Court Opinion

ID: 9365304
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-23 18:00:48.737061+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:15:42.388991
License: Public Domain

USCA11 Case: 22-10747    Document: 28-1     Date Filed: 01/23/2023   Page: 1 of 9

                                               [DO NOT PUBLISH]
                                   In the
                United States Court of Appeals
                        For the Eleventh Circuit

                          ____________________

                                No. 22-10747
                          Non-Argument Calendar
                          ____________________

       UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
                                                      Plaintiff-Appellee,
       versus
       FRANK PIERRE,

                                                  Defendant-Appellant.

                          ____________________

                 Appeal from the United States District Court
                     for the Southern District of Florida
                   D.C. Docket No. 2:09-cr-14007-KMM-7
                          ____________________
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       2                         Opinion of the Court                      22-10747

       Before LAGOA, BRASHER, and BLACK, Circuit Judges.
       PER CURIAM:
              Frank Pierre, a federal prisoner counseled on appeal, appeals
       the denial of his motions for a sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C.
       § 3582(c)(2), pursuant to Amendment 782 to the Sentencing Guide-
       lines, and for compassionate release under § 3582(c)(1)(A), as
       amended by § 603(b) of the First Step Act. 1 He asserts the district
       court should have given more consideration to his motions based
       on his attempt to assist the State of Florida in a murder investiga-
       tion, his health and medical issues, the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors,
       the impact of COVID-19, the applicability of Amendment 782, and
       his adjustment to prison life. After review, 2 we affirm.

       1 First Step Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-391, 132 Stat. 5194, 5239 (Dec. 21,
       2018) (First Step Act).
       2 We review de novo the district court’s legal conclusions about the scope of
       its authority under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). United States v. Lawson, 686 F.3d
       1317, 1319 (11th Cir. 2012). If § 3582(c)(2) applies, we review the district
       court’s decision to grant or deny a sentence reduction for abuse of discretion.
       United States v. Caraballo-Martinez, 866 F.3d 1233, 1238 (11th Cir. 2017). We
       also review a district court’s denial of a prisoner’s 18 U.S.C.
       § 3582(c)(1)(A) motion under an abuse of discretion standard. United States v.
       Harris, 989 F.3d 908, 911 (11th Cir. 2021).
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       22-10747               Opinion of the Court                         3

                                 I. DISCUSSION
       A. 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) and Amendment 782
              A district court may modify a defendant’s term of imprison-
       ment if the defendant was sentenced based on a sentencing range
       that has subsequently been lowered by the Sentencing Commis-
       sion. 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). “This authority is limited to those
       guideline amendments listed in U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(c) that have the
       effect of lowering the defendant’s applicable guideline range.”
       United States v. Williams, 557 F.3d 1254, 1256 (11th Cir. 2009)
       (quotation marks omitted). Further, any reduction in sentence
       must be consistent with the Sentencing Commission’s policy state-
       ments. 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2).
               Amendment 782 to the Sentencing Guidelines altered the
       base offense levels applicable to certain drug offenses and is one of
       the listed guideline amendments that provides eligibility for relief
       under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2). See U.S.S.G. App. C, Amend.
       782 (2014); U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10(d). Under the Amendment, if a court
       attributes 150 to 450 kilograms of cocaine to a defendant, his base
       offense level is 36. U.S.S.G. App. C, Amend. 782 (2014).
              A district court must engage in a two-step analysis when
       considering a motion for a sentence reduction under § 3582(c)(2).
       United States v. Bravo, 203 F.3d 778, 780 (11th Cir. 2000). First, the
       court must determine the sentence it would have imposed, given
       the defendant’s amended guideline range and holding all other
       guideline findings made at the original sentencing constant. Id.
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       4                          Opinion of the Court                        22-10747

