Opinion ID: 529914
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Sentencing Under The Guidelines

Text: 19 The defendant claims that he should not have been designated a career offender under the sentencing guidelines. He was so designated based on two prior Illinois convictions--one for robbery and the other for armed violence. A career offender is one who is eighteen years or older, has been convicted of a felony that is either a crime of violence or a drug offense and who had been previously convicted of two felonies where each was either a crime of violence or a drug offense. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 994(h). Career offenders are subject to sentences which are at or near the maximum term authorized under the guidelines. Id. 20 Neither of the defendant's prior felonies were drug offenses. Accordingly, he could only be designated a career offender if his two prior felony convictions were crimes of violence. A crime of violence under the guidelines is defined as follows: 21 (a) an offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or 22 (b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense. 23 18 U.S.C. Sec. 16; Sentencing Guidelines 4B1.2(1). 24 The defendant admits that his prior felony for armed violence was a crime of violence but contends that he should not have been classified as a career offender because his other prior conviction for robbery is not considered a crime of violence under Illinois law. People v. McCoy, 63 Ill.2d 40, 344 N.E.2d 436, 438-39 (1976) (interpreting the Illinois Dangerous Drug Abuse Act). In contrast, armed robbery is defined under Illinois law as a crime of violence. See also People v. Williams, 138 Ill.App.3d 592, 93 Ill.Dec. 232, 233-34, 486 N.E.2d 333, 334-35 (1985) (interpreting Illinois Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Act). However, the Illinois Supreme Court noted in McCoy that while robbery is not classified as a crime of violence it is undeniable that robbery does involve the use of or threat of force. 344 N.E.2d at 438 (citing ILL.REV.STAT. ch. 38, para. 18-1 (1973)). Thus, the Illinois statute describes robbery as a crime of violence consistent with the federal guidelines. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 16(a). In addition, the commentary to the guidelines specifically includes robbery as a crime of violence. See Commentary Application Notes to Sentencing Guidelines 4B1.2(1) at 1. 25 In any event, the guidelines are a federal statute promulgated by the United States Sentencing Commission designed to be used by federal courts imposing sentences for persons convicted of federal crimes. See Mistretta v. United States, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 647, 649-53, 102 L.Ed.2d 714 (1989). Thus, a crime is one of violence under Sec. 16(a) if it is defined under state law as requiring proof of the requisite use of force (or attempted or threatened use of force), regardless of how the state may characterize the crime for purpose of its own multiple offender (or other) provisions. 26 A judge may depart from the guidelines, however, if there are factors in a particular case which were not adequately taken into consideration by the Sentencing Commission in formulating the guidelines and that should result in a sentence different from that described. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553(b). Judge Harris stated that I tell you freely, I would give you a significant sentence if it weren't for the Guidelines, but I wouldn't give you the sentence I feel I have to. It appears that the particular facts of the defendant's previous conviction for robbery were not scrutinized by Judge Harris. He did not attempt to see whether or not departure from the guidelines was appropriate in light of any special mitigating aspects of the Illinois robbery and there was some question as to whether or not the facts of the defendant's robbery conviction made out a crime of violence. Cf. Sentencing Guidelines Sec. 4A1.3 (allowing departure where information indicates that criminal history category does not adequately reflect seriousness of past conduct or risk that defendant will commit additional crimes). Classifying Baskin as a career offender based on statutory characterizations of his previous crimes may be improper if an analysis of the facts demonstrates that they were not in fact crimes of violence. 27 Judge Harris apparently believed that he did not have discretion to review the facts and depart from the guidelines but that if he could he would. A sentencing judge retains discretion to examine the facts of a predicate crime to determine whether it was a crime of violence notwithstanding the Commentary to the guidelines' predetermined list of crimes which it considers to be crimes of violence. Obviously, the guidelines' definitions, commentary and the like provide a solid starting point for determining whether a prior conviction was in fact a crime of violence. However, it may be appropriate, as provided by the guidelines, for a district judge to depart from the guidelines' statutory definition of a particular crime depending on the facts of the case. We remand for reconsideration of the defendant's previous robbery conviction to determine whether or not it was in fact a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 16(a). 28 As to the question of whether or not robbery involves a substantial risk of violence to qualify as a predicate crime under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 16(b), the defendant contends that this provision in the sentencing guidelines is void for vagueness. He contends that the line drawn between substantial risk and insubstantial risk must be clear and in its present form is subject to arbitrary distinctions. The government correctly notes, however, that we need not resolve this issue because the district court relied on 18 U.S.C. Sec. 16(a). On remand, however, it may be necessary for the district court to determine whether or not the facts of the defendant's previous robbery conviction establish that it was a crime of violence under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 16(b). 29