Petition for Writ of Certiorari — Marc Dutch, Petitioner v. United States
Supreme Court briefMar 12, 2019
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No. ______
In the
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
MARC DUTCH, Petitioner
v.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondent
On Petition for Writ of Certiorari to
the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Petition for Writ of Certiorari
STEPHEN P. MCCUE
Federal Public Defender
BRIAN A. PORI*
Assistant Federal Public Defender
111 Lomas Blvd., NW, Suite 501
Albuquerque, N.M. 87102
Telephone: (505) 346-2489
Facsimile: (505) 346-2494
E-mail: brian_pori@fd.org
Attorneys for the Petitioner
* Counsel of Record
Questions Presented for Review
Given that the Sixth Amendment and Apprendi prohibit a sentencing judge
from finding facts about a prior conviction, does 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1)’s
requirement that prior convictions be “committed on occasions different
from one another,” require such facts to be alleged in the indictment and
proved to the jury or admitted by the defendant?
i
Table of Contents
Questions Presented for Review..................................................................... i
Table of Authorities ...................................................................................... iv
Opinions Below ............................................................................................. 1
Statement of Jurisdiction .............................................................................. 1
Pertinent Constitutional & Statutory Provisions........................................... 2
Statement of the Case .................................................................................... 2
Reasons for Granting the Writ ...................................................................... 3
Review is necessary to address whether Mr. Dutch’s sentence
enhancement under the ACCA conflicts with Apprendi’s requirement to
prove that he had three previous convictions for offenses “committed
on occasions different from one another.” ............................................... 3
A. The exception to Apprendi for the “fact of a prior conviction”
applies to the simple fact of a prior conviction not facts about a
prior conviction. ............................................................................. 5
B. The determination whether previous convictions were for
offenses “committed on occasions different from one another”
requires finding facts about prior convictions, not the simple fact
of a prior conviction. ...................................................................... 7
1. The plain language of the ACCA shows these facts are subject to
the rule of Apprendi. .................................................................... 8
2. Cases that have interpreted the phrase “committed on
occasions different from on another” confirm its highly factspecific nature............................................................................ 10
3. The Tenth Circuit’s reliance on Michel is problematic as it is
contrary to intervening precedent from this Court. ..................... 13
C. This Court should reverse the Tenth Circuit’s decision to remand
for resentencing...............................................................................17
ii
Conclusion ................................................................................................. 18
iii
Table of Authorities
Cases
Apprendi v. New Jersey
530 U.S. 466 (2000) .................................. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17
Descamps v. United States
133 S.Ct. 2276 (2013) .................................................. 6, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17
Hayes v. United States
555 U.S. 415 (2009) ...................................................................... 6, 7, 9, 12
Johnson v. United States
135 S.Ct. 2551 (2015) ................................................................................. 9
Mathis v. United States
__ U.S. __, 136 S.Ct. 2243 (2016) ........4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
Nijhawan v. Holder
557 U.S. 29 (2009).................................................................. 6, 7, 9, 10, 12
Shepard v. United States
544 U.S. 13 (2005) ......................................................................... 15, 17, 18
Taylor v. United States
495 U.S. 575 (1990) ............................................................................. 9, 12
United States v. Brooks
751 F.3d 1204 (10th Cir. 2014)................................................................. 13
United States v. Harris
447 F.3d 1300 (10th Cir. 2006) ............................................................... 13
United States v. McElyea
158 F.3d 1016 (9th Cir. 1998) ............................................................. 11, 12
United States v. Michel
446 F.3d 1122 (10th Cir. 2006) ..................................................... 13, 14, 16
iv
Table of Authorities (continued)
Cases
United States v. Petty
798 F.2d 1157, vacated 481 U.S. 1034, 107 S.Ct. 1968, on remand, 828
F.2d 2 (8th Cir. 1987) ......................................................................... 11, 12
United States v. Thompson
421 F.3d 278 (4th Cir. 2005) ................................................................... 14
United States v. Tisdale
921 F.2d 1095 (10th Cir. 1990) ........................................................... 10, 12
Federal Statutes
18 U.S.C. § 2 .................................................................................................. 3
18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) ......................................................................................... 3
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) ..................................................................................... 3
18 U.S.C. § 924 .............................................................................................. 2
18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1).......................................................................... 3, 7, 8, 9
28 U.S.C. § 1254(1) ........................................................................................ 2
State Statutes
California Penal Code § 459 .........................................................................17
v
In the
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
MARC DUTCH, Petitioner
v.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondent
Petition for Writ of Certiorari
Marc Dutch petitions for a writ of certiorari to review the judgment
and opinion of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in
his case.
