Opinion ID: 3003757
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Maceri

Text: In July 2002, Maceri pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). Initially, the district court sentenced him to a total of 156 months’ imprisonment, but later it reduced the term to 104 months, because of Maceri’s substantial assistance to the Government. See F ED. R. C RIM. P. 35(b). Maceri began his term of supervised release in November 2008. He did not spend that time well. Only a month later, in December 2008, Maceri’s probation officer petitioned the court for revocation of supervised release, alleging that Maceri had failed to report to the officer, maintain Nos. 09-1958, 09-1962 & 09-1963 3 employment, disclose a change in residence, attend a substance-abuse appointment, and report for a urinalysis. At a revocation hearing in early February 2009, Maceri admitted the violations. The most serious one was Grade C, which, with Maceri’s criminal history category of VI, resulted in an advisory re-imprisonment range of eight to 14 months. See U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4(a). At the time of his hearing, the decision in Head was less than three weeks old, but the district court was well aware of it. The judge questioned whether he was now unable to impose halfway-house placement as a condition of supervised release. He noted, with concern, that over the years he had ordered halfway-house placement frequently, and he commented that “my druthers would be to put him in jail for a period of time as punishment and then give him the help he needs in a halfway house.” At the request of both parties, the court then continued the hearing until March 26, 2009, to give the parties and itself an opportunity to review Head in more detail. At the March hearing, Maceri took the position that halfway-house placement should be ordered and that Head did not forbid this disposition. Counsel suggested that the district court could achieve this outcome either by releasing Maceri on bond and making residency in the halfway house a condition of bond, or by ordering his placement as a condition of supervised release despite Head, relying on the residual authority granted by 18 U.S.C. § 3583(d), which in turn refers to 18 U.S.C. § 3563(b)(22). Counsel also noted, as Head had acknowl- 4 Nos. 09-1958, 09-1962 & 09-1963 edged, see 552 F.3d at 642 n.1, that Congress amended the passage in 18 U.S.C. § 3583(d) that had excluded halfway-house confinement as a possible condition of supervised release, and that the statute now permits such confinement, though “only as a condition of supervised release in accordance with section 3583(e)(2) and only when facilities are available.” Pub. L. No. 110-406, § 14(b) (Oct. 13, 2008). Head holds that this amendment does not operate retroactively, see 552 F.3d at 642 n.1. To the extent that it has the effect of authorizing a more severe term of supervised release (one involving greater restraints on personal freedom), counsel here was concerned that retroactive application could raise ex post facto concerns. Counsel argued, however, that all Maceri would need to do would be to waive any ex post facto objection. That is as far as this line of inquiry went, however; counsel never produced, and Maceri never offered to provide, such a waiver. The court responded that it “heard and understood [Maceri’s] argument, but I’m not going to do what you suggest.” It imposed a term of 14 months’ reimprisonment with a recommendation to the BOP that the final six months be served in a halfway house.