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t ty p ic a lly c a nnotgr a nta dow nw a r d de pa r tur e unde r§ 5K 1. 1 abs e nta m ot i on by the g o v e rn m e n t. Id . W here the go vernm entre fuse s t o fi l e am ot i on base d o n an u ncon st i tut i on al m ot i ve such as ra ce or re l i gi on , ho w ever , the di stri ctcourthas autho ri ty t o revi ew a n d r e m e d y th e p r o s e c u to r ’s d e c is io n . W ade , 50 4 U . S . at18 5– 86 , 11 2 S . C t . at4

1843–44. W e r e c e nt l y c l a r i f i e d, m or e ove r , tha t“ r e f

us i ng t o f

i l e a § 5K 1. 1 m ot i on i n retri bu t i on for e xerc i si ng the S i xth A m endm entri gh tt o a tri al by j ury i s a n un const i tut i on al m ot i ve un der W ade . ” D orse

y , 4 9 7 F .3 d a t 1 2 2 5 . A m e r e c la im thata def

endanthas provi ded sub st ant i al as si st ance or a genera l al l egat i on of an i m prop erm ot i ve, ho w ever , w i l l no tw arra nta r em edy or e ven an evi dent i ary h e a r in g . W

ade , 5 0 4 U .S . a t 1 8 6 , 1 1 2 S . C t. a t 1 8 4 4 . R e v ie w is o n ly ap p r o p r ia te w he r e the de f

e nda nta l l e ge s a nd m a ke s a s ubs t a nt i a l s how i ng tha tthe pr os e c ut i on r e f u s e d to f ile a § 5 K 1 .1 m o tio n b e c a u s e o f a c o n s titu tio n a lly im p e r m is s ib le m o tiv e . D orse

y , 497 F . 3d a t1225. U p o n r e v ie w o f

th e r e c o r d a n d th e p a r tie s ’ b r ie f s , w e d is c e rn n o r e v e r s ib le e rr or . J a m e s e s s e nt i a l l y a r gue s tha ti n r e f us i ng t o f

i l e a § 5K 1. 1 m ot i on, the go vernm entun const i tut i on al l y penal i ze d h i m for e xerc i si ng hi s r i gh tt o p l ea d gui l ty unde rthe S i xth A m e ndm e nt . T hi s a r gum e nti s notc l e a r l y r e s ol ve d by “ the expl i ci tl angu age of a s t atut e or rul e. ” Chau , 426 F . 3d a t1322 ( i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a r k s o m itte d ) . N o ris it c le a r ly r e s o lv e d b y th e la n g u a g e o f th e S ix th A m e ndm e nt . T hus , the a l l e ge d e rr orc om m i tt e d by the di s tr i c tc our tc a n be “ pl a i n” on l y i f “ prec edentfr om the S up re m e C ou rtor thi s C ou rtdi re ct l y r es ol v[es ] i t . ” Id . J a m e s r e lie s o n n o d ir e c t a u th o r ity f o rh is a s s e r tio n th a t th e g o v e rn m e n t’s r e f u s a l to m ov e f or a § 5K 1. 1 m ot i on w as base d o n an u ncon st i tut i on al m ot i ve, and n ei ther5

W ade no r D orse

y di r e c t l y r e s ol ve d the que s t i on of w he the ra di s tr i c tc our tha s the autho ri ty t o g ra nta dow nw ar d d eparture w here the go vernm entre fuse s t o fi l e a § 5 K 1 .1 m o tio n b e c a u s e th e d e f e n d a n t d id n o t s ig n a p le a a g r e e m e n t. C ontr a ry t o J a m e s ’ s a r gum e nt , m or e ove r , w e ha ve notc ons true d W ade broadl y e no ug h t o p erm i ta c ou rtt o g ra nta def endantre l i ef

w hen, abse ntan unc ons t i tut i ona l m ot i ve s uc h a s r a c e , r e l i gi on, ora nothe ra rbi tr a ry c l a s s i f i c a t i on, the gove rnm e nt ’ s r e f

us a l t o m ove f

ora r e duc t i on i s notr a t i ona l l y r e l a t e d t o a ny le g itim a te g o v e rn m e n t e n d . See U n ite d S ta te s v . N

e a ly , 2 3 2 F .3 d 8 2 5 , 8 3 1 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 00 ) ( l i m i t i ng re vi ew of go vernm ent ’ s r ef usal t o fi l e s ub st ant i al as si st ance m o tio n s to c la im s o f

u n c o n s titu tio n a l m o tiv e ) ; U ni ted Stat es v. Forney , 9 F . 3d 14 92 , 15 03 n. 4 (11 th C i r. 19 93 ) ( l i m i t i ng re vi ew of fa i l ure t o fi l e s ub st ant i al as si st ance m ot i on t o u ncon st i tut i on al m ot i ve and ackno w l edgi ng the prop er

“ r e l uc t a nc e t o e nt e ri nt o the pr os e c ut or i a l di s c r e t i on a r e na of the e xe c ut i ve b r a n c h ” ) . T h e r e f

o r e , e v e n if

w e w e r e to a s s u m e th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr e d in f a i l i ng t o c ons i de ra dow nw a r d de pa r tur e f ors ubs t a nt i a l a s s i s t a nc e , a ny s uc h e rr or w a s n o t “p la in ” b e c a u s e it w a s n o t c le a ru n d e re x is tin g la w . Se e Chau , 42 6 F . 3d at 1 3 2 2 . A c c o r d i n g l y , w e a f f i r m. AF F I RME D.