Opinions Below
The Tenth Circuit issued an unpublished decision to reverse the
district court’s sentence in United States v. Marc Dutch, Case No. 172219. 1 Mr. Dutch filed a petition for rehearing en banc which the court
denied. 2
Statement of Jurisdiction
On November 1, 2018, the Tenth Circuit reversed the district court’s
1 App. 1a-6a (Tenth Circuit Order); App. 7a-22a (transcript of District
Court’s oral ruling at sentencing). “App.” refers to the attached appendix.
“Doc.” refers to the number of the document on the district court criminal
docket sheet in No. 16-CR-01424-MV.
2 App. 23a.
1
decision not to impose an enhanced sentence under the Armed Career
Criminal Act (ACCA), 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1). 3 On December 18, 2018, the
circuit court denied Mr. Dutch’s petition for rehearing en banc.
This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1254(1). According
to this Court’s Rules 13.1 and 13.3 and 28 U.S.C. § 2101(c), this petition is
timely filed on or before March 18, 2019.
Pertinent Constitutional & Statutory Provisions
U.S. Const. amend. VI:
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a
speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district
wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall
have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the
nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the
witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining
witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his
defence.
18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1):
In the case of a person who violates section 922(g) of this title and has
three previous convictions by any court referred to in section 922(g)(1) of
this title for a violent felony ... committed on occasions different from one
another, such person shall be ... imprisoned not less than fifteen years,
and, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court shall not
suspend the sentence of, or grant a probationary sentence to, such
person with respect to the conviction under section 922(g).
Statement of the Case
Mr. Dutch pled guilty to a one-count indictment handed down by a
3 App. 7a-22a
2
federal grand jury in the District of New Mexico which charged him with
violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), possessing a firearm after having been
convicted of a felony. The probation office and the government contended
Mr. Dutch was subject to the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) based on
Mr. Dutch’s 2006 convictions for three counts of bank robbery in violation
of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2,
all charged in one indictment. The government proffered only the
indictment, a plea agreement that contained no dates, and the judgment in
the 2006 case. Mr. Dutch objected, arguing the ACCA did not apply to him
because the government did not prove the bank robberies were committed
on different occasions as required by 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1).
The district court, exercising jurisdiction under 18 U.S.C. § 3231,
determined the government had not proven Mr. Dutch’s 2006 convictions
were for offenses committed on different occasions. The Government
appealed. Exercising jurisdiction under 18 U.S.C. § 3742 and 28 U.S.C. §
1291, the Tenth Circuit Court reversed.
Reasons for Granting the Writ
Review is necessary to address whether Mr. Dutch’s sentence
enhancement under the ACCA conflicts with Apprendi’s
requirement to prove that he had three previous convictions for
offenses “committed on occasions different from one another.”
Marc Dutch’s sentence enhancement under 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1)
3
conflicts with this Court’s recent holding in Mathis v. United States, __
U.S. __, 136 S.Ct. 2243 (2016). To avoid running afoul of the Sixth
Amendment and Apprendi, 4 Mathis clarified that a federal sentencing
judge cannot find facts about a prior conviction and should do no more
than “determine what crime, with what elements, the defendant was
convicted of.” Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2252. Because determining whether
prior convictions were for offenses “committed on occasions different from
one another” would require a judge to do more, these factual
determinations fall within Apprendi, rather than its “prior conviction”
exception. 530 U.S. at 490 (“Other than the fact of a prior conviction, any
fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory
maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable
doubt.”) Therefore, per Apprendi, these facts must be alleged in the
indictment and proved to the jury or admitted by the defendant. Because in
this case they were not, Mr. Dutch’s 15-year sentence enhancement is
unlawful.
