Opinion ID: 526470
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Walker: Sentencing

Text: 13 Finally, we address Walker's claim that his ten-year sentence is excessive. 8 It was determined--concededly properly--that Walker was a second narcotics offender under the provisions of 21 U.S.C. Sec. 851. Since this was the case, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841(b)(1)(B)(ii)(II) required that a minimum sentence of ten years be imposed. However, it is undisputed that (at least apart from the minimum sentence provision of Sec. 841(b)(1)(B)(ii)(II)) the Sentencing Guidelines range for Walker's offense and criminal history called for a sentence of fifty-seven to seventy-one months. Walker contends that the Sentencing Guidelines implicitly repealed statutes such as Sec. 841(b)(1)(B)(ii)(II) and that he thus should have been sentenced to the lesser term specified by the guidelines. This is the sole basis on which Walker makes his complaint respecting his sentence. 14 We reject Walker's argument. It is well settled that repeals by implication are not favored. E.g., Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill, 437 U.S. 153, 98 S.Ct. 2279, 57 L.Ed.2d 117 (1978). In Rodriquez v. United States, 480 U.S. 522, 107 S.Ct. 1391, 94 L.Ed.2d 533 (1987), the Supreme Court was confronted with an analogous issue. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3147 requires that anyone who commits a felony while on probation be sentenced to at least two years in prison. However, the Probation Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3651 permits federal judges to suspend certain sentences and impose probation. In Rodriquez, the government contended that the former provision had implicitly repealed the latter and that district courts could no longer place defendants on probation who were sentenced under section 3147. Id. 107 S.Ct. at 1391-92. The Supreme Court rejected this argument and held that [n]either the language nor the legislative history of Sec. 3147 provides any basis for concluding that it was intended to effect a partial repeal of Sec. 3651. Id. at 1393. We follow the Rodriquez rationale here. There is nothing in the language of the guidelines to imply a repeal of other sentencing statutes. In fact, the guidelines speak to the contrary. Section 5G1.1(b) states that [i]f application of the guidelines results in a sentence below the minimum sentence required by statute, the statutory minimum shall be the guideline sentence. As Walker received the statutory minimum, he received the guideline sentence. 9 15 For the foregoing reasons, the claims of reversible error of each appellant are rejected and accordingly the judgment of the district court is 16 AFFIRMED.