Court Opinion

ID: 9494071
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 15:28:39.633086+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:56:12.458009
License: Public Domain

MICHAEL, Circuit Judge, concurring in part and concurring in the judgment:
I respectfully disagree with the majority’s conclusion that the “distribution” referred to in U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(2) (1998) does not have to be for pecuniary gain. Section 2G2.2(b)(2) calls for an enhancement “[i]f the offense involved distribution” of child pornography. “Distribution,” according to Application Note 1, “includes any act related to distribution for pecuniary gain, including production, transportation, and possession with intent to distribute.” One question in this appeal is whether pecuniary gain must be a goal of distribution before § 2G2.2(b)(2)’s enhancement is triggered. I am convinced that it must be.
The majority’s interpretation of the guideline and the application note — that a showing of pecuniary gain is not required — boils down to two steps. First, the majority points out that the guideline itself, § 2G2.2(b)(2), does not mention pecuniary gain. It simply provides for an enhancement if the defendant engaged in distribution. Thus, unless the application note says otherwise, a showing of pecuniary gain is not required. Second, the majority states that the application note’s use of the word “includes” in “ ‘Distribution’ includes any act related to distribution for pecuniary gain” is not exhaustive. The note, according to the majority, simply provides an example of what constitutes distribution, that is, an “act related to distribution for pecuniary gain.” The majority therefore reduces the reference to pecuniary gain to a needless reminder that if the distribution is for pecuniary gain, it is still distribution and qualifies for the enhancement. There is nothing in the guideline that makes this reminder necessary, especially since the guideline by itself would cover all distribution. Thus, under the majority’s interpretation the words *797“for pecuniary gain” in the application note become meaningless and useless. The majority’s interpretation violates a fundamental canon of statutory construction — “that significance and effect shall, if possible, be accorded to every word.” Washington Market Co. v. Hoffman, 101 U.S. 112, 115, 25 L.Ed. 782 (1879).
Our charge is to interpret the application note so that the term “for pecuniary gain” is given meaning. “For pecuniary gain” can be given meaning only if the words serve as a limitation on conduct that constitutes distribution. What then is the extent of the limitation? It might be said that this limitation should apply only to the conduct that is added in the application note. Specifically, a showing of pecuniary gain would be required only when the defendant engages in an “act related to distribution ... [such as] production, transportation, and possession with intent to distribute.” This approach, however, would create an unsupportable distinction between “acts related to distribution” and “actual distribution.” There is no reason why a defendant who engages in an act related to distribution must act with pecuniary motive, but a defendant who actually distributes need not. Because this distinction is unsupportable, we should interpret “for pecuniary gain” as a limitation on all conduct constituting distribution. In short, the only logical reason for using the words “for pecuniary gain” is to limit the meaning of distribution. Distribution therefore means distribution for pecuniary gain.
This interpretation is consistent with the plain language of the application note. The note states that distribution “includes any act related to distribution for pecuniary gain.” The word “includes” signals that an “act related to distribution” is simply an illustration of what constitutes distribution. In other words, the use of “includes” indicates that other conduct, in addition to actual distribution, may constitute distribution. The word “includes,” however, has no impact on the term “for pecuniary gain.” The term “for pecuniary gain” modifies “distribution” and signifies that the core conduct under the guide-line is “distribution for ‘pecuniary gain,” not simply distribution.
Application Note 1 is not a model of clarity. Nevertheless, the only fair and sensible reading of the note is that the words “for pecuniary gain” limit “distribution” to “distribution for pecuniary gain.” For this reason, I must respectfully decline to join part II.A. of the majority opinion. Because I agree with the majority’s conclusion that Williams’s transaction qualifies as a distribution for pecuniary gain, I concur in part II.B. and in the judgment.