Court Opinion

ID: 9881718
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-03 18:00:39.870004+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:14:08.687321
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-40473       Document: 00516917317             Page: 1      Date Filed: 10/03/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit                                        United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                         Fifth Circuit

                                    ____________                                       FILED
                                                                                 October 3, 2023
                                     No. 22-40473                                 Lyle W. Cayce
                                   Summary Calendar                                    Clerk
                                   ____________

   United States of America,

                                                                    Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                           versus

   Tommy Ray Butler,

                                             Defendant—Appellant.
                    ______________________________

                    Appeal from the United States District Court
                         for the Eastern District of Texas
                             USDC No. 4:19-CR-159-9
                    ______________________________

   Before Jones, Southwick, and Ho, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam:*
           Tommy Ray Butler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent
   to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing
   cocaine and was sentenced to 262 months of imprisonment. His guidelines
   sentencing range was driven by the district court’s application of U.S.S.G.

           _____________________
          *
              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   should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set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: 22-40473     Document: 00516917317           Page: 2   Date Filed: 10/03/2023

                                    No. 22-40473

   § 4B1.1’s career offender provision in light of Butler’s two prior convictions
   for controlled-substance offenses.    Butler argued that one of his prior
   convictions did not qualify as a predicate offense because it was for
   conspiracy, and the text of the § 4B1.1 and U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(b), which
   defines the term “controlled substance offense,” does not include inchoate
   offenses like conspiracy.    The district court overruled the objection,
   reasoning that the commentary to § 4B1.2 states that conspiracy offenses are
   to be included. Butler timely appealed.
          After asserting that his guilty plea was knowing and voluntary, Butler
   argues in his opening brief that inchoate offenses should not be used as
   predicate offenses to enhance a sentence, but he couches his argument in
   terms of the Armed Career Criminal Act, which is inapplicable here. The
   Government argues in its brief that the § 4B1.1 enhancement was properly
   applied. After the Government’s brief was filed, our decision in United States
   v. Vargas, 74 F.4th 673, 698 (5th Cir. 2023) (en banc), foreclosed the issue
   against Butler. In his reply brief, Butler reiterated his argument against the
   § 4B1.1 career-offender enhancement.        We exercise our discretion to
   consider Butler’s reply-brief argument since, under the circumstances
   presented here, doing so would not surprise or disadvantage the
   Government. See United States v. Peterson, 977 F.3d 381, 394 n.5 (5th Cir.
   2020); United States v. Rodriguez, 602 F.3d 346, 361 (5th Cir. 2010); United
   States v. Ramirez, 557 F.3d 200, 203 (5th Cir. 2009).
          Butler correctly concedes that his § 4B1.1 argument is foreclosed by
   Vargas, 74 F.4th at 698. He raises the issue only to preserve it for further
   review.
          AFFIRMED.

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