Opinion ID: 2997059
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Statutory Maximum Sentence and Apprendi

Text: 4 Defendant Contreras’s original guideline range of 235 to 293 months was thus reduced to 210 to 262 months and resulted in a sentence of 210 months. The government does not appeal the district court’s decision to grant defendant Macedo a one-point downward departure, though the trial court applied the same reasoning for each defendant. Nos. 02-3563, 02-3564 & 02-3842 7 Macedo’s primary objection stems from the government mislabeling methamphetamine a schedule III drug (rather than correctly labeling it a schedule II drug) in its indictment. But because the indictment listed the specific drug and quantity charged and the jury found him guilty of conspiring to import, possessing and attempting to possess a specific drug type and amount, the incorrect designation of methamphetamine as a schedule III drug in the indictment does not implicate Apprendi. On July 7, 1971, the Director of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, on behalf of the Attorney General, reclassified methamphetamine from a schedule III drug to a schedule II drug based on its high potential for abuse relative to other substances. See 36 F.R. 12734, 12735 (July 7, 1971); 21 C.F.R. § 1308.12(d). Title 21 U.S.C. § 811(a) grants the Attorney General the power to reclassify controlled substances. Title 21 U.S.C. § 812(c), which lists the drug classification schedule, classifies methamphetamine as a schedule II drug when it is contained in “any injectable liquid,” but classifies methamphetamine as a schedule III drug when it is in any other form. Though previously unaddressed by this court directly, see United States v. Roya, 574 F.2d 386, 392-93 (7th Cir. 1978), we now find that the reclassification of methamphetamine as a schedule II substance applies to all forms of methamphetamine in accordance with 21 C.F.R. § 1308.12(d) despite the statute’s distinction. Accord United States v. Gori, 324 F.3d 234, 240 (3d Cir. 2003) (reasoning that 21 C.F.R. § 1308.12(d) must supercede 21 U.S.C. § 812(c)’s schedule classification as the Attorney General acted pursuant to express authorization and the regulation was properly promulgated); United States v. Segler, 37 F.3d 1131, 1133 (5th Cir. 1994); United States v. Kendall, 887 F.2d 240, 241 (9th Cir. 1989) (per curiam). 8 Nos. 02-3563, 02-3564 & 02-3842 Macedo having been found guilty of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1),5 was sentenced under section 841(b)(1), which sets the default statutory maximum prison sentence based on the amount and type of controlled substance at issue. The statutory maximum penalty for Macedo’s conspiracy charge is life in prison, id. at § 960(b)(1)(H),6 while the statutory maximum penalty for his possession and attempted possession charges is forty years in prison, id. at § 841(b)(1)(B)(viii). However, section 841(b)(1)(D) states that any person found guilty of violating section 841(a)(1) as it relates to “any controlled substance in schedule III [. . .] shall [. . .] be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than 5 years. . . .” Macedo, therefore, reasons that because the indictment listed the drug as a schedule III substance, he should have been sentenced to no more than five years imprisonment under section 841(b)(1)(D). An incorrect designation of the drug schedule in the indictment does not mean there is an Apprendi violation when the indictment also lists the specific drug as well as the quantity.7 In essence, Macedo would have us ignore the 5 Section 841(a)(1) states that “it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly or intentionally [. . .] manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled substance.” 6 Title 21 U.S.C. § 960(b)(1)(H) mirrors the language of section 841(b)(1)(A)(viii). 7 The indictment charged Macedo with three counts. Count one charged that “defendants herein, conspired among themselves and with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, knowingly and intentionally to import into the United States from a place outside the United States, a controlled substance, namely 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule III Narcotic Drug Controlled Substance; In violation of Title 21, United States Code, (continued...) Nos. 02-3563, 02-3564 & 02-3842 9 word “methamphetamine” and the quantity designation in the indictment, focus solely on the portion of the document which mislabels the schedule classification, and then leap to the conclusion that any sentence beyond the statutory maximum for a schedule III drug (5 years) is a violation of Apprendi. This logic is unsound. Apprendi demands that “any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” 530 U.S. at 490. In drug sentencing cases, Apprendi requires a drug type and amount “sufficient to trigger the higher statutory maximum of § 841(b)(1)(A) or (B) be charged in the indictment and found by the jury.” United States v. Mietus, 237 F.3d 866, 874 (7th Cir. 2001). Its analysis therefore addresses solely the appropriate decision maker and burden of proof. United States v. Bjorkman, 270 F.3d 482, 490-92 (7th Cir. 2001); United States v. Knight, 342 F.3d 697, 710 (7th Cir. 2003). In the case at bar, Macedo was properly indicted and the jury was properly instructed concerning the applicable penalties through the use of the special verdict form. The special verdict form properly tracked the relevant language (...continued) Section 952(a).” Count three charged that “defendants herein, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely approximately 460 grams of methamphetamine or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule III Narcotic Drug Controlled Substance; In violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).” Count four charged that “defendants herein, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely, approximately 470 grams of methamphetamine or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule III Narcotic Drug Controlled Substance; In violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).” 