Opinion ID: 492083
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the special parole term

Text: 23 The sole issue that Robles presents on appeal is that the imposition of a special parole term was unconstitutional as violating the separation of powers doctrine. Robles was convicted of possessing cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, with intent to distribute. 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841. Robles was also convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. Sec. 846. A conviction under Section 841 requires the court to ... impose a special parole term of at least three years.... 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841(b)(1) (emphasis added). Robles was sentenced to two concurrent fifteen month sentences to be followed by a six year special parole term. Robles argues that the special parole term is an unconstitutional delegation of power to the judiciary because it provides no maximum term of parole, nor does it specifically delegate to the judiciary the discretion to determine the maximum term. 24 Robles concedes that we have addressed this precise issue before, and decided it adversely to him. See United States v. Eschweiler, 782 F.2d 1385 (7th Cir.1986); United States v. Bridges, 760 F.2d 151 (7th Cir.1985). Nonetheless, Robles urges us to reconsider and overrule our past precedent, adopting the reasoning of a district court in the ninth circuit, even though the district court was reversed by the ninth circuit itself. See United States v. Tebha, 578 F.Supp. 1398 (N.D.Cal.1984), rev'd, 770 F.2d 1454 (9th Cir.1985). In fact, every circuit that has addressed the issue has reached the same conclusion: the special parole term is not an unconstitutional delegation of power. See United States v. Kuck, 573 F.2d 25 (10th Cir.1978); United States v. Jones, 540 F.2d 465 (10th Cir.1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1101, 97 S.Ct. 1125, 51 L.Ed.2d 551 (1977); United States v. Sims, 529 F.2d 10 (8th Cir.1976); United States v. Rich, 518 F.2d 980 (8th Cir.1975), cert. denied, 427 U.S. 907, 96 S.Ct. 3193, 49 L.Ed.2d 1200 (1976); United States v. Martinez, 481 F.2d 214 (5th Cir.1973) cert. denied, 415 U.S. 931, 94 S.Ct. 1444, 39 L.Ed.2d 489 (1974); United States v. Simpson, 481 F.2d 582 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 1095, 94 S.Ct. 728, 38 L.Ed.2d 553 (1973). 25 We find the previous cases well-reasoned and see no cause to disturb our prior precedent at this time. Accordingly, Robles' attack on the constitutionality of section 841(b)(1) is rejected.