Opinion ID: 171156
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Wyoming's remaining arguments

Text: Wyoming contends that interpreting expunge and set aside to have equivalent meanings would wrongly render the phrase or set aside as mere surplusage. The law of this circuit dictates that we cannot `construe a statute in a way that renders words or phrases meaningless, redundant, or superfluous,' United States v. Power Eng'g Co., 303 F.3d 1232, 1238 (10th Cir.2002) (quoting United States v. Power Eng'g Co., 125 F.Supp.2d 1050, 1059 (D.Colo.2000)); however, in the instant case, our interpretation achieves no such result. A brief survey of the laws of the various States reveals countless statutes that use the phrase set aside rather than expungement. For example, Michigan statute § 780.621 dictates that a person who is convicted of not more than 1 offense may file an application with the convicting court for the entry of an order setting aside the conviction. Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.621 (emphasis added). Similarly, Arizona statute § 13-907 provides that every person convicted of a criminal offense, on fulfillment of the conditions of probation or sentence and discharge by the court, may apply ... to have the judgment of guilt set aside.  Ariz.Rev.Stat. § 13-907 (emphasis added); see also Alaska Stat. § 12-55-085(e); Idaho Code § 19-2604(1); N.Y. Exec. Law § 19; Okla. Stat. tit. 10, § 7306-2.12; Or.Rev.Stat. § 137.225(1)(a). This use of terminology demonstrates that our interpretation of § 921(a)(33)(B)(ii) does not render the phrase or set aside mere surplusage because that phrase takes into account the variety of state laws that use the term set aside, rather than expunge, to accomplish the same result. Wyoming also contends that the United States Sentencing Guidelines' use of the terms expunge and set aside demonstrate that they do not have equivalent meanings. We disagree. The language of the Act and the Guidelines demonstrates that the Guidelines offer little persuasive value in the context of the case at bar because the respective uses of the term set aside are inconsistent. Comment 10 to § 4A1.2 of the Sentencing Guidelines provides the basis for Wyoming's argument. That comment states in full: A number of jurisdictions have various procedures pursuant to which previous convictions may be set aside or the defendant may be pardoned for reasons unrelated to innocence or errors of law, e.g., in order to restore civil rights or to remove the stigma associated with a criminal conviction. Sentences resulting from such convictions are to be counted [for purposes of calculating a defendant's criminal history category]. However, expunged convictions are not counted. U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2, cmt.10. Comment 6, which is also relevant to our analysis, states: Sentences resulting from convictions that (A) have been reversed or vacated because of errors of law or because of subsequently discovered evidence exonerating the defendant, or (B) have been ruled constitutionally invalid in a prior case are not to be counted [for purposes of calculating a defendant's criminal history category]. Id. cmt. 6. Our precedent dictates we must look to the basis of the expungement or set aside to determine whether such an action constitutes an expungement for the purposes of the Sentencing Guidelines. United States v. Hines, 133 F.3d 1360, 1363 (10th Cir.1998). Thus, echoing the language of comments 6 and 10, we declared: Convictions reversed or vacated for reasons related to constitutional invalidity, innocence, or errors of law are expunged for purposes of the Guidelines and therefore cannot be included in criminal history calculations.... When convictions are set aside for reasons other than innocence or errors of law, such as to restore civil rights or remove the stigma of a criminal conviction, those convictions are counted for criminal history purposes. Id. (second emphasis added) (quoting United States v. Cox, 83 F.3d 336, 339-40 (10th Cir.1996)). Wyoming correctly highlights the distinction between expunge and set aside in the context of the Sentencing Guidelines. However, we do not find Wyoming's argument persuasive given Congress's explicit language in § 921(a)(33)(B)(ii). As noted above, the Sentencing Guidelines explicitly distinguish between expungement and set aside on the basis of the state action. If the state sought to reverse a conviction due to constitutional error or innocence, the Guidelines construe that action as an expungement. See Hines, 133 F.3d at 1363. On the other hand, if the state reversed the conviction merely to restore civil rights or remove the stigma of a criminal conviction, the Guidelines construe that action as a set aside. Id. This dichotomy is plainly at odds with Congress's language in § 921(a)(33)(B)(ii), which states: [a] person shall not be considered to have been convicted of such an offense for purposes of this chapter if the conviction has been expunged or set aside, or is an offense for which the person has been pardoned or has had civil rights restored.  18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(33)(B)(ii) (emphasis added). Congress explicitly included the restoration of civil rights in § 921(a)(33), demonstrating that Congress did not intend to apply the same dichotomy to the context of the Act. Therefore, we do not find the Guidelines' use of the terms expunge and set aside persuasive for our analysis in the instant case.