Source: http://openjurist.org/981/f2d/1123
Timestamp: 2016-02-12 06:00:45
Document Index: 624696578

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 841', '§ 851', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 846', '§ 1952', '§ 846', '§ 3', '§ 3553', '§ 4', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 924', '§ 924', '§ 924', '§ 924', '§ 924', '§ 924']

981 F2d 1123 United States v. Pace D | OpenJurist
981 F. 2d 1123 - United States v. Pace D HomeFederal Reporter, Second Series 981 F.2d.
Count 1 alleged a conspiracy involving two objects. We consider the indictment as having charged the two objects in the conjunctive. There was sufficient evidence to support convictions based on the second object, which was to attempt to manufacture methamphetamine. This is enough to sustain defendants' convictions on count 1. See Griffin, --- U.S. at ----, 112 S.Ct. at 473. The fact that count 1's first object used the ambiguous term "methamphetamine/amphetamine" does not require that the convictions be reversed. Because, however, the jury might have convicted defendants based on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute amphetamine, we hold that defendants' sentences cannot stand.
Under count 3, Leonard was convicted of distributing methamphetamine or amphetamine. However, because the drug tested definitively as methamphetamine, there is a total lack of evidence that Leonard distributed amphetamine. We hold that the disjunctive charge does not demand a reversal of the conviction. We accept the reasoning of the Seventh Circuit, cited with approval in Griffin, --- U.S. at ----, 112 S.Ct. at 474, which recognizes a distinction between legal and factual sufficiency. See United States v. Townsend, 924 F.2d 1385, 1412-14 (7th Cir.1991). A disjunctive charge may result in jury error when one of the alternatives is legally inadequate. But when, as here, one of the alternatives in the disjunctive charge is unsupported by any evidence whatsoever, we can assume that jurors will reject the "factually inadequate theory," Griffin, --- U.S. at ----, 112 S.Ct. at 474, and convict based on "alternative grounds for which the evidence was sufficient." Townsend, 924 F.2d at 1414. Thus, we affirm Leonard's conviction on count 3.
Our general rule is that "a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel cannot be resolved on direct appeal when the claim has not been raised before the district court." Beaulieu v. United States, 930 F.2d 805, 807 (10th Cir.1991). Although there are exceptions for "situations where the defendant is no longer represented by trial counsel and it is evident that resolution of the ineffectiveness claim would not be substantially aided by further development of the record," id. at 807, the record on appeal here contains no information from which we can determine whether the transactions involved were part of the same course of conduct or common scheme or plan. Furthermore, the record does not contain information from which we can ascertain whether trial counsel's conduct met the two-prong Strickland test of ineffectiveness of counsel. See Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984) (defendant must show counsel's performance was deficient and that such performance prejudiced his defense). Because we have remanded for a new trial or resentencing, defendant Leonard will have the opportunity to raise the issue of his proper criminal history category. Thus, we reject the ineffective assistance claim because the alleged deficient performance by trial counsel has not resulted in prejudice to Leonard.
* Defendant Carter challenges the district court's finding that he had two or more prior convictions for felony drug offenses, thus subjecting him to a mandatory term of life imprisonment without release under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A)(viii).
Whether these offenses count as multiple convictions requiring, upon conviction, that Carter be sentenced to life imprisonment without release was raised at sentencing when the government filed an information pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 851 and § 841(b)(1)(A)(viii). 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A) provides in pertinent part: "If any person commits a violation of this subparagraph or of section 405, 405A, or 405B after two or more prior convictions for a felony drug offense have become final, such person shall be sentenced to a mandatory term of life imprisonment without release...." (emphasis added). Defendant asserts that because his prior felony drug offenses were "related," and based on a single indictment and single trial they therefore constituted only one conviction. The district court rejected Carter's argument and imposed the mandatory life imprisonment term.
We have not heretofore interpreted the mandatory life enhancement provision of § 841(b)(1)(A).9 Two cases from other circuits addressing § 841(b)(1)(A) are instructive, although each deals with a fact situation different from the instant case. In United States v. Hughes, 924 F.2d 1354, 1360-61 (6th Cir.1991), the Sixth Circuit applied a "separate criminal episode" test and determined that the defendant's prior state conviction constituted a prior conviction for purposes of § 841(b)(1)(A). In United States v. Blackwood, 913 F.2d 139, 145 (4th Cir.1990), the Fourth Circuit determined that the defendant's state convictions on two indictments for possession with intent to sell marijuana, when the offenses occurred within two hours of each other, constituted a single act of criminality, and, therefore, one prior conviction for purposes of § 841(b)(1)(A). Although Hughes resulted in upholding the § 841 enhancement and Blackwood did not, the two cases made a similar inquiry: did the prior offenses constitute separate criminal episodes or a single act of criminality. We adopt this view as the most reasonable interpretation of the statute, recognizing that in a particular case this test may produce the harsh result that a defendant is sentenced to mandatory life on his second drug prosecution.
