Opinion ID: 24845
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Right to Allocute

Text: 43 Alburtis' fourth issue refers to the district court's alleged failure to afford him the opportunity to allocute prior to imposing sentence. Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(c)(3)(C) secures a defendant's right to allocute. Under that rule, before imposing sentence, the court must address the defendant personally and determine whether the defendant wishes to make a statement and to present any information in mitigation of the sentence. Failure to afford a defendant his allocution rights necessitates remand and is not reviewed for harmless error. United States v. Myers, 150 F.3d 459, 463 (5th Cir. 1998). 44 Here, we confront a unique set of circumstances. At a morning sentencing hearing, the district court orally pronounced sentence without addressing Alburtis to determine whether he wanted to make a statement. Thereafter, the parties realized their mistake, and in the afternoon, Alburtis was again brought before the district court to be afforded his right to allocute under Rule 32(c)(3)(C). The district court then reimposed the same sentence that was meted out in the morning. 45 Under this circuit's case law, if the district court had failed to do the resentencing, then Alburtis' sentence would have had to have been vacated and remanded back to the district court. See Myers, 150 F.3d at 463. But in the instant case, a resentencing occurred, and it provided Alburtis his right to allocute. Thus, the determinative issue is whether that resentencing was proper. 46 A district court's ability to resentence a defendant is generally limited and available only in discrete circumstances. Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 35(c), however, allows a court, acting within 7 days after imposition of sentence, to correct a sentence that was imposed as a result of arithmetical, technical, or other clear error. Although Rule 35(c) does not explicitly state so, a Rule 35(c) correction may occur sua sponte. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 35 advisory comm. notes (The subdivision does not provide for any formalized method of bringing the error to the attention of the court and recognizes that the court could sua sponte make the correction.); see also United States v. Colace, 126 F.3d 1229, 1231 (9th Cir. 1997); United States v. Morillo, 8 F.3d 864, 868 n.5 (1st Cir. 1993). The record is not clear as to whether the district court resentenced sua sponte or if it even relied on Rule 35. But Rule 35(c) was the most appropriate authority under which the district could resentence Alburtis and correct the clear error of failing to afford him his right to allocute. And whether the district court's decision to resentence was done sua sponte or after conference with the parties, who may have orally moved for correction, is not determinative. See Morillo, 8 F.3d at 868 n.5 (holding that Rule 35(c) corrections may occur sua sponte or in response to post-judgment motions). Thus, we find that the district court properly resentenced Alburtis to afford him his right to allocu0te and conclude that Alburtis' fourth issue is without merit.