Opinion ID: 68183
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: statutory maximum for count 1

Text: Danner contends that he was improperly sentenced based on a general verdict because a special verdict was required to identify the specific controlled substances at issue. Whether a sentence exceeds the statutory maximum is a question of law that we review de novo. See United States v. Allen, 302 F.3d 1260, 1269-1276 (11th Cir. 2002) (conducting an implicit de novo review of the district court’s sentence); United States v. Moriarty, 429 F.3d 1012, 1023 (11th Cir. 2005) (“We review de novo the legality of a sentence . . . .”). A Dale-Rhynes2 sentencing violation occurs when (1) the government alleges conduct involving multiple controlled substances in the same count; (2) there was no special verdict as to any of the substances; (3) the statutory maximum 1 Furthermore, Danner’s replacement counsel would have easily found the notice if he had monitored the docket. 2 The term Dale-Rhynes comes from the combination of two different cases, United States v. Dale, 178 F.3d 429 (6th Cir. 1999), and United States v. Rhynes, 196 F.3d 207 (4th Cir. 1999). 6 sentences for each substance differ; and (4) the defendant’s sentence for the count exceeds the lowest statutory maximum sentence for the controlled substances. See Allen, 302 F.3d at 1269-75. The remedy for such a violation is to vacate the sentence and remand to the district court, at which point the government will have two options: (1) the government may consent to a resentencing of the defendant based on the lowest maximum sentence from the controlled substances; or (2) the government may retry the defendant with a special verdict. Id. at 1275. The government alleged conduct involving three controlled substances in Count 1, but the jury returned a general verdict without reference to any specific controlled substance. We accept and agree with the government’s concession that a sentencing violation occurred. Thus, we vacate the sentence for Count 1 and remand to the district court with the option of resentencing Danner based on the controlled substance with the lowest statutory maximum or retrying Danner with a special verdict.