Opinion ID: 540091
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Imposition of Supervised Release Term

Text: 5 Robertson argues, first, that the court was precluded from imposing a term of supervised release based on the language of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 924(c)(1), which reads in relevant part: 6 Whoever, during and in relation to any crime of violence or drug trafficking crime ... for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, uses or carries a firearm, shall, in addition to the punishment provided for such crime of violence or drug trafficking crime, be sentenced to imprisonment for five years.... 1 7 Supervised release is governed by 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3583, which provides in relevant part: 8 (a) In general.--The court, in imposing a sentence to a term of imprisonment for a felony or a misdemeanor, may include as part of the sentence a requirement that the defendant be placed on a term of supervised release after imprisonment, except that the court shall include as a part of the sentence a requirement that the defendant be placed on a term of supervised release if such a term is required by statute. 9 (b) Authorized terms of supervised release.--Except as otherwise provided, the authorized terms of supervised release are--(2) for a Class C or Class D felony, not more than three years; ... 10 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3559(a) provides in relevant part: 11 An offense that is not specifically classified by a letter grade in the section defining it, is classified if the maximum term of imprisonment authorized is--(4) less than ten years but five or more years, as a Class D felony; ... 12 The offense as defined in Sec. 924(c)(1) is a separate crime carrying a maximum prison term of five years. See United States v. Hunter, 887 F.2d 1001, 1003 (9th Cir.1989) (per curiam). It is also a Class D felony under Sec. 3559(a)(4), so a three year term of term of supervised release was proper under Sec. 3583(a) and (b)(2). 13 Robertson rejects this construction of the statutes. She argues that, because Sec. 924(c)(1) imposes a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, and because Sec. 3583(a) authorizes the court to impose a term of supervised release as part of the sentence, her total sentence could not exceed five years, taking into account both the prison term and the supervised release term. 14 We refuse to adopt this construction. Section 3583(a) allows the court to impose a term of supervised release after imprisonment, and Sec. 924(c)(1) provides for five years of imprisonment. Nothing in Sec. 924(c)(1) indicates that the court may not impose an additional term of supervised release. Cf. United States v. Sanclemente-Bejarano, 861 F.2d 206, 209 (9th Cir.1988) (a mandatory term of supervised release under 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841(b)(1)(A) is cumulative to any prison term imposed and thus expands the maximum possible sentence.). The sentence was proper.