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 by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

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C a l i f orni a , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on. 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. M I CHAEL A. M CL OO NE, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 09- 30350 D . C . N o. 3: 09 -c r- 00 01 8-R R B -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 orthe D i s tr i c tof

A l a s ka R a l ph R . B e i s t l i ne , C hi e f 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 N ove m be r5, 2010

S e a tt l e , W a s hi ngt on B ef ore: B . F L E T C H E R and B Y B E E , C i rc ui tJudg es , and W IL K E N , D i stri ct Judg e. ** M i c ha e l M c L oone appe a l s hi s s e nt e nc e f orbe i ng af

e l on i n pos s e s s i on of f ir e a rm s a n d a m m u n itio n . W e h a v e ju r is d ic tio n u n d e r1 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . W e a f f i rm. 

# FI LED JAN 07 2 011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

M c L oone ’ s f

e de r a l c onvi c t i on a nd s e nt e nc e f orbe i ng af

e l on i n pos s e s s i on of f i r e a rm s a nd a m m uni t i on, 18 U . S . C . §§ 922, 924, a r is e f r o m h is a s s au ltin g h is g ir lf r ie n d , in c lu d in g h o ld in g ag u n to h e rh e a d . T h e in v e s tig a tio n in to th e a s s au lt c ha r ge s r e ve a l e d tha tM c L oone pos s e s s e d tw o f i r e a rm s a nd boughta m m uni t i on on a tl e a s tone oc c a s i on. M c L o o n e w a s c o n v ic te d in A la s k as ta te c o u r t o f tw o c o u n ts o f

f e lo n y a s s au lt and fou r c ou nt s of m i sdem eano r a ss aul t . O n the fi rs tcoun t , as saul ti n the thi rd degree by means of a dangerous i nstrum ent(a9 m m pi st ol ), M cL oo ne w as se nt ence d t o fou r y ea rs i m pri sonm entw i th o ne ye arsuspended, and fi ve ye ar s p r o b a tio n . C o m b in e d w ith h is s e n te n c e s f o rth e o th e rf

iv e c o u n ts , h is to ta l s ta te s e nt e nc e w a s f

i ve y e a r s a nd 240 da y s j a i l , e xc l us i ve of s us pe nde d a nd c onc urr e nt tim e , a n d f

iv e y e a r s p r o b a tio n , e x c lu s iv e o f c o n c u rr e n t tim e . I n f

e d e r a l c o u r t, M c L oone w a s s e nt e nc e d f orbe i ng af

e l on i n pos s e s s i on of

f i r e a rm s a nd a m m u n itio n to f

o r ty - s ix m o n th s , w ith tw e n ty - tw o m o n th s to ru n c o n c u rr e n t to h is s t a t e s e nt e nc e f

ora s s aul tw i th af

i r e a rm , a nd tw e nty - f

ourm onths t o run c o n s e c u tiv e to th a t s e n te n c e . M c L oone f

i r s ta r gue s tha thi s f

e de r a l s e nt e nc e i s pr oc e dur a l l y e rr one ous because the di stri ctcourtfa i l ed t o con si der a nd appl y S ent enci ng G ui del i ne § 5 G 1 .3 ( b ) . U n d e rth a t g u id e lin e , if as e n te n c e r e s u lte d f

r o m a n o th e ro f

f e n s e th a t is3

r e l e va ntc onduc tt o a nd w a s the ba s i s f ora n i nc r e a s e i n the of

f e ns e l e ve l f

orthe i ns t a ntof

f e ns e , the s e nt e nc e f

orthe i ns t a ntof

f e ns e : 1) s ha l l be a dj us t e d f ora ny pe r i od of i m pr i s onm e nta l r e a dy s e rve d on the undi s c ha r ge d t e rm of i m pr i s onm e nt f orthe othe rof

f e ns e , i f s uc h pe r i od of

i m pr i s onm e ntw i l l notbe c r e di t e d t o the f e de r a l s e nt e nc e by the B ur e au of P r i s ons ; a nd 2) s ha l l be i m pos e d t o run c onc urr e nt l y t o the r e m a i nde rof the undi s c ha r ge d t e rm of i m pr i s onm e ntf

orthe o th e ro f f e n s e . U .S . S e n te n c in g G u id e lin e s M a n u a l § 5 G 1 .3 ( b ) ( 1 ) , ( 2 ) . T he di stri ctcourtm ade a n i nform ed deci si on , i n l i gh tof 18 U . S . C . § 3 55 3(a) f a c t or s , nott o appl y § 5G 1. 3( b) t o M c L oone ’ s s t a t e s e nt e nc e f ora s s aul tw i th a f i r e a rm . U nde rthe a dvi s ory gui de l i ne s s y s t e m , s uc h ava r i a nc e i s pe rm i tt e d, i f the d is tr ic t c o u r t a d e q u a te ly e x p la in s its r e a s o n s . State v . A rm s te ad , 552 F . 3d 769, 784 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 8 ) . T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s r e f e r e n c e to th e § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) f a c to r s a n d its e xpl a na t i on tha taf

ul l y c onc urr e nts e nt e nc e w oul d i ns uf f i c i e nt l y puni s h M c L oone f o rh is s e p a r a te f

