Opinion ID: 2974135
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Scope of the Agreement

Text: We initially address whether Caruthers’s appeal comes within the scope of the plea agreement. According to the government, Caruthers waived his appeal by specifically agreeing that the ACCA sentencing enhancement would apply to him. This claim fails for two reasons. First, it is belied by the text of the provisions contemplating application of the ACCA, which are written in qualified rather than unconditional terms. J.A. at 172-73 (Petition to Enter a Plea of Guilty ¶ 5) (“I understand that I may qualify as an Armed Career Criminal enhancement and if I do, I will be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence . . . . I have been advised by my attorney that the guideline range could be 180-210 months imprisonment if I qualify for the ‘Armed Career Criminal’ enhancement.” (emphases added)), 178 (Plea Agreement ¶ 2) (“The defendant understands, that should he qualify as an Armed Career Criminal, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence . . . .” (emphasis added)), 179 (Plea Agreement ¶ 3) (“The government and the defendant anticipate that the following guideline provisions will apply . . . .” (emphasis added)). Second, we have held that an agreement to be sentenced under the Guidelines does not effect a waiver of appeal. United States v. Smith, 429 F.3d 620, 626-27 & n.5 (6th Cir. 2005); United States v. Puckett, 422 F.3d 340, 343 (6th Cir. 2005); United States v. Amiker, 414 F.3d 606, 607 (6th Cir. 2005). Similarly, a defendant does not waive his right to appeal simply by agreeing to be sentenced under a particular statute. Caruthers’s plea agreement does, however, contain an explicit appeal waiver provision: “[T]he defendant knowingly waives the right to appeal any sentence within the maximum provided in the offense level as determined by the Court or the manner in which that sentence was determined on the grounds set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3742 or on any ground whatever.” J.A. at 183 (Plea Agreement ¶ 13). Caruthers argues that his appeal does not come within the literal terms of the waiver clause, especially in light of the principle that plea agreements are to be interpreted strictly, with ambiguities construed against the government. See, e.g., United States v. Fitch, 282 F.3d 364, 367-68 (6th Cir. 2002); United States v. Johnson, 979 F.2d 396, 399 (6th Cir. 1992); United States v. Gebbie, 294 F.3d 540, 551-52 (3d Cir. 2002) (collecting cases). The principle of narrow construction in the face of ambiguities is inapplicable here because the waiver’s text unambiguously encompasses Caruthers’s sentence. The sentence of 180 months was “within the maximum provided in the offense level as determined by the Court,” because the district court calculated an offense level of 30, which provides for a maximum sentence of 210 months for those with a criminal history category of VI. Moreover, the district court’s decision to apply the mandatory minimum of the ACCA is literally an aspect of “the manner in which that sentence was determined.” Therefore, the appeal waiver’s text applies to Caruthers’s sentence.