Court Opinion

ID: 9353770
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-12 19:01:10.723943+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:11:36.999440
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-10752         Document: 00516608135             Page: 1      Date Filed: 01/12/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ____________
                                                                               United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                        Fifth Circuit
                                       No. 22-10752
                                     Summary Calendar                                 FILED
                                     ____________                               January 12, 2023
                                                                                 Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                          Clerk

                                                                      Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                             versus

   James L. Rudzavice,

                                               Defendant—Appellant.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                          for the Northern District of Texas
                               USDC No. 4:07-CR-138-1
                      ______________________________

   Before Stewart, Duncan, and Wilson, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          James L. Rudzavice, federal prisoner # 36844-177, was convicted of
   receiving child pornography and attempting to transfer obscene material to a
   minor, and he was sentenced to consecutive prison terms totaling 360
   months. United States v. Rudzavice, 586 F.3d 310, 312-13 (5th Cir. 2009).
   Proceeding pro se, Rudzavice appeals the district court’s denial of his motion
   for compassionate release pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i). We
          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-10752       Document: 00516608135          Page: 2    Date Filed: 01/12/2023

                                     No. 22-10752

   review the district court’s decision to deny a § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) motion for
   abuse of discretion. United States v. Chambliss, 948 F.3d 691, 693 (5th Cir.
   2020).
            Rudzavice asserts that the district court improperly relied on the
   policy statement of U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 in denying his motion. As he suggests,
   the policy statement at § 1B1.13 only applies to motions filed by the Bureau
   of Prisons. See United States v. Shkambi, 993 F.3d 388, 392 (5th Cir. 2021).
   Accordingly, we have concluded that district courts addressing § 3582
   motions filed by prisoners are not bound by that policy statement nor its
   commentary but rather are “bound only by § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) and . . . the
   sentencing factors in [18 U.S.C.] § 3553(a).” Id. at 393.
            Nevertheless, “we have regularly affirmed the denial of a
   compassionate-release motion—even in cases with a Shkambi problem—
   where the district court’s weighing of the Section 3553(a) factors can
   independently support its judgment.” United States v. Jackson, 27 F.4th
   1088, 1093 n.8 (5th Cir. 2022). In this case, the district court expressly
   determined that the § 3553(a) factors weighed against a sentence reduction.
   Although Rudzavice “may disagree with how the district court balanced the
   § 3553(a) factors, that is not a sufficient ground for reversal.” Chambliss, 948
   F.3d at 694. As for Rudzavice’s assertion that the district court judge was
   biased against him, we will not consider arguments raised for the first time
   on appeal. See Bower v. Quarterman, 497 F.3d 459, 475 (5th Cir. 2007).
            Because the district court did not abuse its discretion, the district
   court’s judgment is AFFIRMED.

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