Opinion ID: 756510
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Griffin's Criminal History

Text: 24 Griffin asserts that his criminal history category was calculated improperly. Under the Sentencing Guidelines, the district court is required to add one criminal history point for each prior sentence not counted in the other guideline sections, such as a suspended sentence. U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1(c); United States v. Binford, 108 F.3d 723, 725 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 117 S.Ct. 2530, 138 L.Ed.2d 1029 (1997). We review the district court's interpretation of the scope of the Sentencing Guidelines de novo and the district court's factual findings for clear error. Binford, 108 F.3d at 726. 25 In 1989, Griffin was convicted of hindering apprehension in Texas and sentenced to one year's probation. Upon the termination of his term of probation, the case was dismissed. In 1991, Griffin was convicted for the unlawful use of a weapon in Illinois and served one year of supervision. Neither conviction was expunged. The district court concluded that these two prior sentences required the addition of two criminal history points, resulting in a criminal history category of II. Griffin contends that because these convictions should have been expunged, they cannot be counted pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2(j). In general, district courts may consider a broad range of conduct when making sentencing determinations. United States v. Gerstein, 104 F.3d 973, 978 (7th Cir.1997); 18 U.S.C. § 3661. However, assuming that the convictions should have been expunged but [were] not and therefore should not be counted, the sentencing hearing was not the appropriate forum to examine that question. United States v. Caswell, 36 F.3d 29, 31 (7th Cir.1994). As such, Griffin could not challenge his Texas and Illinois state convictions at his federal sentencing hearing. 26 Griffin also argues that his Texas conviction, which was eventually dismissed, should not be counted as a prior conviction. The distinction between convictions that are set aside and expunged convictions is articulated in § 4A1.2 comment. (n. 10): 27 A number of jurisdictions have various procedures pursuant to which previous convictions may be set aside or the defendant may be pardoned for reasons unrelated to innocence or errors of law, e.g., in order to restore civil rights or to remove the stigma associated with a criminal conviction. Sentences resulting from such convictions are to be counted. However, expunged convictions are not counted. § 4A1.2(j). 28 See also United States v. Stowe, 989 F.2d 261, 263 (7th Cir.1993) (expunged convictions are not the same as convictions that are set aside). Because Griffin's Texas conviction was only set aside and not expunged, his sentence of one year's probation was properly counted in calculating his criminal history category. 29 Griffin also maintains that he was entitled to a downward departure under U.S.S.G. § 4A1.3 because his criminal history category overrepresents the seriousness of his criminal history. The claim is waived because at no point at sentencing or in his objections to the guideline calculations did Griffin phrase his objection as a motion to depart downward under § 4A1.3. See Covarrubias, 65 F.3d at 1371. In any event, this court lacks jurisdiction to review a sentencing court's discretionary decision not to depart downward under § 4A1.3. United States v. Hillsman, 141 F.3d 777, 780 (7th Cir.1998). The only exception to this jurisdictional rule arises when the sentencing court's decision is the result of a mistaken belief that it lacked statutory authority to depart downward. Id.; see also Covarrubias, 65 F.3d at 1371. Upon our review of the sentencing transcript, there is no indication in the record that the sentencing court had the mistaken belief that it lacked authority to depart downward. Thus, Griffin's assertion that his criminal history category was calculated improperly fails.