Opinion ID: 4558453
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Sex Offense Treatment Condition

Text: Birkedahl first contends that the special condition requiring him to participate in a sex offense treatment program is erroneously vague as to the scope of the probation officer’s supervisory role. He concedes that it is permissible for probation to have discretion over “administrative aspects of the treatment such as the ‘selection of a provider and the schedule.’” Birkedahl Br. at 22 (emphasis omitted) (quoting United States v. Maggese, 785 F. App’x 879, 881 (2d Cir. 2019)). Nevertheless, Birkedahl argues that because the condition fails to delineate the other functions that constitute administrative aspects within the probation officer’s supervision, it raises concerns “about the amount of discretion . . . given to the probation officer not listed in the condition.” Id. at 21. The challenge is meritless. To be sure, “a district court may not delegate to the Probation Department decisionmaking authority which would make a 8 defendant’s liberty itself contingent on a probation officer’s exercise of discretion.” United States v. Matta, 777 F.3d 116, 122 (2d Cir. 2015). But as Birkedahl himself recognizes, we have long upheld delegations “over certain minor details of supervised release,” including “the selection of a therapy provider or treatment schedule.” Id. Here, the district court made clear that it was delegating to the probation officer discretion over only “the details of the defendant’s participation in the program, including the selection of a provider and schedule.” App’x at 75–76. As we recently explained in a summary order addressing a similar challenge to a sex offense treatment condition, “[t]he court’s use of the word ‘including’ cannot reasonably be understood as expanding Probation’s decisionmaking authority beyond the administrative details of treatment such that it rendered [Birkedahl’s] ‘liberty itself contingent on a probation officer’s exercise of discretion.’” United States v. Leone, No. 19-1670, 2020 WL 2550991, at  (2d Cir. May 20, 2020) (quoting Matta, 777 F.3d at 122); see also United States v. Peterson, 248 F.3d 79, 85 (2d Cir. 2001) (holding that a district court may leave to the probation officer’s discretion “a variety of details, including the selection of a therapy provider and schedule” 9 (emphasis added)). Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing this condition.