       Second, the court must determine, in its discretion, whether to re-
       duce the defendant’s sentence and, if so, to what extent. Id. at 781.
       In exercising that discretion, the court must consider the § 3553(a)
       factors. 3 Id.; U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10, comment. (n.1(B)(i)). The court
       also must consider the nature and seriousness of any danger a re-
       duction poses to persons or to the community and may consider a
       defendant’s post-sentencing conduct. Williams, 557 F.3d at 1256;
       U.S.S.G. § 1B1.10, comment. (n.1(B)((ii)-(iii)).
             Pierre has not established the district court abused its discre-
       tion when it denied his motion for a reduced sentence under
       § 3582(c)(2). Although Pierre was eligible for a sentence reduction
       under § 3582(c)(2), the district court found the § 3553(a) factors
       weighed against reducing his sentence.
              The district court explained that, because of Pierre’s “sub-
       stantial and violent criminal history,” his leadership role in the co-
       caine distribution organization, the seriousness of his crimes, and
       his possession of a firearm in furtherance of his crimes, he was not
       entitled to a reduced sentence under § 3582(c)(2). Additionally, it

       3 The § 3553(a) factors include: (1) the offense’s nature and circumstances and
       the defendant’s history and characteristics; the need to (2) reflect the offense’s
       seriousness; (3) afford adequate deterrence; (4) protect the public; (5) provide
       the defendant with educational or vocational training or medical care; to re-
       flect (6) the kinds of sentences available; (7) the advisory guideline range;
       (8) the pertinent U.S. Sentencing Commission policy statements; the need to
       (9) avoid unwarranted sentencing disparities; and (10) provide victims with
       restitution. 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
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       22-10747                Opinion of the Court                         5

       found Pierre’s sentence was “necessary to reflect the seriousness of
       the offense, to promote respect for the law, to provide just punish-
       ment for the offense, . . . to provide adequate deterrence of criminal
       conduct,” and to protect the public. Although Pierre was willing
       to assist the State of Florida in an ongoing murder investigation,
       that fact did not outweigh the § 3553(a) factors. The district court
       had the discretion to determine how much weight to give each of
       the § 3553(a) factors, and Pierre’s disagreement with the weight
       given to each factor is insufficient to show the district court abused
       its discretion when it weighed the factors. See United States v. Fra-
       zier, 823 F.3d 1329, 1333 (11th Cir. 2016) (explaining “[t]he district
       court has discretion to determine how much weight to grant to a
       specific § 3553(a) factor”).
              The record reflects the district court considered the perti-
       nent § 3553(a) factors and does not indicate the district court ap-
       plied an incorrect legal standard, followed improper procedures in
       making its determination, or made clearly erroneous findings of
       fact. See United States v. Jordan, 582 F.3d 1239, 1249 (11th Cir.
       2009) (stating a district court abuses its discretion if it “applies an
       incorrect legal standard, follows improper procedures in making
       the determination, or makes findings of fact that are clearly erro-
       neous” (quotation marks omitted)); United States v. Eggersdorf,
       126 F.3d 1318, 1322 (11th Cir. 1997) (stating a district court does
       not need to specifically articulate the applicability of each of the
       § 3553(a) factors, “as long as the record demonstrates that the per-
       tinent factors were taken into account by the district court”).
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       6                        Opinion of the Court                  22-10747

       Because Pierre has failed to establish the district court abused its
       discretion when it denied his motion for a reduced sentence under
       § 3582(c)(2), we affirm.
       B. 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)
               In the context of compassionate release, the statute provides
       that:
               [T]he court, upon motion of the Director of the Bu-
               reau of Prisons [(BOP)], or upon motion of the de-
               fendant after the defendant has fully exhausted all ad-
               ministrative rights to appeal a failure of the [BOP] to
               bring a motion on the defendant’s behalf or the lapse
               of 30 days from the receipt of such a request by the
               warden of the defendant’s facility, whichever is ear-
               lier, may reduce the term of imprisonment . . . after
               considering the factors set forth in section 3553(a) to
               the extent that they are applicable if it finds that . . .
               extraordinary and compelling reasons warrant such a
               reduction . . . .

