Source: http://ny.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20120510_0000581.ENY.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2017-02-26 23:37:53
Document Index: 337465678

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3582', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 2', '§ 2', '§ 1', '§ 3582', '§ 3582', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 3582', '§ 3582']

| United States of America v. Renaldo Garcia
United States of America v. Renaldo Garcia
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PLAINTIFF,v.RENALDO GARCIA, DEFENDANT.
Renaldo Garcia moves for a modification of his sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) in light of Amendment 750 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines ("Guidelines" or "U.S.S.G."). For the reasons explained below, the motion is denied.
Garcia is currently serving a sentence of 360 months, imposed on February 25, 2000. Garcia's Guidelines range at the time of sentencing was 360 months to life, which was based on a total offense level of 42 and a Criminal History Category of IV. Garcia's base offense level was 38 (the highest level provided for in the drug quantity table), based on the court's finding that Garcia was responsible for the sale of more than 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1 (2000). This base offense level was adjusted by (1) adding a two-level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(b)(1) for his possession of a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking; (2) adding a four-level enhancement pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(a) for his role as an organizer and leader of the drug organization; and (3) subtracting a two-level reduction pursuant to § 3E1.1(a) for his acceptance of responsibility.
In 2007, the United States Sentencing Commission adopted Amendment 706 to the Guidelines Manual, which reduced the base offense levels applicable to most crack cocaine offenses. See U.S.S.G., App. C, Amend. 706 (eff. Nov. 1, 2007). In particular, Amendment 706 increased the triggering quantity of crack cocaine for the maximum base offense level of 38 from 1.5 kilograms to 4.5 kilograms. Id. A quantity between 1.5 kilograms and 4.5 kilograms yielded a base offense level of 36. Id.
In 2011, the Sentencing Commission adopted Amendment 750 to the Guidelines, which further reduced the base offense levels applicable to most crack cocaine offenses. See U.S.S.G., App. C, Amend. 750 (eff. Nov. 1, 2011) (amending, inter alia, the drug quantity table in U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)); see also id. Amend. 759 (making Amendment 750 applicable retroactively). Now, a defendant must be responsible for the sale of at least 8.4 kilograms of crack cocaine to trigger a base offense level of 38. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c). A quantity between 2.8 and 8.4 kilograms produces a base offense level of 36, and a quantity between 840 grams and 2.8 kilograms leads to a base offense level of 34. Id. DISCUSSION
The Sentencing Commission's applicable policy statement appears in U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(a), which provides that where "the guideline range applicable to [a defendant serving a term of imprisonment] has subsequently been lowered as a result of an amendment to the Guidelines Manual . . . ,*fn1 the court may reduce the defendant's term of imprisonment as provided by 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2)." The same subsection is explicit, however, that "[a] reduction in the defendant's term of imprisonment is not consistent with this policy statement and therefore is not authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) if . . . [the Guidelines amendment] does not have the effect of lowering the defendant's applicable guideline range." U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(a)(2)(B) (emphasis added).
Subsection (b) makes clear that in determining whether Amendment 750 has the effect of lowering Garcia's applicable guideline range, the court must "substitute only [Amendment 750] for the corresponding guideline provisions that were applied when the defendant was sentenced and shall leave all other guideline application decisions unaffected."
U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(b)(1). In other words, a defendant is eligible to have his sentence modified only if the amended guideline produces a lower sentencing range than did the guideline under which he was sentenced, while holding constant all other computation decisions made at the time of sentencing. This restriction on my ability to modify a sentence is mandatory, as § 3582(c)(2) "authorize[s] only a limited adjustment to an otherwise final sentence and not a plenary resentencing proceeding." Dillon v. United States, 130 S. Ct. 2683, 2691 (2010).
B. Application to Garcia's Sentence
Garcia is not eligible for a sentence modification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), because applying the amended guideline to him does not have the effect of lowering his applicable guideline range. At the time of Garcia's sentencing, the court found that he was responsible for selling an amount of crack cocaine that exceeded 1.5 kilograms, leading to a base offense level of 38. The court had no occasion at that time to consider the precise quantity above 1.5 kilograms that Garcia ...