Court Opinion

ID: 9394041
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-12 00:00:25.026746+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:57.128990
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-30812        Document: 00516747545             Page: 1      Date Filed: 05/11/2023

             United States Court of Appeals
                  for the Fifth Circuit
                                     ____________
                                                                               United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                        Fifth Circuit

                                      No. 22-30812                                     FILED
                                    Summary Calendar                                 May 11, 2023
                                    ____________
                                                                                 Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                      Clerk
   United States of America,

                                                                      Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                            versus

   Michael Short,

                                              Defendant—Appellant.
                     ______________________________

                     Appeal from the United States District Court
                        for the Eastern District of Louisiana
                              USDC No. 2:96-CR-232-1
                     ______________________________

   Before Jones, Haynes, and Oldham, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
         Michael Short, federal prisoner # 22355-034, appeals the denial of his
   motion for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) and
   sections 401 and 404 of the First Step Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-391, 132
   Stat. 5194, 5220, 5222 (2018) (FSA). We review for an abuse of discretion.

         _____________________
         *
             This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-30812       Document: 00516747545         Page: 2   Date Filed: 05/11/2023

                                    No. 22-30812

   See United States v. Lopez, 989 F.3d 327, 332 (5th Cir. 2021); United States v.
   Batiste, 980 F.3d 466, 469 (5th Cir. 2020).
            As he does not address the denial of § 3582(c)(2) relief based upon
   Amendment 599 to the Sentencing Guidelines, Short has abandoned any
   challenge to that denial. See Yohey v. Collins, 985 F.2d 222, 225 (5th Cir.
   1993).     The district court properly denied § 3582(c)(2) relief under
   Amendment 782 to the Sentencing Guidelines because Short’s base offense
   level was derived from the U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(c)(1)(B) cross-referenced to
   U.S.S.G. § 2A1.1(a), not U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c), such that his guidelines range
   was not lowered by Amendment 782. See United States v. Morgan, 866 F.3d
   674, 675–77 (5th Cir. 2017). Although Short argues that the district court
   misapplied the sentencing guidelines, miscalculated his guidelines range, and
   failed to explain its reasons for applying § 2A1.1, such arguments relating to
   his original sentencing are not cognizable in a § 3582(c)(2) motion. See
   United States v. Evans, 587 F.3d 667, 674 (5th Cir. 2009).
            Section 401 of the FSA does not apply retroactively to Short’s case
   since he was sentenced prior to its enactment. See United States v. McClaren,
   13 F.4th 386, 417 (5th Cir. 2021), cert. denied, 142 S. Ct. 1244 (2022).
   Further, none of the offenses for which he sought a sentence reduction under
   FSA § 404 constitutes a “covered offense” such that FSA § 404 affords him
   no grounds for relief. See United States v. Jackson, 945 F.3d 315, 319–20 (5th
   Cir. 2019).
            AFFIRMED.

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