Court Opinion

ID: 9479425
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 07:18:12.4171+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:47:02.100428
License: Public Domain

BOOCHEVER, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
Because I believe the Sentencing Guidelines, read in conjunction with the commentary sections, are not ambiguous as to whether conduct of which the defendant is not convicted can be aggregated to determine the total offense level, I respectfully dissent.
*787“The [Supreme] Court has emphasized that the ‘touchstone’ of the rule of lenity ‘is statutory ambiguity.’ ” Bifulco v. United States, 447 U.S. 381, 387, 100 S.Ct. 2247, 2252, 65 L.Ed.2d 205 (1980) (quoting Lewis v. United States, 445 U.S. 55, 65, 100 S.Ct. 915, 920, 63 L.Ed.2d 198 (1980)). “‘This policy of lenity means that the Court will not interpret a federal criminal statute so as to increase the penalty that it places on an individual when such an interpretation can be based on no more than a guess as to what Congress intended.’ ” Id. (emphasis added) (quoting Ladner v. United States, 358 U.S. 169, 178, 79 S.Ct. 209, 214, 3 L.Ed.2d 199 (1958)). If the intent is clear, however, courts cannot “manufacture ambiguity in order to defeat that intent.” Id.
I could agree with the majority opinion were it not for the amendments to the commentary in 1988.1 The commentary to section 1B1.3 provides that: “Similarly, in a drug distribution case, quantities and types of drugs not specified in the count of conviction are to be included in determining the offense level if they were part of the same course of conduct or part of a common scheme or plan as the count of conviction.” United States Sentencing Commission Sentencing Guidelines Manual 1.19 (January 15, 1988) [hereinafter Guidelines]. The commentary to section 1B1.3 further provides that “multiple convictions are not required.” Guidelines at 1.18 (January 15, 1988).
The majority finds this commentary inconsistent with provisions of the Multiple Counts section of the Guidelines referring to aggregating “all the counts of which the defendant is convicted”, Guidelines at 3.9 (October 1987), and section 3D1.1 referring to “when a defendant has been convicted of more than one count.... Guidelines at 3.10 (October 1987). Consequently, the majority applies the rule of lenity because “[a]t best, the Guidelines are ambiguous because they support both the interpretation offered by Restrepo and the interpretation offered by the Government.” Opinion at 11. The sections cited by the majority, however, do not limit the aggregated quantity to the amounts charged in the counts of which the defendant is convicted. They do not state that only the counts of which the defendant is convicted may be considered. There is no inconsistency, therefore, when another provision mandates adding quantities of drugs “not specified in the count of conviction ... if they were part of the same course of conduct or part of a common scheme or plan as the count of conviction.” See Guidelines § 1B1.3, commentary at 1.19 (January 15, 1988); see also United States v. Ruelas-Armenta, 684 F.Supp. 1048 (C.D.Cal.1988).
The Guidelines support the interpretation offered by Restrepo only if the commentary to the Guidelines is ignored. Section 1B1.7 of the Guidelines provides:
The Commentary that accompanies the guideline sections may serve a number of purposes. First, it may interpret the guideline or explain how it is to be applied. Failure to follow such commentary could constitute an incorrect application of the guidelines, subjecting the sentence to possible reversal on appeal. Second, the commentary may suggest circumstances which, in the view of the Commission, may warrant departure from the guidelines. Such commentary is to be treated as the legal equivalent of a policy statement.
Guidelines at 1.22 (January 15, 1988) (emphasis added) (citation omitted). The commentary to this section further provides that: “in seeking to understand the meaning of the guidelines courts likely will look to the commentary for guidance as an indication of the intent of those who wrote them. In such instances, the courts will treat the commentary much like legislative history or other legal material that helps determine the intent of a drafter.” Guidelines at 1.22 (January 15, 1988). In this case, I believe the Sentencing Commission’s intent is clear that conduct of which the *788defendant is neither charged nor convicted of may properly be used to adjust the offense level under Chapter 3 of the Guidelines, and consequently the policy of lenity may not be used to defeat this intent. See Bifulco, 447 U.S. at 387, 100 S.Ct. at 2252.
This case also raises the question whether the amended commentary may constitutionally be applied to conduct that occurred before the effective date of the amendments. If Restrepo furnished drugs to Maldonado before January 15, 1988, the effective date of the amended Guidelines, and those quantities were considered in the sentencing, I believe that an ex post facto question may be involved. See Miller v. Florida, 482 U.S. 423, 107 S.Ct. 2446, 96 L.Ed.2d 351 (1987). A difficult constitutional question would be presented as to whether the amended commentaries would be considered “laws” for purposes of the ex post facto clause. See Vermouth v. Corrothers, 827 F.2d 599, 604 (9th Cir.1987) (parole guidelines established by the Parole Commission were not “laws” for purposes of the ex post facto clause). Before attempting to resolve that difficult constitutional issue, however, it would be necessary to remand to the trial court for a determination of the exact dates when Res-trepo furnished drugs to Maldonado. I, therefore, would remand the case to the trial court for that purpose.

. 18 U.S.C. section 3553(a)(4) & (5) provide that the Sentencing Guidelines that "are in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced” are to be used by the sentencing court. Consequently since Restrepo was sentenced after the effective date of the amended Guidelines and commentary, the 1988 Guidelines would control.