Defendant Carter was convicted of five separate substantive counts of possession of large quantities of marijuana based on events occurring over a six-month period. Although prosecuted in one case, defendant's prior substantive offenses constitute separate "criminal episodes that occurred at distinct times." (emphasis omitted). Cf. Blackwood at 147. We reject Carter's argument that because the substantive offenses also were alleged as overt acts in support of the conspiracy they were not separate criminal episodes. Conspiracy is a crime separate from the substantive violation; see United States v. Hill, 971 F.2d 1461, 1467 (10th Cir.1992) (en banc) ("[t]he agreement to do an unlawful act is ... distinct from the doing of the act.") (quoting Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 644, 66 S.Ct. 1180, 1182, 90 L.Ed. 1489 (1946)). Thus, if on remand at sentencing the court finds § 841(b)(1)(A) applicable it may consider the 1978 convictions as "two or more prior convictions for a felony drug offense."
Carter argues that the district court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence obtained during execution of the search warrant because the warrant was based on stale information. We test the denial of a motion to suppress evidence under a clearly erroneous standard. United States v. Gay, 774 F.2d 368, 375 (10th Cir.1985).
The district court held a hearing on the motion to suppress, and found that the information in the warrant was timely "considering the nature and length of the criminal activity." See I R. tab 5 at 7 (No. 91-7062). The district court correctly listed factors determining whether information in an affidavit is too remote to establish probable cause, including "the nature of the criminal activity, the length of the activity, and the nature of the property seized." United States v. Shomo, 786 F.2d 981, 984 (10th Cir.1986). The court also noted that when, as in the instant case, the affidavit contains information of an ongoing criminal activity, the passage of time is not as significant. The district court found under all the circumstances set forth in the affidavit, "including the veracity and basis of knowledge of persons supplying hearing information," that the magistrate had a substantial basis for determining there was probable cause to issue a warrant. I R. tab 5 at 7 (trial court order citing Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983)). After reviewing the affidavit and warrant, we hold the district court did not err in denying defendant Carter's motion to suppress.
Defendant Pace makes a number of arguments that can be disposed of with only brief discussion. First, he asserts that count 1 of the indictment, alleging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine/amphetamine and to attempt knowingly and intentionally to manufacture methamphetamine under 21 U.S.C. § 846 targeted the same offense as count 4 of the indictment, alleging violation of the Travel Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1952 and 2. Pace argues that because the two statutory charges are based on a single offense, the indictment was multiplicitous, and that he was prejudiced by this because he received more than one sentence for a single offense. See United States v. Bolt, 776 F.2d 1463, 1467 (10th Cir.1985).
"Whether a transaction results in the commission of one or more offenses is determined by whether separate and distinct acts made punishable by law have been committed." United States v. Guzman, 781 F.2d 428, 432 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1143, 106 S.Ct. 1798, 90 L.Ed.2d 343 (1986). Whether conduct supports two offenses or only one turns on whether " 'each count requires proof of a fact or element not required by the other.' " United States v. Zwego, 657 F.2d 248, 251 (1981) (quoting Nolan v. United States, 423 F.2d 1031, 1048 (10th Cir.1969)), cert. denied, 455 U.S. 919, 102 S.Ct. 1275, 71 L.Ed.2d 460 (1982). A reading of the indictment and the two statutes at issue reveals that each count required proof of elements not required by the other: for example, the Travel Act violation required proof Pace traveled to Arkansas whereas the § 846 violation did not. The multiplicity argument is without merit.
Pace also asserts that the lower court erred in refusing to find a two level reduction in sentencing because he was a "minor participant" under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(b). The trial court's determination that a defendant was a minor participant is a factual determination we must uphold unless it was clearly erroneous. See United States v. Rutter, 897 F.2d 1558, 1563 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 88, 112 L.Ed.2d 60 (1990). The record on appeal supports the sentencing court's finding that a downward departure was not warranted; the evidence recited in part I above reveals that Pace played a substantial role in the illegal activities.
Pace objected to the trial court's determination of the drug quantity involved. The court relied on expert testimony by a forensic chemist that the fifty pounds of precursor chemical (phenylacetic acid) could produce fourteen to twenty pounds of methamphetamine, and that the thirty-two pounds of precursor found during the search could produce eight to twelve pounds. Although Pace asserts that government informer Wells testified that the conspiracy was to cook three pounds, the district court was entitled to rely on the chemist's testimony in determining drug quantity. See United States v. Andersen, 940 F.2d 593, 597 (10th Cir.1991).
Pace maintains he should have received a downward departure for lack of criminal history under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(b) and U.S.S.G. § 4A1.3. Such a departure is discretionary and the judge's exercise of discretion not to depart cannot be appealed. See, e.g., United States v. Soto, 918 F.2d 882, 883-84 (10th Cir.1990).
