Opinion ID: 789389
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Apprendi, Blakely, and Booker

Text: 40 In Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), and Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. ___, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004), the Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment is violated where, under a mandatory sentencing scheme, judicial fact-finding, as opposed to facts found by a jury, increases the sentence beyond the statutory maximum sentence which may be imposed solely on the basis of the facts reflected in the jury verdict or admitted by the defendant. Blakely, ___ U.S. at ___, 124 S.Ct. at 2537 (emphasis removed). On appeal, Jones notes the district court based his sentence on judicial fact-finding that Jones possessed 18.3 grams of crack cocaine, resulting in a base offense level of 26. 3 U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)(7) (establishing base offense level of 26 for cocaine base in the amount of 5g to 20 g). However, Jones notes that most of the charges in the indictment did not allege an amount of cocaine base, and of those charges that did include an amount, only 2.7 grams were alleged, an amount that would indicate a base offense level of 20. U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)(10) (establishing base offense level of 20 for possession of at least 2g but less than 3g of cocaine base). Since the jury made no other findings regarding the amount of drugs possessed, Jones argues that this judicial fact-finding, resulting in an enhanced sentence, violates the Sixth Amendment. 41 United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. ___, 125 S.Ct. 738, ___ L.Ed.2d ___ (2005) resolves this argument in Jones's favor. In Booker, the United States Supreme Court extended the Sixth Amendment principle in Apprendi to the Sentencing Guidelines. Booker, ___ U.S. at ___, 125 S.Ct. at 756 (Stevens, J., for the Court) (Any fact (other than a prior conviction) which is necessary to support a sentence exceeding the maximum authorized by the facts established by a plea of guilty or a jury verdict must be admitted by the defendant or proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.). Since failure to apply a newly declared constitutional rule to criminal cases pending on direct review violates basic norms of constitutional adjudication, Griffith v. Kentucky, 479 U.S. 314, 322, 107 S.Ct. 708, 93 L.Ed.2d 649 (1987), the remedial majority indicated that Booker should be extended to all cases pending on direct review. See Booker, ___ U.S. at ___, 125 S.Ct. at 769 (Breyer, J., for the Court). The remedial majority also noted that courts should apply ordinary prudential doctrines including the plain-error test on appellate review for issues not raised below. Id. 42 However, plain error is not applicable here. Since Jones raised the Sixth Amendment issue during sentencing in the district court, we review that decision de novo. United States v. Darwich, 337 F.3d 645, 656 (6th Cir.2003) (holding that Apprendi claims raised in the district court are reviewed de novo ). In this case, Jones's Sixth Amendment right was violated. The district court's factual finding as to the amount of drugs, resulting in an enhancement of Jones's sentence under the Guidelines, is the textbook example of a Sixth Amendment violation under Booker. See Booker, ___ U.S. at ___, ___, 125 S.Ct. at 746, 769 (affirming the reversal of respondent Booker's sentence, since the district court engaged in judicial fact-finding as to the amount of drugs, resulting in an enhanced sentence under the Guidelines in violation of the Sixth Amendment). Furthermore, in supplemental briefing filed shortly after the issuance of Booker, both Jones and the government agree that this case should be remanded for resentencing. Accordingly, we vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing in light of Booker.