Court Opinion

ID: 9498300
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 17:14:04.159016+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:58:45.244541
License: Public Domain

LOKEN, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I join the opinion of the court. I write separately to note a disturbing violation of law by the United States Attorney’s office.
On August 19, 2004, the district court entered its Judgment in a Criminal Case against Shaun Ruff. The Judgment imposed the restitution obligation of $9,985 at issue on appeal; the court waived the payment of interest on that amount because it determined that Ruff does not have the ability to pay interest. The Schedule of Payments section of the Judgment then provided the following special instructions regarding the payment of restitution:
While incarcerated, the defendant shall make monthly payments in accordance with the Bureau of Prison’s Financial Responsibility Program. The amount of the monthly payments shall not exceed 50% of the funds available to the defendant through institution or non-institution (community) resources and shall not be less than $25 per quarter.
On September 1, 2004, a “Paralegal Specialist” in the U.S. Attorney’s office wrote counsel for Ruff demanding “payment in full” of the restitution amount within thirty days. That demand was a flagrant violation of the court’s Judgment. On December 14, 2004, an Assistant U.S. Attorney sent counsel for Ruff a “Notice of Default and Demand for Payment” advising that the demand for payment in full “has now been delinquent more than 90 days,” and purporting to assess penalties totaling 25% of the restitution obligation pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3612(g). The Assistant U.S. Attorney should have known that the demand for payment appeared to be unlawful on its face, in which case the statutory penalties could not be lawfully assessed. In addition, it appears that the earlier *777delinquency notice mandated by § 3612(d) was never sent. I urge the district court to investigate this apparent disregard of the law by the U.S. Attorney’s office and to take whatever action may be necessary to nullify any unlawful penalties that have been assessed.