Pace argues that methamphetamine is not a properly classified Schedule II controlled substance. We have held to the contrary. United States v. Youngblood, 949 F.2d 1065, 1066 (10th Cir.1991).
Pace asserts the district court erred in admitting evidence concerning codefendant Leonard's distribution of methamphetamine on October 26, 1990; that it should have been excluded because the transaction occurred after the conspiracy ended. See Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). The indictment, however, charged Pace with a conspiracy to attempt to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine/amphetamine that ended on or about October 26, 1990. The time of termination of a conspiracy is a factual inquiry, based on the general rule that "a conspiracy terminates when its central criminal purposes have been attained." United States v. Silverstein, 737 F.2d 864, 867 (10th Cir.1984). Even though Carter was arrested before October 26, when the other coconspirators remained free and carried on the objectives of the conspiracy, the conspiracy had not terminated.
Rule 404(b) only applies to evidence of acts extrinsic to the charged crime. Huddleston v. United States, 485 U.S. 681, 108 S.Ct. 1496, 99 L.Ed.2d 771 (1988). Evidence of Leonard's sale was direct evidence of the conspiracy, which the indictment charged as occurring between July 1 and October 26, 1990. Conduct during the life of a conspiracy that is evidence of the conspiracy is not Rule 404(b) evidence. United States v. Merida, 765 F.2d 1205, 1221 (5th Cir.1985). For the same reason we reject Pace's argument that the court erred in denying his proposed limiting instruction which would have required the jury to disregard Leonard's sale as evidence against Pace.
Fourteen to twenty pounds is equal to 6.35 to 9.07 kilograms. Under U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1 (drug equivalency tables), one gram of amphetamine is equivalent to one gram of cocaine, while one gram of methamphetamine is equivalent to five grams of cocaine. Pursuant to U.S.S.G. §§ 2D1.4(a) and 2D1.1(a)(3), and based on 6.35 to 9.07 kilograms of methamphetamine, defendants' base offense level was 34, see id. § 2D1.1(c)(5) (drug quantity table). If the sentences had been based on an equal amount of amphetamine defendants' base offense level would have been 32. See id. § 2D1.1(c)(6)
A later Eighth Circuit case, United States v. Watts, 950 F.2d 508 (8th Cir.1991), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 1276, 117 L.Ed.2d 502 (1992), distinguished Owens as a case "where evidence at trial is not clear as to which of two alternative drugs were involved in a multi-drug conspiracy." Id. at 515. That does not, however, speak to whether the evidence in the instant case is clear. We also note that the Watts court itself acknowledged the existence of testimony about other drugs, apparently before the start of the conspiracy, see id. at 514, and we are not certain that on the same facts we would reach the same conclusion that the evidence was clear. Furthermore, Watts is distinguishable from the instant case because there "the indictment was an 'and,' not an 'or,' indictment," and thus "[t]he jury did not need to decide between the different drugs." Id. at 515
This disposition follows the procedure of several cases from other courts which have considered this question. See Owens, 904 F.2d at 415; United States v. Orozco-Prada, 732 F.2d 1076, 1084 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 845, 105 S.Ct. 154, 83 L.Ed.2d 92 (1984). Although the particular facts in Newman led to "uncertainty" surrounding the convictions themselves, Newman, 817 F.2d at 637 ("the sentencing court cannot know for certain whether the ... sentence for the narcotics or only ... for the nonnarcotic drugs is authorized"), no such facts exist here. We are satisfied that the uncertainty does not taint the basic conviction in this case
We have recently addressed the provisions of two somewhat similar statutes. In United States v. Abreu, 962 F.2d 1447 (10th Cir.) (en banc), petition for cert. filed, 61 U.S.L.W. 3060 (U.S. July 9, 1992), we considered the § 924(c)(1) provision for a sentence enhancement for use of a firearm "in the case of [a] second or subsequent conviction." In Abreu, we held that the phrase "second or subsequent conviction" was ambiguous, and that the enhancement was proper only if the underlying offense was committed after a judgment of conviction on the prior offense. See Abreu, 962 F.2d at 1453-54. In United States v. Bolton, 905 F.2d 319 (10th Cir.1990), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 683, 112 L.Ed.2d 674 (1991), we applied the § 924(e) enhancement for a defendant convicted of possession of a firearm who has "three previous convictions ... for a violent felony or serious drug offense or both, committed on occasions different from one another." 18 U.S.C. § 924(e). In Bolton we determined that simultaneous convictions for four robberies on different dates constituted multiple convictions for purposes of § 924(e). See also United States v. Samuels, 970 F.2d 1312, 1315 (4th Cir.1992) (drug felonies committed on consecutive days but tried together constitute two separate convictions for purposes of § 924(e)(1) enhancement); United States v. McDile, 914 F.2d 1059, 1060-61 (8th Cir.1990) (convictions for drug sales over two month period constituted separate criminal episodes and supported enhancement under § 924(e)(1)), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 997, 112 L.Ed.2d 1080 (1991)