In its Order and Judgment, the Tenth Circuit did not discuss Mathis’
holding, and only cited it to cursorily dismiss Mr. Dutch’s contention that
the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) enhancement runs afoul of the
4 Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000)
4
Sixth Amendment. The panel relied on cases predating Mathis which
permitted judicial fact finding for prior offenses occurring on different
occasions, but entirely disregarded Mathis’ subsequent impact. Because
this Court’s subsequent Sixth Amendment jurisprudence eroded those
cases, review of the Tenth Circuit’s decision is appropriate.
A. The exception to Apprendi for the “fact of a prior
conviction” applies to the simple fact of a prior conviction
not facts about a prior conviction.
The Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution require any
fact that increases the statutory maximum or minimum penalty for a crime
to be charged in the indictment, submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a
reasonable doubt. Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490. One “narrow” exception
allows a sentencing court to find “the fact of a prior conviction.” Apprendi,
530 U.S. at 490.
To fit within this narrow exception, the prior conviction must have
been obtained in proceedings which afforded the right to a jury trial and
proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 488, 496.
Significantly, the features of the prior conviction triggering the increased
penalty must have been elements of the prior offense—that is, facts the jury
had to find beyond a reasonable doubt to sustain the conviction. See
Mathis, 133 S.Ct. at 2248, 2252 (noting Sixth Amendment concerns). When
5
utilizing Apprendi’s exception, the sentencing judge cannot find facts about
the prior conviction and is limited to determining “what crime, with what
elements, the defendant was convicted of.” Id. at 2252; see also Descamps
v. United States, 133 S.Ct. 2276, 2288 (2013) (“the only facts the court can
be sure the jury so found are those constituting elements of the offense—as
distinct from amplifying but legally extraneous circumstances”).
However, if features of the prior convictions triggering the increased
sentence are not “the simple fact of a prior conviction,” but include
circumstances requiring the judge to “explore the manner in which the
defendant committed that offense,” Apprendi’s exception does not apply.
Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2252. Under the Constitution, the general rule of
Apprendi applies, not its exception. Id.; see also Nijhawan v. Holder, 557
U.S. 29, 40 (2009) (whether prior fraud conviction caused loss to victim
exceeding $10,000 is fact about a prior conviction that must, in a criminal
case, be proved to jury beyond a reasonable doubt); cf. Hayes v. United
States, 555 U.S. 415, 426 (2009) (whether prior crime of violence was
committed against a victim with a specified domestic relationship to
defendant is a fact about a prior conviction that must be proved to jury
beyond a reasonable doubt). To permit a judge to make such
determinations would permit the judge to go beyond the fact of a prior
6
conviction, to find facts about that conviction. The Fifth and Sixth
Amendments prohibit this. Mathis, 133 S.Ct. at 2252; Nijhawan, 557 U.S.
at 40; Hayes, 555 U.S. at 426.
B. The determination whether previous convictions were for
offenses “committed on occasions different from one
another” requires finding facts about prior convictions,
not the simple fact of a prior conviction.
The ACCA mandates a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence if a
defendant is convicted of being a felon in possession after sustaining three
previous convictions for a “violent felony” or “serious drug offense,” where
the offenses were “committed on occasions different from one another.” 18
U.S.C. § 924(e). This Court has held that the issue of whether a previous
conviction qualifies as a “violent felony” or a “serious drug offense” is a fact
which falls within Apprendi’s narrow exception, reasoning that if the
categorical approach is applied properly, the sentencing court determines
no more than “what crime, with what elements, the defendant was
convicted of.” Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2252.
But this Court has never held that whether previous convictions were
for offenses “committed on occasions different from one another” is a fact
that falls within the narrow exception. It does not. Whether offenses were
committed on different occasions is not a “simple fact of a prior conviction”
that a court can determine, using the categorical approach, consistent with
7
Apprendi. Instead, this secondary determination calls for wide-ranging
factual findings about the convictions that will rarely be elements of the
prior offense. Therefore, these temporal facts fit within the rule of Apprendi
rather than its exception. They must be charged in the indictment and
proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. The plain language of the
statute, the manner in which it has been interpreted, and recent precedent
from this Court emphasizing the constitutional underpinnings of the
categorical approach, all lead to this conclusion.
1. The plain language of the ACCA shows these facts are
subject to the rule of Apprendi.
In determining the meaning of a statute, this Court looks first to the
text and plain meaning of the statute. United States v. Temple, 105 U.S.
