Opinion ID: 778930
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Apprendi and Due Process

Text: 8 Martinez argues that the district court violated his due process rights when it included both marijuana and cocaine in his relevant conduct for sentencing purposes, when neither drug type nor quantity were charged in the superseding indictment. Therefore, Martinez claims, in light of Apprendi his sentencing should be reversed. 9 Under Apprendi, facts (other than a prior conviction) that raise a defendant's sentence above the statutory maximum must be charged in the indictment, submitted to the jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 476. Because Martinez failed to raise this issue at sentencing, we review his Apprendi claims for plain error. See United States v. Adkins, 274 F.3d 444, 455 (7th Cir.2001). Therefore, we will reverse Martinez's sentence only if plain error existed and the error `seriously affect[ed] the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.' Id. (alteration in original) (quoting Johnson v. United States, 520 U.S. 461, 467, 117 S.Ct. 1544, 137 L.Ed.2d 718 (1997)). 10 Martinez argues that because he pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute an unspecified amount and type of controlled substance, the district court should have sentenced him under § 841(b)(1)(D), which sets the maximum sentence for an unspecified amount of marijuana at 5 years, rather than under § 841(b)(1)(A), which provides a sentence of 5 to 40 years for possessing more than 100 kilograms of a substance containing marijuana. However, Martinez conceded that he transported 315 kilograms of marijuana and asserted that his sentence should have been based on that amount. Because the maximum penalty for transporting at least 100 kilograms of marijuana is 40 years, Apprendi does not apply because his sentence of 10 years falls within the statutory range mandated by his stipulation to drug quantity. See United States v. Wallace, 276 F.3d 360, 369 (7th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 122 S.Ct. 2592, 153 L.Ed.2d 781 (2002) (defendant's stipulation of quantity is sufficient to meet Apprendi's requirement that facts determining the maximum sentence be proved beyond a reasonable doubt). Therefore, Martinez's Apprendi claim must fail.