Opinion ID: 78565
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 2008 New Sentence

Text: Thirteen years later in 2008, Phillips filed a pro se motion to reduce his sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) based on Amendment 715 to the sentencing guidelines. [2] Amendment 715 provided for a two-level reduction in the base offense levels for most offenses involving cocaine base and at least one other controlled substance. See U.S.S.G.App. C, Amend. 715 (Supp. May 2008); U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1 cmt. n.10(D)(i). Amendment 715 became effective on May 1, 2008 and was made retroactive by Amendment 716. See U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(c). The district court directed the government to respond to Phillips's § 3582(c)(2) motion and appointed counsel for him. On September 24, 2008, the court conducted a sentencing hearing and heard arguments from counsel for the government and Phillips regarding the § 3582(c)(2) motion. The court also allowed Phillips individually to allocute. The court did not rule at the hearing. Rather, on December 5, 2008, the court entered a written order granting Phillips's § 3582(c)(2) motion. In its order, the court reduced Phillips's drug-related sentence to 324 months. [3] The court acknowledged that the parties disputed whether the 2008 or the 1988 version of the guidelines should be used to calculate Phillips's new base offense level under Amendment 715. Applying Amendment 715 to the 1988 guidelines lowered Phillips's base offense level from 36 to 34, resulting in a total offense level of 39 and a new guidelines range of 324 to 405 months' imprisonment. Under the 2008 version of the guidelines, however, the applicable calculation gave Phillips a base offense level of 38, which, under Amendment 715, would be reduced to a base offense level of 36. [4] Thus, applying the 2008 version would result in the same base offense level of 36 that Phillips originally received under the 1988 guidelines and would not alter Phillips's original guidelines range of 360 months to life imprisonment. In its order, the district court concluded that it should use the 1988 version of the guidelines to determine Phillips's new base offense level under Amendment 715. The court reduced Phillips's imprisonment sentence to 324 months on the drug-related offenses with a consecutive 60-month term on the firearms crime, reasoning in its order: After considering defendant's file, the factors set forth in § 3553(a), and the provisions and commentary of U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10, the court agrees with defendant that he should receive a reduced sentence. Under the 1988 [s]entencing [g]uidelines, application of Amendment 706 and 715 to this case yields a base offense level of 34, a total offense level of 39, a criminal history category of II, and a guideline range of 324 to 405 months imprisonment. Defendant's original sentence fell at the bottom of the guideline range, and the court believes that his amended sentence should follow suit. Therefore, in its discretion, the court will reduce defendant's sentence to 324 months, with a consecutive term of 60 months. (Emphasis added). In its order, the district court also expressly changed Phillips's sentence to 324 months as follows: The Judgment and Commitment dated November 21, 1989, is hereby AMENDED . . . to change defendant's sentence from 360 to 324 months imprisonment. All other terms of the Judgment and Commitment will remain unchanged. As a result of the December 5 order, Phillips in fact had a new sentence of 324 months' imprisonment, followed by 60 months' imprisonment for the § 924(c) firearms offense.