Source: http://openjurist.org/965/f2d/58
Timestamp: 2015-12-01 15:10:06
Document Index: 726168692

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3583', '§ 3583', '§ 7', '§ 7', '§ 7', '§ 5', '§ 5', '§ 7', '§ 3553', '§ 7', '§ 5', '§ 7']

965 F2d 58 United States v. Cohen | OpenJurist
965 F. 2d 58 - United States v. Cohen HomeFederal Reporter, Second Series 965 F.2d.
965 F2d 58 United States v. Cohen 965 F.2d 58
5 Fed.Sent.R. 20
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Raymond Clinton COHEN, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 91-1786.
Submitted Feb. 19, 1992.Decided May 22, 1992.
The convictions in 1990 were for Class C (uttering and publishing forged Treasury checks) or Class D (obstruction of the mail) felonies. Thus, the authorized term of supervised release for those violations was for not more than three years, 18 U.S.C. § 3583(b)(2), which was followed in the original sentence. Then, upon revocation, the defendant may not be required to serve more than two years imprisonment, if the original offense was a Class C or D felony. 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(3). Therefore, at the time of revocation of supervised release, the district court adhered to the restrictions in the statute.
The parties herein agree that the conduct of the defendant was a Grade B violation, set out in § 7B1.1(a)(2) of the Guidelines. Moreover, the court was required to revoke supervised release, pursuant to § 7B1.3(a)(1). Then, the range of imprisonment which was applicable upon revocation for a Grade B violation by a person in Criminal History II was 6-12 months. Guidelines § 7B1.4(a).
In United States v. Levy, 904 F.2d 1026 (6th Cir.1990), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 974, 112 L.Ed.2d 1060 (1991), this court held that the language of § 5K1.1 of the Guidelines, requiring a motion by the prosecution before granting a downward departure for substantial assistance in the investigation or prosecution of another person, was binding upon the court. In essence, the court could not depart downward for substantial assistance without the motion, even though § 5K1.1 is a policy statement. See United States v. Kelley, 956 F.2d 748 (8th Cir.1992) (en banc ); United States v. Chotas, 913 F.2d 897 (11th Cir.1990), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 1421, 113 L.Ed.2d 473 (1991); see also United States v. Franz, 886 F.2d 973, 977 (7th Cir.1989). Thus, if the holding of Levy is that policy statements throughout the Guidelines Manual are to have the same effect as the Guidelines themselves, then this panel is required to follow that decision. See Timmreck v. United States, 577 F.2d 372, 376 n. 15 (6th Cir.1978), rev'd on other grounds, 441 U.S. 780, 99 S.Ct. 2085, 60 L.Ed.2d 634 (1979).
There is authority from other courts that policy statements in Chapter 7 are not binding upon the district court. See, e.g., United States v. Lee, 957 F.2d 770 (10th Cir.1992); United States v. Blackston, 940 F.2d 877 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 611, 116 L.Ed.2d 634 (1991); United States v. Oliver, 931 F.2d 463 (8th Cir.1991). Each of these cases involved the effect of the policy statements in Chapter 7 of the Guidelines, and all held that policy statements in Chapter 7 are not binding, but are merely advisory. As stated in Blackston, 940 F.2d at 893: "[T]he district court, in sentencing a defendant whose supervised release has been revoked, is required only to 'consider ... any pertinent policy statement issued by the Sentencing Commission ... that is in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced.' "
Id. In the case at hand, the district court held that the policy statements in § 7B1.4 of the Guidelines were not binding upon the court, but it did consider the provisions. According to Blackston, that is all that is required. See 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(5).
Thus, if the policy statements were as binding upon the courts as the Guidelines themselves, with respect to Chapter 7, there would have been no need for the Commission to have made this explanation, emphasizing flexibility. Therefore, we hold that policy statements in § 7B1.4 of the Guidelines are not binding upon the district court, but must be considered by it in rendering a sentence for a violation of supervised release. In making this decision, we are not undermining the decision in Levy, which applies to Chapter 5. This is the same conclusion reached by the Tenth Circuit in Lee, because it, too, had previously held that the requirements of § 5K1.1 of the Guidelines were mandatory. See, e.g., United States v. Long, 936 F.2d 482 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 662, 116 L.Ed.2d 753 (1991). Therefore, as the district court in this case considered (and declined to follow) the provisions of § 7B1.4 of the Guidelines, its judgment is AFFIRMED.