10 Nos. 02-3563, 02-3564 & 02-3842 of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1). The use of this form satisfies the edicts of Apprendi in that the drug type and amount sufficient to trigger the higher statutory maximums were found by the jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. Thus, Macedo was not sentenced beyond the statutory maximum for the charged offenses. Macedo was sentenced to 314 months imprisonment (approximately 26 years), well below the statutory maximum for any of the charged offenses. See United States v. Hernandez, 330 F.3d 964, 981 (7th Cir. 2003) (reasoning that Apprendi is inapplicable when the defendant is sentenced below the statutory maximum for the charged offense). The fact that the indictment incorrectly designated methamphetamine as a schedule III substance had no effect on the validity of the indictment or the subsequent sentence. See United States v. Trennell, 290 F.3d 881, 889-90 (7th Cir. 2002) (finding error in indictment harmless where jury determined drug quantity through the use of a special verdict form); see also United States v. Greenwood, 974 F.2d 1449, 1472-73 (5th Cir. 1992) (finding that government erroneously labeling methamphetamine a schedule III drug did not set statutory maximum sentence at five years pursuant to § 841(b)(1)(D) and defendant may be sentenced under § 841(b)(1)(A)(viii) and (B)(viii) where indictment stated the specific drug type and quantity range).8 8 Macedo is correct that the schedule classification of a drug may be relevant to the maximum statutory penalty determination and may create an Apprendi violation if the indictment refers to the drug at issue solely in terms of its schedule classification without referencing the drug type or amount. For example, if the indictment and subsequent verdict form in this case charged Macedo with conspiracy to import/possession/attempted possession “a schedule III drug,” then he is correct that the statutory maximum sentence for that crime, under Apprendi, would be 5 years as designated by section 841(b)(1)(D). See United States v. Martin, 287 F.3d 609, 614-15 (7th Cir. 2002) (reasoning that where (continued...) Nos. 02-3563, 02-3564 & 02-3842 11 Macedo also misconstrues Apprendi by arguing that it requires a jury find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of importing/possessing/attempting to possess a specific amount of methamphetamine as opposed to the drug range used by the trial court in the special verdict form. He also takes issue with the district court’s jury instructions. The district court initially instructed the jury that the government need only prove that he possessed/attempted to possess “a measurable amount” of a controlled substance to sustain a guilty verdict of the underlying offenses. The court then, through the use of a special verdict form, directed the jury, if it found him guilty in the first instance, to attribute an appropriate range of drugs to each violation. We review a district court’s choice of jury instruction de novo when the underlying assignment of error implicates a question of law, such as the applicability of Apprendi; however, general attacks on jury instructions are reviewed for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Smith, 308 F.3d 726, 741 (7th Cir. 2002). In Smith, we explicitly held that, even in light of Apprendi, drug quantity is not an element of the offense and need not be proven to sustain a guilty verdict under § 841(a)(1). Thus, the “measurable amount” instruction is appropriate as it relates to a finding of guilt of the underlying offenses. See id. We also explained that a jury is not required to find a specific drug amount and the use of a drug range in a verdict form is acceptable under Apprendi because the elements necessary to trigger the statutory maximum penalty are found beyond a reasonable doubt. See id. (reasoning that because 21 U.S.C. § 841(b) speaks in terms of drug ranges, a jury verdict which par- (...continued) indictment and verdict form stated only drug type, cocaine, without stating drug quantity, under Apprendi defendant’s sentence could not exceed statutory maximum for the smallest amount of cocaine listed in § 841(b)(1)). 12 Nos. 02-3563, 02-3564 & 02-3842 allels the statutory language is lawful); see also Mietus, 237 F.3d at 874 (finding that jury instruction which asked only that jury find a “measurable amount” without more was insufficient under Apprendi). While we do not espouse the government’s “no harm no foul” attitude concerning the typographical error in the indictment, the issue remains whether, in light of the error, Macedo was afforded sufficient notice of the charges against him to prevent any possibility of prejudice. United States v. Field, 875 F.2d 130, 133 (7th Cir. 1989). Pursuant to the logic in Field, where an error in an indictment does not go to an element of the crime, but rather is typographical in nature, a defendant is not prejudiced. Id. Therefore, the improper designation of methamphetamine as a schedule III drug did not prejudice the defendant as he was directed to the applicable statute and afforded proper notice of the charges against him.9 Finally, Macedo also finds fault with the district court’s sentencing determination that he was responsible for 799.7 grams of methamphetamine, arguing once again that Apprendi and the United States Sentencing Guidelines were violated because he was sentenced beyond the statutory maximum for a schedule III substance.10 For the 9 To the extent Macedo is arguing that the jury instructions amounted to a de facto amendment of the indictment, his assertion is foreclosed by Field. The designation of methamphetamine as a schedule III drug had no substantive effect on the indictment as it is a fact that “need not be proven even if alleged, [. . .] and the jury could have been instructed to ignore. . . .” Id. at 133 (quoting United States v. Skelly, 501 F.2d 447, 453 (7th Cir. 1974)). 10 Though the gross weight of the drugs seized totaled 878.8 grams, the district court found that Macedo was only responsible for 799.7 grams because an expert determined that the drugs recovered from the two pairs of shoes were only 91% pure methamNos. 02-3563, 02-3564 & 02-3842 13 reasons stated above, we reject Macedo’s sentencing argument as he was not sentenced beyond the statutory maximum for the offenses charged.