Opinion ID: 1189045
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Use of the 2007 Sentencing Guidelines

Text: Finally, Patterson argues that the district court's use of the 2007 Sentencing Guidelines to calculate his sentence violated the ex post facto clause of the Constitution. Patterson never raised this argument before the district court, so we review for plain error. See United States v. Baretz, 411 F.3d 867, 875 (7th Cir. 2005). Patterson's argument is foreclosed by United States v. Demaree, 459 F.3d 791, 795 (7th Cir.2006), which held that a change in the Sentencing Guidelines that expands the guidelines range for a crime does not render application of the later-Guidelines an ex post facto law. Defendant argues that Demaree did not take Kimbrough v. United States, 552 U.S. 85, 128 S.Ct. 558, 169 L.Ed.2d 481 (2007) or Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 128 S.Ct. 586, 169 L.Ed.2d 445 (2007) into account. However, the holding of Demaree has been applied after Kimbrough and Gall, see, e.g., United States v. Krasinski, 545 F.3d 546, 552 (7th Cir.2008), and does not contradict those decisions. Defendant's other argument, notwithstanding Demaree, is that offenders who win their sentencing appeals run the risk of a remand for a significantly longer sentence under a new version of the Guidelines. However, as the government points out, 18 U.S.C. § 3742(g)(1) directs that defendants who win their sentencing appeals be resentenced under the Guidelines in effect on the date of the previous sentencing. Because Patterson has presented no compelling reason to revisit Demaree, and because his argument regarding the potential for higher sentences on remand has no merit, we reject his contention that the district court plainly erred by applying the 2007 Guidelines.