Opinion ID: 701777
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sasson's Supervised Release Term

Text: 42 Finally, Sasson challenges the district court's imposition of a ten year term of supervised release. The government concedes that under Sec. 5D1.2 of the Sentencing Guidelines, Sasson should have been given a supervised release term of no more than five years. The district court failed to elucidate its reasoning for imposing the ten-year term. Based upon the record before us which is barren of an explanation for the upward departure, we are of the opinion that the length of the term of Sasson's supervised release was unauthorized. Sasson's offense involved both Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substances. The statute provides for a term of supervised release of at least 3 years or 2 years depending on whether the controlled substance is in Schedule II or III. See 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841(b)(1)(C) & (D). Under Sec. 5D1.2 of the sentencing guidelines, if a defendant is convicted under a statute that requires a term of supervised release, the term shall be at least three years but not more than five years, or the minimum period required by statute, whichever is greater. Thus, the maximum supervised release term Sasson could receive under U.S.S.G. Sec. 5D1.2, and consistent with the statutory sections, is five years. A term of ten years, therefore, was an upward departure from the guidelines, requiring advance notice to the defendant and explanation for the departure. See Burns v. United States, 501 U.S. 129, 138-39, 111 S.Ct. 2182, 2187, 115 L.Ed.2d 123 (1991); United States v. Amaechi, 991 F.2d 374, 379 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 2980, 125 L.Ed.2d 677 (1993); United States v. Pico, 966 F.2d 91, 92 (2d Cir.1992). See also 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553(b) & (c)(2) (when departing from the guidelines, the district court is required to state in open court ... the specific reason for the imposition of a sentence different from that described.). Neither notice nor adequate explanation on the record was given by the district court for this aspect of the sentence. We, therefore, remand this matter to the district court for resentencing. See Amaechi, 991 F.2d at 379. Should the district court find circumstances justifying an upward departure, it remains free to do so on remand by giving notice to the defendant of its intent to depart and by setting forth the reasoning for the departure on the record. See id.; Pico, 966 F.2d at 92; 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553.