Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/131/152/514286/
Timestamp: 2019-08-18 01:39:41
Document Index: 514793816

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2213', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 2255', '§ 3', '§ 2255', '§ 2255', '§ 2253', '§ 2253', '§ 3', '§ 2255', '§ 3582', '§ 3582', '§ 3553', '§ 3582']

United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Mariano Herbert Herrera, Defendant-appellant, 131 F.3d 152 (10th Cir. 1997) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Tenth Circuit › 1997 › United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Mariano Herbert Herrera, Defendant-appellant
United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Mariano Herbert Herrera, Defendant-appellant, 131 F.3d 152 (10th Cir. 1997)
Mr. Herrera pleaded guilty to armed robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2213(a) and (d), and aiding and abetting in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2. He was subsequently sentenced in October 1990 to 220 months incarceration followed by five years supervised release. In computing Mr. Herrera's term of imprisonment, the district court granted a two-level downward adjustment to Mr. Herrera's base offense level pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(a) for acceptance of responsibility. Effective November 1, 1992, the United States Sentencing Commission amended § 3E1.1(b) to allow for an additional one-level downward adjustment if the defendant met certain requirements. See Amendment 459, U.S.S.G.App. Ct 339 (1995); U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(b).
Mr. Herrera filed a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico in April 1997 to vacate, set aside or correct his sentence, contending he was entitled to an additional one-level downward adjustment because Amendment 459 to § 3E1.1(b) applied retroactively. The district court denied Mr. Herrera's § 2255 motion. The district court also ordered that no certificate of appealability be issued.
The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act requires a certificate of appealability be granted prior to a prisoner's appeal of a denial of a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c) (1) (B). The certificate of appealability may be issued only if the applicant has made "a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right." 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c) (2).
Mr. Herrera contends he is entitled to a one-level downward adjustment to his sentence under U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1(b), because Amendment 459 applies retroactively. Mr. Herrera's claim is without merit. We construe Mr. Herrera's § 2255 motion as a motion under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) (2). Under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) (2), upon a defendant's motion, a district court may reduce a term of imprisonment when a sentencing range has subsequently been lowered by the United States Sentencing Commission. However, the court can only apply the lower sentencing range retroactively after considering the factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), and if the reduction is consistent with applicable policy statements issued by the Commission. 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) (2).