Opinion ID: 166940
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Rodriguez’s Sentence

Text: Rodriguez contends on appeal that the district court erred in calculating his sentence on the basis of the methamphetamine found in the Suburban because the factual basis of his plea did not include a statement that he knew the methamphetamine was in the vehicle. Rodriguez’s argument can be summarized as follows: after the Supreme Court’s decision in Apprendi, § 841(b) must be read to include a requirement that before the enhanced penalties apply, a defendant must know of both the type and quantity of illegal drugs in his possession. The proper interpretation of § 841(b) under Apprendi is a question of law this court reviews de novo. United States v. Jackson, 240 F.3d 1245, 1247 (10th Cir. 2001). “The language of the statute is the starting place for any inquiry into a criminal statute’s mens rea requirements.” United States v. King, 345 F.3d 149, 152 (2d Cir. 2003) (quotation and alterations omitted), cert denied, 540 U.S. 1167 (2004); see also United States v. Nava-Sotelo, 354 F.3d 1202, 1204 (10th Cir. 2003) (“In interpreting a statute, we begin with the plain language of the statute itself.” (quotation omitted)). Although § 841(a) contains a specific mens rea requirement, no such requirement is set out in § 841(b). Compare 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) (“Except as authorized by this subchapter, it shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally . . . .”), with id. § 841(b) (“Except as otherwise provided in . . . this title, any person who violates subsection (a) of this section -18- shall be sentenced as follows . . . .”). Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in Apprendi, courts routinely held that § 841(b) imposed a strict liability punishment scheme based solely on the type and quantity of drugs possessed by the defendant and that a defendant’s knowledge of the type and quantity was not relevant to the sentencing decision. See, e.g., United States v. Valencia-Gonzalez, 172 F.3d 344, 346 (5th Cir. 1999); United States v. Strange, 102 F.3d 356, 361 (8th Cir. 1996); United States v. Salazar, 5 F.3d 445, 446 (9th Cir. 1993); United States v. Collado-Gomez, 834 F.2d 280, 281 (2d Cir. 1987). Rodriguez nevertheless argues that the Supreme Court’s decision in Apprendi, wherein the Court held that “[o]ther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt,” mandates that § 841(b) be reinterpreted as containing a mens rea requirement. 530 U.S. at 490. The problem with Rodriguez’s argument is that his knowledge of the type and quantity of drugs that he was carrying is not a fact that increases his punishment. This is so because knowledge is not an element of the sentencing enhancements set out in § 841(b). Instead, the only elements of the enhanced crimes set out in § 841(b) are the type and quantity of drug possessed. Each of the nine circuits to have considered this issue post-Apprendi has so held. King, 345 F.3d at 152-53 (holding that § 841(b) does not contain a mens rea -19- requirement and noting “the language of § 841 clearly conveys Congress’s intent to subject drug dealers to the enhancements provided in § 841(b) regardless of their awareness of drug type and quantity”); United States v. Browner, 336 F.3d 274, 276-77 (4th Cir.) (holding that Apprendi did not change the government’s mens rea burden under § 841 and “the defendant’s knowledge with regard to the exact nature, or for that matter the exact amount, of a controlled substance is not a fact that increases the penalty under § 841(b)”), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 936 (2003); United States v. Villarce, 323 F.3d 435, 439 (6th Cir. 2003) (holding Apprendi does not require proof of knowledge as to type or quantity of drugs); United States v. Gamez-Gonzalez, 319 F.3d 695, 699-700 (5th Cir.) (“Knowledge of drug type and quantity is not, in the words of Apprendi, a ‘fact that increases the [§ 841(b)] penalty.’” (emphasis omitted)), cert. denied, 538 U.S. 1068 (2003); United States v. Carranza, 289 F.3d 634, 644 (9th Cir. 2002) (“Apprendi did not change the long established rule that the government need not prove that the defendant knew the type and amount of a controlled substance that he imported or possessed; the government need only show that the defendant knew that he imported or possessed some controlled substance.” (emphasis omitted)); United States v. Collazo-Aponte, 281 F.3d 320, 326 (1st Cir. 2002) (“The plain language of § 841(b) requires the government to prove only that the offense ‘involved’ a particular type and quantity of drugs, not that the defendant knew that he was -20- distributing that particular type and quantity.” (emphasis omitted); United States v. Barbosa, 271 F.3d 438, 458 (3d Cir. 2001) (same); United States v. Carrera, 259 F.3d 818, 830 (7th Cir. 2001) (same); United States v. Sheppard, 219 F.3d 766, 768 n.2 (8th Cir. 2000) (same). We agree with the other circuits that have considered the question and conclude there is nothing in Apprendi that mandates importation of a scienter requirement into § 841(b). Thus, the district court correctly calculated Rodriguez’s sentence with reference to the methamphetamine found in the Suburban. Contrary to Rodriguez’s assertions, this rule is not inconsistent with this court’s opinion in Jones. In Jones, this court simply held that “the quantity of drugs involved in a violation of § 841 is an essential element of the offense if that fact exposes the defendant to a heightened maximum sentence under § 841(b)(1)(A) or (B).” 235 F.3d at 1236. There is nothing at all in Jones to indicate that Apprendi requires the imputation of a mens rea into § 841(b). In this case, Rodriguez admitted methamphetamine was found in the Suburban and did not contest the quantity found. Accordingly, the rule set out in Jones is satisfied here.