       18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i). Section 1B1.13 of the Sentencing
       Guidelines provides the applicable policy statement for
       § 3582(c)(1)(A). U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13. The application notes to
       U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 list four categories of extraordinary and compel-
       ling reasons: (A) the defendant’s medical condition, (B) his age,
       (C) his family circumstances, and (D) other reasons. Id., comment.
       n.1(A)–(D). Moreover, in addition to determining that extraordi-
       nary and compelling reasons warrant a reduction, U.S.S.G.
       § 1B1.13 states the district court must also determine the defendant
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       22-10747               Opinion of the Court                         7

       is not a danger to the safety of others or the community, as pro-
       vided in 18 U.S.C. § 3142(g). Id. § 1B1.13(2).
               To grant a reduction under § 3582(c)(1)(A), district courts
       must find three necessary conditions are satisfied, which are: “sup-
       port in the § 3553(a) factors, extraordinary and compelling reasons,
       and adherence to § 1B1.13’s policy statement.” United States v.
       Tinker, 14 F.4th 1234, 1237-38 (11th Cir. 2021). District courts do
       not need to address these three conditions in any particular se-
       quence, as the absence of even one forecloses a sentence reduction.
       Id. at 1238.
               Pierre has not sufficiently challenged each of the district
       court’s independent grounds for denying his motion for compas-
       sionate release. See United States v. Maher, 955 F.3d 880, 885 (11th
       Cir. 2020) (“To obtain reversal of a district court judgment that is
       based on multiple, independent grounds, [an appellant] must con-
       vince us that every stated ground for the judgment against him is
       incorrect.” (quotation marks omitted)). Although Pierre chal-
       lenges the district court’s finding the § 3553(a) factors did not sup-
       port his early release, he fails to plainly and prominently argue the
       district court abused its discretion when it found he did not estab-
       lish an extraordinary and compelling reason for compassionate re-
       lease. See United States v. Jernigan, 341 F.3d 1273, 1283 n.8 (11th
       Cir. 2003) (stating an issue on appeal must be plainly and promi-
       nently raised in the party’s brief, and the brief must devote a dis-
       crete, substantial portion of the argument to that issue, or the issue
       will be deemed abandoned); see also United States v. Campbell, 26
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       8                       Opinion of the Court                 22-10747

       F.4th 860, 873 (11th Cir. 2022) (en banc) (holding issues not raised
       in an initial brief are deemed forfeited and will not be addressed
       absent extraordinary circumstances). Because a court “must find
       that all necessary conditions are satisfied before it grants a reduc-
       tion” under § 3583(c), the district court’s finding that Pierre did not
       establish extraordinary and compelling reasons to reduce his sen-
       tence was sufficient to preclude relief. See Tinker, 14 F.4th at 1237-
       38.
              Pierre argues the district court should have considered his
       health when it denied his motion. Pierre fails to assert his medical
       conditions rose to the level of an extraordinary and compelling rea-
       son to obtain compassionate release, or that the district court erred
       when it found he had not established an extraordinary and compel-
       ling reason to reduce his sentence. See Jernigan, 341 F.3d at 1283
       n.8; Campbell, 26 F.4th at 873. Likewise, Pierre does not contend
       the district court abused its discretion when it found he did not
       have a terminal illness that precluded his ability to provide self-care
       within the prison environment. See id.
              In any case, Pierre’s challenge to the district court’s assess-
       ment of the § 3553(a) factors fails for the same reasons as discussed
       with respect to his motion filed under § 3582(c)(2).
                                II. CONCLUSION
              The district court did not abuse its discretion when it found
       that, although Pierre was eligible for a reduced sentence under
       3582(c)(2), the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors did not support a
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       22-10747               Opinion of the Court                        9

       sentence reduction. Additionally, Pierre failed to adequately chal-
       lenge the district court’s finding he did not establish extraordinary
       and compelling reasons for compassionate release, which was one
       of the court’s independent grounds for denying his pro se motion
       under § 3582(c)(1)(A). Accordingly, we affirm.
             AFFIRMED.