Court Opinion

ID: 9483059
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 09:09:16.197063+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:49:23.228937
License: Public Domain

RONEY, Senior Circuit Judge,
dissenting in part:
I concur in all of the court’s opinion except the decision that the concealed possession of the toy gun requires sentence enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2B3.1(b)(2)(C) (Nov.1989). The commentary defining a dangerous weapon provides:
“Dangerous weapon” means an instrument capable of inflicting death or serious bodily injury. Where an object that appeared to be a dangerous weapon was brandished, displayed, or possessed, treat the object as a dangerous weapon.
U.S.S.G. § 1B1.1 comment, (n. 1(d)).
In order to reach its decision, the Court converts the word “appeared” in the above definition to “appears,” arguing that to do otherwise would read “possession” right out of the application note set forth in the commentary.
This reasoning, however, simply reads out of the commentary the words “was brandished, displayed, or possessed.” The Court’s converting the word “appeared” to “appears” makes the commentary effectively read: “Where an object appears to be a dangerous weapon, treat the object as a dangerous weapon.” The words “brandished, displayed, or possessed” become superfluous because the guideline itself picks up the possession once the object is determined to be a dangerous weapon: “if a dangerous weapon was brandished, displayed, or possessed, increase by 3 levels.” U.S.S.G. § 2B3.1(b)(2)(C) (Nov.1989).
If the word “appeared” is construed as meaning that the object which is not dangerous but looks dangerous must have made an appearance during the crime, however it is brandished, displayed, or possessed, then those words do not lose all significance in the commentary. It is possible that the toy gun could have appeared to be dangerous at the time of the crime without being brandished or displayed but merely by being possessed by the defendant. Concealed possession of a toy gun, however, does not satisfy the requirement that the object appeared to be. a dangerous weapon. If the Sentencing Commission had intended that an object which appears objectively to be dangerous should be treated in all respects as if it were a dangerous weapon, the commentary could have easily so provided..
All of the cases the Court and the Government cite involve situations where the crime victims saw the object which appeared to be dangerous. See United States v. Faulkner, 934 F.2d 190 (9th Cir. 1991) (defendant performed all of his charged robberies with aid of toy gun); United States v. Medved, 905 F.2d 935 (6th Cir.1990), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 111 S.Ct. 997, 112 L.Ed.2d 1080 (1991) (defendant pointing toy gun at bank tellers demanded money); United States v. Martinez-Jimenez, 864 F.2d 664 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 489 U.S. 1099, 109 S.Ct. 1576, 103 L.Ed.2d 942 (1989) (during bank robbery defendant held toy gun downward by his side which eyewitnesses thought was handgun); United States v. Mahler, 891 F.2d 75 (4th Cir.1989) (defendant waved replica of handgun at bank tellers and employees during robbery). No case has been called to our attention where the non-dangerous but appearing-to-be-dangerous object was concealed and not known to the victims of the criminal conduct.
Although, as the Court points out, it does seem that Shores would have shown the toy-gun had he not been stopped before he could enter the bank, that fact should not subject him to a sentence enhancement that does not specifically cover his situation. The question for this Court is not whether it might be appropriate to enhance Shores’ sentence in this case, but whether the Guidelines as interpreted in the commentary provide for enhancement.