Opinion ID: 701778
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Incarcerated Status

Text: 7 Next, King argues that the government violated his due process and equal protection rights by refusing to make the substantial assistance motion because he was incarcerated. In the plea agreement, the government promised to evaluate King's assistance and determine whether to move for a departure depending on its evaluation of the nature, extent, and value of the defendant's assistance, including his truthfulness. King contends that the government based its decision solely on the fact that he was incarcerated and thus breached its agreement to decide based on the nature, extent, value ... [and] truthfulness of the cooperation rendered. 8 The government states that its decision not to make the substantial assistance motion was based on an evaluation of King's overall assistance and ability to cooperate--his incarceration was simply one factor. King counters that the prosecutor's statements at sentencing reveal that the government based its decision on the fact that he was incarcerated. 4 While the government's statements imply that King's incarceration was a factor in the decision not to grant him a departure, they do not conclusively establish that it was the only factor. Even assuming, however, that the government declined to move for a departure because he was incarcerated, King may not claim a denial of equal protection. Prisoners are not a suspect class, Wilson v. Giesen, 956 F.2d 738, 744 (7th Cir.1992); Pryor v. Brennan, 914 F.2d 921, 923 (7th Cir.1990), so the government may treat incarcerated defendants differently as long as its decisions are rationally related to a legitimate ... [government] interest. City of Cleburne, Texas v. Cleburne Living Center, 473 U.S. 432, 440, 105 S.Ct. 3249, 3254, 87 L.Ed.2d 313 (1985). Incarcerated defendants cannot, on balance, provide as much assistance as defendants who are free pending trial. The government could rationally decide not to request departures for incarcerated defendants because they often are not in a position to provide substantial assistance. King's equal protection rights were not violated. 5 9 King's due process argument is more substantial. He alleges that, when he entered the plea agreement, the government did not inform him that his incarceration would affect his chances of receiving a departure for substantial assistance. While the plea agreement leaves the ultimate decision of whether to make a substantial assistance motion to the sole discretion of the government, King argues that the prosecutor possessed a duty to inform him that his incarceration would significantly reduce his chances of receiving a substantial assistance departure. See Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 261-62, 92 S.Ct. 495, 498-99, 30 L.Ed.2d 427 (1971) (when a guilty plea is induced by promises, the essence of those promises must in some way be made known). 10 If King was not fairly informed of the consequences of his decision to plead guilty, a due process violation has occurred. Mabry v. Johnson, 467 U.S. 504, 509, 104 S.Ct. 2543, 2547, 81 L.Ed.2d 437 (1984). The remedy for this violation would be the withdrawal of his plea. King, however, disclaims any desire to revoke his plea agreement. Instead, he requests that we allow the district court to depart without the benefit of a substantial assistance motion as specific performance of the plea agreement. But King has no right to this remedy, because the government did not make a promise that can be specifically enforced. The language of the plea agreement leaves the decision of whether to move for a departure to the discretion of the prosecutor. Plea agreements are interpreted according to the reasonable expectations of the parties. United States v. Sophie, 900 F.2d 1064, 1071 (7th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 843, 111 S.Ct. 124, 112 L.Ed.2d 92 (1990); United States v. Fields, 766 F.2d 1161, 1168 (7th Cir.1985). No reasonable person could construe the language leaving the decision to the sole discretion of the prosecution as a binding promise to make a substantial assistance motion. Cf. United States v. Stockdall, 45 F.3d 1257, 1259-60 (8th Cir.1995); Goroza, 941 F.2d at 910; Sophie, 900 F.2d at 1071-72. 11 In addition, the failure to inform King of the effect of his incarceration is not the type of constitutional violation that, under Wade, would allow us to review the prosecutor's decision not to file the motion. The Wade Court recognized that limited review of the government's decision not to file a substantial assistance motion is necessary because prosecutors might potentially deny departures to defendants due to a discriminatory purpose, such as racial, ethnic, or religious bias. Cf. Wade, 504 U.S. at 186, 112 S.Ct. at 1844; Wayte v. United States, 470 U.S. 598, 608-09, 105 S.Ct. 1524, 1531-32, 84 L.Ed.2d 547 (1985). King does not allege prosecutorial bias; rather, he contends that the government failed to fully inform him of the policy of not requesting departures for incarcerated defendants. Allowing the district court to depart from the statutory minimum without a government motion in this case would not serve the interest of eliminating prosecutorial bias contemplated by the Wade Court. While, under Mabry and Santobello, King has the right to withdraw his plea if he was not fully informed of the consequences of pleading guilty, he specifically (and emphatically) states that he does not desire this relief. Thus, King has disclaimed his only potential remedy, and we deny his due process claim. 6