Source: http://openjurist.org/115/f3d/606
Timestamp: 2014-03-08 19:30:43
Document Index: 88662153

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3582', '§ 841', '§ 2', '§ 5', '§ 3553', '§ 2']

115 F3d 606 United States v. Wyatt | OpenJurist
115 F. 3d 606 - United States v. Wyatt	Home115 f3d 606 united states v. wyatt
115 F3d 606 United States v. Wyatt 115 F.3d 606
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Glynn WYATT, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 96-1830.
Submitted Jan. 14, 1997.Decided June 9, 1997.
Carter Collins Law, argued, St. Louis, MO, for defendant-appellant.
Larry Howard Ferrell, argued, Cape Girardeau, MO (Edward L. Dowd, Sr., U.S. Atty., on the brief), for plaintiff-appellee.
Glynn Wyatt appeals the district court's denial of his motion to reduce his sentence, filed pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) (1994). We reverse and remand for further proceedings.
On February 4, 1993, Wyatt pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute over 100 marijuana plants, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846 (1988). In exchange for his plea, the government agreed not to file any other criminal charges for Wyatt's conduct prior to the date of the plea agreement that involved his controlled substance-related activities in the Eastern District of Missouri. The government agreed to make known to the court any cooperation provided by Wyatt but did not promise to file a motion for a downward departure on that basis.
At sentencing, July 28, 1993, the district court adopted the presentence investigation report (PSIR), which attributed 980 marijuana plants to Wyatt. Applying the weight-per-plant equivalency conversion ratio of the 1992 Sentencing Guidelines, the PSIR calculated a base offense level of 30. See United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual, § 2D1.1(c)* & comment. (backg'd) (Nov.1992) (instructing courts to treat each plant as equivalent to one kilogram of marijuana when the total plants involved exceeds 50 plants, unless the actual weight of the marijuana is greater). The district court adjusted Wyatt's base offense level, applying a two-level upward adjustment for the possession of a firearm and a three-level downward adjustment for acceptance of responsibility, resulting in an adjusted Guidelines offense level of 29. Wyatt's criminal record placed him in criminal history category III. These determinations yielded a sentencing range of 108 to 135 months of imprisonment. Because Wyatt had provided the government with substantial assistance, the government moved for a downward departure below the applicable Guidelines range, pursuant to USSG § 5K1.1, and below the statutory mandatory minimum sentence, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e). The district court departed from the applicable Guidelines range but did not depart below the five-year statutory mandatory minimum sentence. The court sentenced Wyatt to a 60-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release. We affirmed this sentence on direct appeal. United States v. Wyatt, 26 F.3d 863, 865 (8th Cir.1994).
Effective November 1, 1995, over two years after Wyatt's sentencing hearing, the United States Sentencing Commission adopted Amendment 516 to the Sentencing Guidelines, which reduced the weight attributable to each plant of marijuana for sentencing purposes. USSG App. C, Amend. 516 (November). See United States v. Risch, 87 F.3d 240, 243 (8th Cir.1996). Amendment 516 lowered the weight-per plant ratio from one kilogram per marijuana plant to 100 grams per plant. USSG § 2D1.1(c) (Note E) & comment. (backg'd) (November). The Sentencing Commi