Opinion ID: 2996363
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Santana’s Apprendi Claim

Text: In the parts relevant to this case, the federal narcotics statute first lists that the “unlawful acts” covered include knowingly or intentionally possessing drugs with the intent to distribute them. 21 U.S.C. § 841(a). Section (b) of the statute then sets different maximum and minimum penalties that vary primarily on the basis of the quantity and type of the drugs involved. 21 U.S.C. § 841(b). When, as here, crack cocaine is the drug of conviction, section (b) provides for the following sentences: Section 841(b)(1)(A): persons committing offenses involving 50 or more grams of crack cocaine shall receive a minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life; and if the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction then the sentence shall not be less than 20 years or more than life. Section 841(b)(1)(B): persons committing offenses involving 5 or more grams of crack cocaine shall receive a minimum of 5 years and not more than 40 years imprisonment; and if the defendant has a prior felNos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 27 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 ony drug conviction the sentence shall not be less than 10 years or more than life. Section 841(b)(1)(C): persons committing offenses involving an undetermined amount of crack cocaine shall not receive more than 20 years imprisonment; and if the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction the sentence shall not exceed 30 years. 21 U.S.C. § 841 (2000). The jury instructions given in this case did not require the jury to find a drug quantity; thus, the jury convicted Santana, and the other defendants, of conspiring to possess and distribute an unspecified amount of crack cocaine. At Santana’s sentencing, the judge deter- mined by a preponderance of the evidence that Santana was responsible for 144 grams of crack cocaine, which corresponded to a sentencing-guideline range between seventeen and one-half years and twenty-two years (210262 months). The judge then sentenced Santana to 20 years, relying on § 841(b)(1)(A)’s mandatory minimum of 20 years for defendants, like Santana, with prior felony drug convictions who commit offenses involving more than 50 grams of crack cocaine. Santana argues that this sentence violates Apprendi because it was the judge, rather than the jury, that determined the quantity of drugs involved and because the judge’s determination led to the imposition of a mandatory minimum that was not warranted by the findings of the jury. We reject Santana’s argument because we find it to be precluded by cases in this Circuit and by recent Supreme Court precedent. The Apprendi decision makes clear that its application does not extend to situations where a defendant’s sentence does not exceed a prescribed statutory maximum. 530 U.S. at 487 n.13 (noting that it was not overruling McMillan v. Pennsylvania, 477 U.S. 79 (1986), because 28 Nos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 the Apprendi decision did not impact “cases that do not involve the imposition of a sentence more severe than the statutory maximum for the offense established by the jury’s verdict”); see also United States v. Williams, 238 F.3d 871, 877 (7th Cir. 2001) (“[T]he rule of Apprendi is not implicated when the actual sentence imposed is less severe than the statutory maximum.”). We have repeatedly stated that in drug cases, Apprendi has no application where a drug dealer is given a sentence at or below the maximum provided in § 841(b)(1)(C).11 This is the case because a conviction under § 841(b)(1)(C) does not require any drug quantity to be found by the jury. Santana had a prior felony drug conviction so the maximum sentence he could receive under § 841(b)(1)(C) was 30 years imprisonment. He received a sentence of only 20 years; therefore, there was no Apprendi violation. Santana attempts to avoid this conclusion by arguing that Apprendi was violated in his case because he was sentenced to a mandatory minimum under § 841(b)(1)(A). 11 For just of few examples of cases where we have so held see United States v. Collins, 272 F.3d 984, 987 (7th Cir. 2001) (“Apprendi is violated here only if Mr. Collins’ sentence exceeds the statutory maximum permitted by the evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt before the jury and by his prior conviction.”); United States v. Duvall, 272 F.3d 825, 830 (7th Cir. 2001) (“Duvall’s 30-year sentence does not exceed the maximum allowed under § 841(b)(1)(C) when there is a prior felony drug conviction, so there is no violation of Apprendi.”); United States v. Brough, 243 F.3d 1078, 1079-80 (7th Cir. 2001) (“[I]f (for example) [the offense involves] cocaine or heroin, then any penalty up to 20 years is lawful even if the jury does not find a particular quantity, because 20 years is the maximum under § 841(b)(1)(C) for unlawfully distributing any detectable quantity of any Schedule I or II controlled substance.”). Nos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 29 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 According to Santana, Apprendi should apply to mandatory minimums, meaning that a defendant could not be sentenced to a mandatory minimum unless the facts triggering that minimum were proved to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt. In United States v. Williams, we addressed the exact argument made by Santana. 238 F.3d 871 (7th Cir. 2001). There, defendant Williams was convicted of possessing crack cocaine with intent to distribute. Id. at 873. Just as in Santana’s case, the judge, rather than the jury, de- termined the amount of drugs involved (60.4 grams) and sentenced Williams to the corresponding mandatory minimum under § 841(b)(1)(A)—ten years in that case because Williams had no prior conviction. Id. at 874. On appeal, Williams argued that Apprendi had been violated because the court relied on § 841(b)(1)(A)’s mandatory minimum without submitting the issue of drug quantity to the jury. We held that Apprendi did not apply be- cause regardless of the district court’s application of a mandatory minimum, Williams was still sentenced to a term below the statutory maximum provided in § 841(b)(1)(C). Id. at 877. We have no inclination to overrule Williams today, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Harris v. United States, 122 S. Ct. 2406 (2002). In Harris, the Supreme Court held that Apprendi did not require facts which might increase the mandatory minimum sentence to be proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. at 2420. Santana attempts to distinguish Harris by arguing that it involved 18 U.S.C. § 924 (use of a firearm in relation to crime of violence or drug 30 Nos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 trafficking),12 rather than the federal narcotics statute at issue here. Id. at 2410-11. Santana notes that § 924 contains only mandatory minimums and does not have mandatory maximums, whereas 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1) has both minimums and maximums. According to Santana, the distinction is important because under § 841, the single fact which determines the maximums also fixes the statutory minimums; consequently, when a fact is determined that raises the mandatory minimum it also raises the maximum penalty to which a defendant is exposed. Thus, in Santana’s view, that fact must be submitted to the jury. While there is some logic to the argument, we do not find this reasoning persuasive nor do we see that Harris necessarily allows such a conclusion. Santana never addresses the fact that his actual sentence never came within Apprendi’s stated confines—that is, his sentence did not exceed the maximum sentence allowable under § 841(b)(1)(C). We believe that the holding in Harris—that Apprendi does not apply to the mandatory minimums of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)—only reinforces the basic principle that “Apprendi is violated . . . only if [a 12 18 U.S.C. § 924 states, in relevant part: [A]ny person who, during and in relation to any crime of violence or drug trafficking crime . . . uses or carries a firearm, or who, in furtherance of any such crime, possesses a firearm, shall, in addition to the punishment provided for such crime of violence or drug trafficking crime— (i) be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years; (ii) if the firearm is brandished, be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 7 years; and (iii) if the firearm is discharged, be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years. 18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A). Nos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 31 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 defendant’s] sentence exceeds the statutory maximum permitted by the evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt before the jury and by his prior conviction.” Collins, 272 F.3d at 987. We reiterate that here, the evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt to the jury was that Santana possessed and intended to distribute an unspecified amount of crack cocaine. The statutory maximum set by § 841(b)(1)(C) for this crime is 30 years when the defendant, like Santana, has a prior felony drug conviction. Santana was sentenced to only 20 years; thus, Apprendi is inapplicable.