Opinion ID: 562363
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ex post facto application

Text: 8 Paula Robinson contends that the district court applied U.S.S.G. Sec. 1B1.3 to the calculation of her base offense level as it existed at the time of the sentencing, not at the time of the commission of the offense, and that this constituted an ex post facto application of the guidelines. At the time of the commission of the offense, Sec. 1B1.3, Application Note 1 (1988), provided: 9 Conduct for which the defendant is otherwise accountable, as used in subsection (a)(1), includes conduct that the defendant counselled, commanded, induced, procured, or willfully caused. If the conviction is for conspiracy, it includes conduct in furtherance of the conspiracy that was known to or was reasonably foreseeable by the defendant. 10 On November 1, 1989, the relevant portion of Sec. 1B1.3, Application Note 1, was amended to provide: 11 In the case of criminal activity undertaken in concert with others, whether or not charged as a conspiracy, the conduct for which the defendant would otherwise be accountable also includes conduct of others in furtherance of the execution of the jointly undertaken criminal activity that was reasonably foreseeable to the defendant. 12 Thus, under the 1989 amendment, a defendant could be held accountable for the quantities of cocaine sold by codefendants whether or not he or she had pled guilty to a conspiracy charge. Paula Robinson admits that 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553(a)(4) states that the court should consider the Guidelines policy statements that are in effect on the date of sentencing; however, she claims that since this amendment increases her sentence calculation, it is an ex post facto application of the sentencing guidelines and thus a constitutional violation. See Miller v. Florida, 482 U.S. 423, 107 S.Ct. 2446, 96 L.Ed.2d 351 (1987). 13 As stated in Miller, the critical elements that must be present for a law to fall within the ex post facto prohibition are first, the law 'must be retrospective, that is, it must apply to events occurring before its enactment'; and second, 'it must disadvantage the offender affected by it.'  482 U.S. at 430, 107 S.Ct. at 2451 (quoting Weaver v. Graham, 450 U.S. 24, 29, 101 S.Ct. 960, 964, 67 L.Ed.2d 17 (1981)). Paula Robinson claims that both elements are met in this case because the application of the November 1, 1989 amendment results in a base offense level of 36 as opposed to the pre-amendment provisions which would result in a base offense level of 24. The ensuing detriment is to raise her sentencing range from 46 to 57 months to the range within which she was sentenced--168 to 210 months. 14 There is no question that the January 15, 1988 amendment to Sec. 1B1.3 applies to Paula Robinson's conviction because her offense was committed in July 1989. Furthermore, the commentary that accompanied Sec. 1B1.3 in 1988 provided: 15 [C]onduct that is not formally charged or is not an element of the offense of conviction may enter into the determination of the applicable guideline sentencing range. The range of information that may be considered at sentencing is broader than the range of information upon which the applicable sentencing range is determined. 16 U.S.S.G. Sec. 1B1.3 comment. (backg'd). The Sentencing Commission specifically addresses drug cases and states that in a drug distribution case, quantities and types of drugs not specified in the count of conviction are to be included in determining the offense level if they were part of the same course of conduct or part of a common scheme or plan as the count of conviction. U.S.S.G. Sec. 1B1.3 comment. (backg'd). It is evident from the commentary to Sec. 1B1.3 that the Sentencing Guidelines, at the time of Paula Robinson's offense, intended for relevant conduct used in determining the base offense level of the individual defendant to include all acts and omissions that were part of the same course of conduct or common scheme or plan as the offense of conviction. 17 The government contends that the November 1, 1989 amendment was intended as a clarification of the January 15, 1988 amendment. Section Sec. 1B1.3 was further clarified by the Sentencing Commission to specifically include in its relevant conduct considerations conduct for which the defendant 'would be otherwise accountable,' ... whether or not charged as a conspiracy. U.S.S.G. Sec. 1B1.3, Application Note 1 (Nov. 1989). The clear intent of the Sentencing Commission was not to make any substantive changes, but rather, to express its constant intent throughout the application of Sec. 1B1.3; i.e., to ensure that all relevant conduct be considered upon sentencing of all defendants pursuant to the U.S.S.G. Since the change in the November 1, 1989 amendment was not substantive and did not substantially disadvantage Paula Robinson, it should not be considered a change subject to ex post facto prohibition. Miller, 482 U.S. at 433, 107 S.Ct. at 2452. 18 Under either the January 15, 1988 amendment or the November 1, 1989 amendment, Paula Robinson would be accountable for all drug quantities if they were part of the same course of conduct or common scheme or plan as the offense of conviction. U.S.S.G. Sec. 1B1.3(a)(2) (Nov. 1990). It is not clear from the record which amendment the district court relied upon in determining the base offense level for Paula Robinson; however, the district court correctly held that the common scheme or plan was present and that Paula Robinson played a part in the drug operation. According to United States v. Wilson, 884 F.2d 1355 (11th Cir.1989), the amount of cocaine should be derived from all such acts and omissions that were part of the same course of conduct or common scheme or plan as the offense of conviction. 884 F.2d at 1357 (quoting U.S.S.G. Sec. 1B1.3(a)(2) (Nov. 1, 1990)). Thus, Paula Robinson was not substantially disadvantaged by the November 1, 1989 amendment since the amount of cocaine sold by the conspiracy was calculated at the same amount (500 grams) based upon her relevant conduct under either amendment. U.S.S.G. Sec. 1B1.3.