Court Opinion

ID: 9393027
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-09 00:00:27.064789+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:50.463247
License: Public Domain

Case: 21-51188     Document: 00516742055         Page: 1     Date Filed: 05/08/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                ____________
                                                                     United States Court of Appeals
                                                                              Fifth Circuit
                                  No. 21-51188
                                Summary Calendar                            FILED
                                ____________                             May 8, 2023
                                                                       Lyle W. Cayce
   United States of America,                                                Clerk

                                                             Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                       versus

   Jaquantious Hutchison,

                                           Defendant—Appellant.
                  ______________________________

                  Appeal from the United States District Court
                       for the Western District of Texas
                          USDC No. 3:20-CR-2333-3
                  ______________________________

   Before Jones, Haynes, and Oldham, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam: *
          Jaquantious Hutchison appeals his sentence following his guilty plea
   conviction for possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of
   cocaine. Relying on the Ninth Circuit’s approach in United States v. Lopez,
   998 F.3d 431 (9th Cir. 2021), he contends that he is eligible for safety valve

          _____________________
          *
            Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this
   opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited
   circumstances set forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4.
Case: 21-51188      Document: 00516742055            Page: 2    Date Filed: 05/08/2023

                                      No. 21-51188

   relief under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) and that his statutory minimum sentence of
   120 months of imprisonment should be vacated. The Government has filed
   an opposed motion for summary affirmance or, in the alternative, for an
   extension of time to file a merits brief.
          Now, Hutchison’s argument is foreclosed by our recent decision in
   United States v. Palomares, 52 F.4th 640 (5th Cir. 2022), petition for cert. filed
   (U.S. Dec. 21, 2022) (No. 22-6391). Because Hutchison ran afoul of
   § 3553(f)(1)(A)’s requirement that he not have more than four criminal
   history points under the guidelines—which he does not dispute—he was
   ineligible for relief under § 3553(f). See Palomares, 52 F.4th at 647. We are
   not required to follow Hutchison’s request that we hold this case in abeyance
   pending the Supreme Court’s grant of certiorari on this issue. See United
   States v. Pulsifer, 39 F.4th 1018, 1021 (8th Cir. 2022), cert. granted, 143 S. Ct.
   978 (2023) (granting certiorari on this question). See also United States v.
   Treft, 447 F.3d 421, 425 (5th Cir. 2006); United States v. Islas-Saucedo,
   903 F.3d 512, 521 (5th Cir. 2018).
          In light of the foregoing, the judgment of the district court is
   AFFIRMED. The Government’s motion for summary affirmance and
   alternative motion for an extension of time to file a brief are DENIED. See
   United States v. Bailey, 924 F.3d 1289, 1290 (5th Cir. 2019).

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