Opinion ID: 220899
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Retroactive Application of the Fair Sentencing Act

Text: Finally, Powell argues that his sentence was imposed in violation of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which amended the Controlled Substances Act and Controlled Substances Import and Export Act by resetting the drug quantities required to trigger mandatory minimum sentences. United States v. Bell, 624 F.3d 803, 814 (7th Cir.2010). Because Powell was sentenced on June 23, 2010, before President Obama signed the Act into law on August 3, 2010, the Act has no application here unless it applies retroactively to sentences imposed before its date of passage. Powell argues for the Act's retroactive application to his case. In response, the government asks us to limit our review to plain error because Powell did not raise this issue [before the district court] even though the legislation that eventually became the Fair Sentencing Act ... was introduced on October 15, 2009, before Powell's sentencing. We decline this invitation. Although we will review arguments not made to the district court for plain error even if those arguments were rendered futile by precedent in existence at the time of trial, see, e.g., United States v. Paladino, 401 F.3d 471, 483-84 (7th Cir.2005) (explaining our plain error review of sentences imposed before the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005)), to say that an argument is futile under court precedent, which may be reevaluated at any time at a party's request, is not the same as saying that an argument is futile because it is based on the language of a proposed statute not yet enacted as law. After all, no federal court has the power to unilaterally reduce the statutory penalties for the sale of crack cocaine when Congress has not enacted legislation to do so. See, e.g., Warden, Lewisburg Penitentiary v. Marrero, 417 U.S. 653, 664, 94 S.Ct. 2532, 41 L.Ed.2d 383 (1974) (Punishment for federal crimes is a matter for Congress, subject to judicial veto only when the legislative judgment oversteps constitutional bounds.). And it makes little sense to say that, by failing to request relief from the district court that no court had the power to grant, a defendant forfeited that request on appellate review. Plain error review is inappropriate in this case, and we review Powell's claim de novo, as we would any other question of law affecting sentencing. See, e.g., United States v. Hall, 608 F.3d 340, 346 (7th Cir.2010). Turning to the merits of Powell's argument, we have already held that the Fair Sentencing Act does not apply retroactively to sentences imposed before that Act was signed into law. Bell, 624 F.3d at 814. Every circuit to address this issue has reached the same conclusion. United States v. Bullard, 645 F.3d 237, 248-49 (4th Cir.2011); United States v. Goncalves, 642 F.3d 245, 251-55 (1st Cir.2011); United States v. Doggins, 633 F.3d 379, 384 (5th Cir.2011); United States v. Reevey, 631 F.3d 110, 115 (3d Cir.2010); United States v. Diaz, 627 F.3d 930, 931 (2d Cir. 2010) (per curiam); United States v. Lewis, 625 F.3d 1224, 1228 (10th Cir.2010); United States v. Brewer, 624 F.3d 900, 909 n. 7 (8th Cir.2010); United States v. Gomes, 621 F.3d 1343, 1346 (11th Cir.2010) (per curiam); United States v. Carradine, 621 F.3d 575, 580 (6th Cir.2010). We recently declined an invitation to overturn Bell. United States v. Fisher, 635 F.3d 336, 338 (7th Cir.2011). We do so again today. [5] Defendant Powell's convictions and sentence are AFFIRMED.