Opinion ID: 220781
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Manslaughter

Text: In Colorado, a person commits manslaughter if he recklessly causes the death of another person. Colo.Rev.Stat. § 18-3-104(1)(a). [6] To prove a charge of manslaughter, the prosecution must show that the defendant's conduct caused the death of another and that the defendant: 1) consciously disregarded 2) a substantial and 3) unjustifiable risk that he would 4) cause the death of another. People v. Hall, 999 P.2d 207, 217 (Colo.2000) (emphasis omitted). At sentencing, Armijo asserted Colorado's version of manslaughter is not a crime of violence for purposes of § 4B1.2(a) because it is not an intentional or purposeful crime. Armijo relied on this court's decision in United States v. Zuniga-Soto for the proposition that a crime with a mens rea of mere recklessness is not a crime of violence for purposes of the Guidelines. 527 F.3d 1110, 1123-24 (10th Cir.2008). In response, the United States asserted the inclusion of manslaughter in application note 1 to § 4B1.2 was definitive. The United States relied on United States v. Barraza-Ramos for the proposition a felony automatically qualifies as a crime of violence if it is specifically enumerated in the application notes to a Guideline. 550 F.3d 1246, 1248-49 (10th Cir.2008). The district court adopted the position advanced by the United States and concluded Colorado's version of manslaughter, despite its lack of an element of intent or purpose, constitutes a crime of violence because it is a crime delineated in the commentary to § 4B1.2. This issue comes before the court in a somewhat unusual posture. In arguing Armijo's Colorado manslaughter conviction is a crime of violence for purposes of § 4B1.2(a), the United States neither cites to nor mentions the language of the Guideline. That is, the United States does not contend Colorado's version of manslaughter has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another. U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a)(1). Likewise, the United States does not contend Colorado's version of manslaughter is burglary of a dwelling, arson, or extortion, involves use of explosives, or otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another. Id. § 4B1.2(a)(2). Instead, the United States focuses exclusively on the fact that the term manslaughter is listed as a qualifying crime in application note 1 to § 4B1.2. The reason for the United States's approach is clear: in interpreting the language of, or language identical to that used in § 4B1.2(a), this court has specifically held that only those crimes with a mens rea of intent or purpose qualify as crimes of violence. For instance, in Zuniga-Soto, this court analyzed whether assault on a public servant in violation of the Texas penal code was a crime of violence for purposes of U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2. 527 F.3d at 1114. To qualify as a crime of violence for purposes of § 2L1.2, the Texas assault crime had to have as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another. U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2 cmt. n. 1(B)(iii); Zuniga-Soto, 527 F.3d at 1115. This language is identical to the first of the two alternate definitions of crime of violence set out in § 4B1.2(a). Compare U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2 cmt. n. 1(B)(iii), with id. § 4B1.2(a)(1). Relying on numerous Supreme Court and circuit court authorities, Zuniga-Soto held unequivocally that a mens rea of recklessness does not satisfy use of physical force requirement under § 2L1.2's definition of `crime of violence.' 527 F.3d at 1124 (collecting cases). [7] Likewise, this court has specifically held that the residual clause of the second definition of crime of violence set out in § 4B1.2(a)(2) ( i.e., conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another) is intended to reach purposeful, violent, and aggressive conduct rather than merely negligent or reckless acts. United States v. Williams, 559 F.3d 1143, 1148 (10th Cir.2009) (holding battery on a police officer under Oklahoma law is a crime of violence); see also McConnell, 605 F.3d at 827 (concluding Kansas crime of fleeing and eluding a police officer is a crime of violence for purposes of § 4B1.2(a)(2) because it involves purposeful, violent, and aggressive behavior); United States v. Wise, 597 F.3d 1141, 1144-47 (10th Cir.2010) (reaching same conclusion regarding Utah crime of failure to stop at command of a police officer). [8] Other circuits have similarly held that only crimes involving purposeful or intentional behavior qualify as crimes of violence for purposes of § 4B1.2(a)'s residual clause. See, e.g., United States v. Craig, 630 F.3d 717, 724-25 (8th Cir.2011); United States v. Ruvalcaba, 627 F.3d 218, 224-25 (6th Cir.2010); United States v. Coronado, 603 F.3d 706, 708 (9th Cir.2010); United States v. McDonald, 592 F.3d 808, 811 (7th Cir. 2010). Perhaps recognizing, for those reasons set out above, that Colorado's version of manslaughter does not fall within either of the two definitions of crime of violence set out in the text of § 4B1.2(a), the United States argues Armijo's manslaughter conviction is a crime of violence simply because manslaughter is a listed crime in application note 1 to § 4B1.2. U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2 cmt. n. 1 (`Crime of violence' includes murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, aggravated assault, forcible sex offenses, robbery, arson, extortion, extortionate extension of credit, and burglary of a dwelling.). Acknowledging Colorado's choice in terminology is not determinative, [9] the United States further asserts this court should examine whether Colorado's manslaughter statute roughly corresponds to the definition of manslaughter in a majority of state criminal codes. [10] Finally, the United States argues that the modern, generic view of manslaughter is that it requires, at a minimum, a mens rea of recklessness. See United States v. Gomez-Leon, 545 F.3d 777, 791 (9th Cir.2008) (concluding California's crime of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is not a crime of violence for purposes of § 2L1.2(b)(1)(1)(iii) because it requires only a mens rea of negligence). Because Colorado's version of manslaughter comports with the modern, generic view of manslaughter, the United States argues it constitutes a crime of violence. Although the United States's argument is not without some modicum of analytical force, [11] we conclude it is simply untenable to read manslaughter as set out in application note 1 to § 4B1.2 as encompassing those versions of the crime with a mens rea of recklessness, when this court has unequivocally held that the text of § 4B1.2 only reaches purposeful or intentional behavior. [12] See, e.g., Williams, 559 F.3d at 1148; Zuniga-Soto, 527 F.3d at 1124. [J]ust as the Supreme Court limited the broad language in the ACCA to crimes involving `purposeful, violent and aggressive conduct,' so too is it logical to construe the reference to manslaughter [in the commentary to § 4B1.2(a)] as extending only to those crimes involving the requisite mens rea.  United States v. Herrick, 545 F.3d 53, 60 n. 8 (1st Cir.2008); cf. United States v. Ossana, 638 F.3d 895, 900-03 (8th Cir.2011) (holding that crimes listed in application note 1 to § 4B1.2 must be intentional or purposeful to qualify as crimes of violence). To read application note 1 as encompassing non-intentional crimes would render it utterly inconsistent with the language of § 4B1.2(a), which, as set out at length above, only applies to purposeful or intentional conduct. Cf. McConnell, 605 F.3d at 824 (holding that commentary to the Guidelines is not authoritative if it is inconsistent with the Guideline it purports to interpret); United States v. Morris, 562 F.3d 1131, 1135 (10th Cir.2009) (holding a Guideline and its commentary are inconsistent when following one will result in violating the dictates of the other (quotation omitted)). Thus, this court specifically holds that only those versions of manslaughter that involve intentional or purposeful behavior qualify as crimes of violence for purposes of § 4B1.2(a). [13] Because Colorado's version of manslaughter involves only reckless conduct, the district court erred in counting it as a crime of violence in calculating Armijo's offense level and the matter must be remanded to the district court for resentencing. [14]