Opinion

United States v. Karamchand Doobay

Court
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Filed
Jul 28, 2022
Status
Unpublished
Nature of suit
NEW
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 24.2%

The opinion

USCA11 Case: 21-13633 Date Filed: 07/28/2022 Page: 1 of 4

[DO NOT PUBLISH]

In the

United States Court of Appeals

For the Eleventh Circuit

____________________

No. 21-13633

Non-Argument Calendar

____________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

KARAMCHAND DOOBAY,

a.k.a. Raj Doobay,

Defendant-Appellant.

____________________

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Middle District of Florida

D.C. Docket No. 3:16-cr-00122-TJC-MCR-1

____________________

USCA11 Case: 21-13633 Date Filed: 07/28/2022 Page: 2 of 4

2 Opinion of the Court 21-13633

Before ROSENBAUM, GRANT, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

Karamchand Doobay appeals pro se the district court’s

denial of his motion for compassionate release. Meanwhile, the

government asks us to summarily affirm that decision. Seeing no

substantial question about the correctness of the district court’s

decision, we grant the government’s motion for summary

affirmance.

Doobay pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to

commit wire fraud and, in 2018, was sentenced to 151 months’

imprisonment. Near the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, he moved

for compassionate release, citing the increased health risks posed

by his medical conditions during the pandemic as an “extraordinary

and compelling” reason for his release. 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i).

The district court denied the motion. It held that the reasons

Doobay had given for release were not extraordinary and

compelling and that the sentencing factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)

advised against ending his prison term early. See id. § 3582(c)(1)(A).

Undaunted, Doobay renewed his compassionate-release

motion. He again argued that, because of the pandemic, his

medical conditions (specifically, his asthma and hypertension)

created a health risk that qualified as an extraordinary and

compelling reason to release him. He acknowledged that the

district court had already rejected that argument. But he

USCA11 Case: 21-13633 Date Filed: 07/28/2022 Page: 3 of 4

21-13633 Opinion of the Court 3

contended that a recent unpublished decision from this Court

established that these “risk-factors” warranted his release. In the

alternative, he asserted that the district court should order his

release because “material misrepresentations” by his counsel had

effectively denied him his right to appeal. He also asked the court

to reassess the sentencing factors.

The district court denied the motion. It concluded that

Doobay had once again failed to show that “extraordinary and

compelling reasons” warranted releasing him. See id.

§ 3582(c)(1)(A)(i). Under published precedent from this Court, it

explained, the circumstances given for release must be

“extraordinary and compelling” as defined in the applicable policy

statement from the Sentencing Commission, § 1B1.13 of the

Sentencing Guidelines, and neither circumstance he cited met that

definition. See United States v. Bryant, 996 F.3d 1243, 1262 (11th

Cir. 2021); U.S. Sentencing Guidelines § 1B1.13 & cmt. n.1 (Nov.

2018). The court also noted that Doobay’s reliance on the

unpublished opinion was “misplaced,” and that the sentencing

factors continued to counsel against his release.

This appeal followed, and the government moved for

summary affirmance of the district court’s order. Summary

affirmance is warranted when one of the parties is so “clearly right

as a matter of law” that “there can be no substantial question as to

the outcome of the case.” Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406

USCA11 Case: 21-13633 Date Filed: 07/28/2022 Page: 4 of 4

4 Opinion of the Court 21-13633

F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir. 1969). 1 And no substantial question exists

as to the proper outcome here; Doobay has not shown any

“extraordinary and compelling” reason to release him, as defined

in the applicable policy statement. See 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i);

U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 cmt. n.1. We therefore GRANT the

government’s motion for summary affirmance and DENY any

remaining motions pending in this appeal as moot.

1 This Court adopted as binding precedent all decisions of the former Fifth

Circuit handed down before October 1, 1981, in Bonner v. City of Prichard,

661 F.2d 1206, 1207 (11th Cir. 1981) (en banc).

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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