Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/10/734/584032/
Timestamp: 2019-08-24 16:32:04
Document Index: 256583727

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2113', '§ 2255', '§ 3559', '§ 3559', '§ 3581', '§ 3581']

United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. David Lawrence Wilson, Aka David v. Hunter, Defendant-appellant, 10 F.3d 734 (10th Cir. 1993) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Tenth Circuit › 1993 › United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. David Lawrence Wilson, Aka David v. Hunter, Defenda...
United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. David Lawrence Wilson, Aka David v. Hunter, Defendant-appellant, 10 F.3d 734 (10th Cir. 1993)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit - 10 F.3d 734 (10th Cir. 1993)
Defendant David Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of attempted bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). He was ultimately sentenced to 151 months' imprisonment.1 He now challenges that sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, arguing that because the sentencing statutes applicable to Class C felonies and attempted robbery under Sec. 2113(a) are ambiguous, the rule of lenity applies, and requires a reduction in his sentence.2
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3559, " [a]n offense that is not specifically classified by a letter grade in the section defining it, is classified if the maximum term of imprisonment authorized is ... less than twenty-five years but ten or more years, as a Class C felony." 18 U.S.C. § 3559(a) (3). Generic Class C felonies fall under the sentencing requirements found in 18 U.S.C. § 3581, which provides that " [a] defendant who has been found guilty of an offense may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment. The authorized terms of imprisonment are ... for a Class C felony, not more than twelve years." 18 U.S.C. § 3581(a), (b) (3).
The rule of lenity applies where a statute is facially ambiguous and resort to the legislative history does not reveal the congressional intent of the language. See Ladner v. United States, 358 U.S. 169, 177, 79 S. Ct. 209, 213, 3 L. Ed. 2d 199 (1958). Under these circumstances, courts construe the statute favorably to the criminal defendant. Id. The rule applies to substantive, as well as sentencing, statutes. See generally Hughey v. United States, 495 U.S. 411, 422, 110 S. Ct. 1979, 1985, 109 L. Ed. 2d 408 (1990) (applying rule of lenity to restitution statute).
This rule, however, is not to be invoked lightly. It is not applicable unless "there is a 'grievous ambiguity or uncertainty in the language and structure of the Act.' " Chapman v. United States, 500 U.S. 453, ----, 111 S. Ct. 1919, 1926, 114 L. Ed. 2d 524 (1991) (quoting Huddleston v. United States, 415 U.S. 814, 831, 94 S. Ct. 1262, 1272, 39 L. Ed. 2d 782 (1974)). In particular, a statutory scheme will not be deemed ambiguous only because the defendant has proffered a possible construction which is more narrow than what the government advocates. Moskal v. United States, 498 U.S. 103, 108, 111 S. Ct. 461, 465, 112 L. Ed. 2d 449 (1990). The rule's application is limited to cases where, after reviewing all available relevant materials, the court is still left with an ambiguous statute. See Smith v. United States, --- U.S. ----, ----, 113 S. Ct. 2050, 2059, 124 L. Ed. 2d 138 (1993).
Thus, although Secs. 3559(a) (3) and 3581(b) (3) might, standing alone, be construed to create some confusion when compared to Sec. 2113(a), Sec. 3559(b) makes clear the intent of Congress on the issue. Mr. Wilson maintains this section does not resolve the ambiguity because the language of Sec. 3581, providing for a twelve-year sentence for Class C felonies, cannot be reconciled with Sec. 3559(b). He argues that Sec. 3581 would be rendered meaningless in all circumstances if the mandate of Sec. 3559(b) is applied. We disagree.3
We construe statutory language according to its plain and ordinary meaning. Moskal, 498 U.S. at 108, 111 S. Ct. at 465. The meaning of these statutes is facially apparent. The rule of lenity is a rule of last resort, to be invoked only after traditional means of interpreting the statute have been exhausted. Mahn v. Gunter, 978 F.2d 599, 601 (10th Cir. 1992). Because the meaning of these statutes is clear, we have no ambiguity and, therefore, no need to resort to the legislative history. Id. at 602. The rule is inapplicable. See United States v. Schiffbauer, 956 F.2d 201, 203 n. 5 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S. Ct. 274, 121 L. Ed. 2d 202 (1992).
This circuit has held that the sentencing provisions in Sec. 3581(b) do not alter the statutory minimum sentence mandated by the specific statute addressing first-degree murder. United States v. Sands, 968 F.2d 1058, 1066 (10th Cir. 1992), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S. Ct. 987, 122 L. Ed. 2d 139 (1993)