Opinion ID: 3003338
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Effect of Kimbrough and the 2007 Amendment

Text: on Armean’s Sentence Unlike his co-defendants, Armean did not qualify as a career offender. Since his sentence was determined by § 2D1.1, Armean should be an obvious candidate for resentencing in light of Kimbrough. However, Armean failed to challenge the crack/powder disparity embedded in § 2D1.1 both at his sentencing hearing and in his appellate brief. The latter omission would generally mean that Armean has waived any benefit from Kimbrough, since “[a] party waives any argument that . . . it fails to develop on appeal.” Local 15, Int’l Broth. of Elec. Workers, AFL-CIO v. Exelon Corp., 495 F.3d 779, 783 (7th Cir. 2007) (quotation and citation omitted)). Fortunately for Armean, the government has conceded that Armean is entitled to a Taylor limited remand in light of Kimbrough, thereby “waiving waiver” of Armean’s Kimbrough claim. 18 Nos. 06-4101, 06-4376 & 07-1813 See, e.g., United States v. Pacheco-Diaz, 506 F.3d 545, 551 (7th Cir. 2007). We will accordingly grant Armean a limited remand at which the district court should indicate whether it would have sentenced Armean differently had it known of its discretion under Kimbrough. See Taylor, 520 F.3d at 748-49. Although failing to brief his Kimbrough claim, Armean has argued on appeal that he is entitled to a sentence reduction under the 2007 amendment to § 2D1.1. That may be true, but this appeal is not the proper vehicle for Armean to raise this claim in the first instance; rather, Armean should move for a reduced sentence in the district court under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). Armean will have the opportunity to make this motion at his limited remand, at which the district court should first decide “whether to act favorably on [Armean’s] motion (if he makes one, or on the judge’s own initiative, if [Armean] does not) for relief under the Commission’s new crack regime.” Taylor, 520 F.3d at 748. After resolving any § 3582 motion, the court should indicate whether it is inclined to reduce Armean’s sentence even further in light of Kimbrough. Id. at 749.