e d e r a l o f f e n s e w a s a d e q u a te . M c L oone ne xta r gue s tha tthe s e nt e nc e i s pr oc e dur a l l y e rr one ous be c aus e the d is tr ic t c o u r t f

a ile d to g iv e h im n o tic e o f its in te n tio n n o t to f

o llo w § 5 G 1 .3 ( b ) . N ot i ce , ho w ever , w as no tre qu i re d b ec ause M cL oo ne’ s s ent ence w as a var i ance ,U

ni ted Stat es v. B oo ke r, 54 3 U . S . 22 0 (20 05 ). 1 4 and n ota pre - B oo ke r d e p a r tu r e u n d e r1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( b ) . Ir i zarr y v . U ni ted 1 Stat es , 55 3 U . S . 70 8, 71 4-15 (200 8). F urtherm ore, M cL oo ne i n fac tw as gi ven not i c e a nd w a s gr a nt e d ac ont i nua nc e t o s uppl e m e nthi s br i e f i ng of the § 5G 1. 3( b) is s u e . M cL oo ne ar gu es the se nt ence w as procedural l y e rr on eous because the di stri ct c our tf a i l e d t o c ons i de rhi s a r gum e nt s i n s uppor tof ahor i z ont a l de pa r tur e f r om cr i m i nal hi st ory c at egory V t o cat egory I V . N am el y, M cL oo ne cl ai m ed that c a t e gory V ove r - r e pr e s e nt e d hi s c r i m i na l hi s t ory be c aus e i ti nc l ude d as e ve nt e e ny e a r - ol d w a rr a ntf

orf a i l ur e t o appe a ri n F l or i das t a t e c our ton am i s de m e a nor batt ery c harge t o w hi ch he had p l ea ded n o con t es t , bu tw hi ch has notbeen ye t a d ju d ic a te d . C o n tr a ry to M c L o o n e ’s c o n te n tio n s , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t a d e q u a te ly c ons i de r e d the a r gum e nt s , butr e j e c t e d the m be c aus e of

M c L oone ’ s hi s t ory of v io le n c e a g a in s t h is f

e m a le p a r tn e r s . T h e r e w a s n o p r o c e d u r a l e rr o r . F i na l l y , M c L oone a r gue s tha tthe tw e nty - f our - m onth c ons e c ut i ve por t i on of hi s s e nt e nc e w a s s ubs t a nt i ve l y unr e a s onabl e . H e c ont e nds tha thi s c r i m e of be i ng a f e l on i n pos s e s s i on w a s onl y of thr e e m onths ’ dur a t i on a nd w a s i nnoc uous e xc e pt for the as saul t i ve cond uct . H e a l so cont ends thathe di d n otac qu i re the gu ns, that the gu ns w er e l egal l y ow ned b y hi s gi rl fr i end, thatthey di d n othave un usual5

char ac t er i st i cs , and thathe di d n ottypi ca l l y c arrythe gu ns on hi s per son, bu tused th e m o n ly f

o rta r g e t s h o o tin g a n d h o m e p r o te c tio n . In re j ec t i ng M cL oo ne’ s pl eafor al i gh t erse nt ence , the di stri ctcourt re peat edl y e m ph as i ze d M cL oo ne’ s vi ol entnature, as re fl ec t ed by hi s c ri m i nal h is to ry a n d th e e v e n ts g iv in g r is e to th e in s ta n t o f f e n s e , a n d th e in c r e a s e d r is kto so ci ety th ath i s p o ssessi o n o f fi rearm s p o sed fo r th atreaso n . T h e d i stri ctco u rtal so expres se d con ce rn thatby i m po si ng a s ent ence ful l y c on curr entt o the st at e s ent ence f o ra s s a u lt w ith af

ir e a rm , M c L o o n e w o u ld b e to o le n ie n tly p u n is h e d f o rh is s e pa r a t e , a nd s e r i ous , f

e de r a l of f e ns e of be i ng af

e l on i n pos s e s s i on of

f i r e a rm s a nd am m un i t i on . Itthere fore se nt ence d M cL oo ne t o the hi gh end o f the G ui del i nes se nt enci ng ra ng e, forty- si x m on ths, tw enty- tw o o f w hi ch ar e t o b e s erved c o n c u rr e n t to h is s ta te s e n te n c e a n d tw e n ty - f o u rc o n s e c u tiv e to th a t s e n te n c e . W he r e the di s tr i c tc our ts pe c i f i c a l l y c ons i de r e d the § 3553( a ) f a c t or s a nd s e n te n c e d M c L o o n e a t th e h ig h e n d o f th e G u id e lin e s s e n te n c in g r a n g e in r e c ogni t i on of

the a ggr a va t i ng c i r c um s t a nc e s i n hi s c r i m i na l hi s t ory a nd the i ns t a nt of f e ns e a nd the f

a c ttha ta l m os tha l f

the s e nt e nc e w i l l be s e rve d c onc urr e ntt o a di ff er entse nt ence , w e c anno tsa y thatthe di stri ctcourtabused i t s di sc re t i on or that th e s e n te n c e w a s u n r e a s o n ab le . Se e U n ite d S ta te s v . C a r ty , 5 2 0 F .3 d 9 8 4 , 9 9 3 ( 9 th C ir2 0 0 8 ) , ce rt. deni ed Zavala v. U ni ted Stat es , 55 3 U . S . 10 61 (200 8).6

AF F I R ME D.