97, 99 (1881). Section 924(e)(1) provides:
In the case of a person who violates section 922(g)
of this title and has three previous convictions by
any court . . . for a violent felony or a serious drug
offense, or both, committed on occasions different
from one another, such person shall be fined
under this title and imprisoned not less than
fifteen years. . . .
(emphasis added). Because the statute expressly requires a showing that
the offenses have been committed in a specific way—on occasions different
from one another—the plain language of the statute describes not the fact
of a prior conviction, but facts about the prior offenses, facts that are
neither susceptible to a categorical analysis nor subject to Apprendi’s prior
8
conviction exception.
The use of the word “committed”—as opposed to convicted—is
significant. In Taylor v. United States, 495 U.S. 575 (1990), this Court
grounded the categorical approach in the specific language of § 924(e)(1).
The Court noted that the portion of the statute at issue there “refers to ‘a
person who . . . has three previous convictions’ for—not a person who
committed—three previous violent felonies or drug offenses.” Id. at 600.
The statute’s reference to a defendant’s convictions mandated the inquiry
be limited to whether the statutory definition of the prior convictions
placed the prior convictions categorically within the definitions for violent
felony or serious drug offense. Id. This Court has returned to this
distinction between conviction and commission in determining whether a
statute’s reference to features of a prior conviction calls for a categorical or
a circumstance-specific approach. See, e.g., Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2252
(convicted means categorical); Johnson v. United States, 135 S.Ct. 2551,
2562 (2015) (convicted means categorical); Descamps, 133 S.Ct. at 2287-88
(convicted means categorical); Nijhawan, 557 U.S. at 37-38 (committed
means circumstance-specific); Hayes, 555 U.S. at 426 (committed means
circumstance-specific).
Here, § 924(e)(1) refers not to convictions for specified categories of
9
offenses, but to offenses “committed on occasions different from one
another.” The use of the word committed was intentional and indicates
the factfinder may consider not only the elements of the crime of which
Mr. Dutch was convicted but his actual conduct. As such, the application of
the circumstance-specific approach places the facts at issue squarely
within the rule of, rather than the exception to, Apprendi. Nijhawan,
557 U.S. at 40.
2. Cases that have interpreted the phrase “committed on
occasions different from on another” confirm its highly
fact-specific nature.
The plain-language, circumstance-specific meaning conveyed by the
statute’s use of the word “committed” is reinforced by cases interpreting
the requirement that offenses be “committed on occasions different from
one another.” For example, in United States v. Tisdale, 921 F.2d 1095
(10th Cir. 1990), decided prior to Apprendi, the 10th Circuit Court looked
to the specific circumstances of how the defendant committed his
previous offenses to determine whether they were committed on
occasions different from one another. In Tisdale, the Court held three
burglary convictions could be counted separately despite the fact they
occurred one the same day, inside one shopping mall. This Court held that
because the offenses took place inside three separate establishments and
10
were not committed simultaneously, they constituted “separate and
distinct criminal episodes.” 953 F.2d at 497-98, 499. Tisdale
distinguished its outcome from an Eighth Circuit case, United States v.
Petty, 798 F.2d 1157, vacated 481 U.S. 1034, 107 S.Ct. 1968, on remand,
828 F.2d 2 (8th Cir. 1987). There, the Court held that Petty’s six prior
robbery convictions could not be counted separately because the offenses
arose out of an incident during which he simultaneously robbed six
different people in one location. In yet another case out of the Ninth
Circuit, United States v. McElyea, 158 F.3d 1016 (9th Cir. 1998), the
Court held that two prior burglary convictions could not be counted
separately because the offenses were committed against two adjacent
establishments in a strip mall, and the second offense was committed by
chopping a hole in the wall between them. 158 F.3d at 1018. Because the
record did not contain sufficient information about how the offenses were
committed—including the amount of time McElyea spent in each store or
whether he stayed in one store while his accomplice entered the other—
this Court could not say that the burglaries were “separate and distinct
criminal episodes.” Id. at 1021.
These cases illustrate that a Court’s interpretation of whether crimes
are “committed on occasions different from one another” has been highly
11
fact-specific. In McElyea, the convictions were not for offenses committed
on occasions different from one another because they were for burglaries
of adjoining stores, whereas the Court in Tisdale reached the opposite
conclusion where the burglaries occurred at different businesses inside one
mall. The Petty Court considered additional factors, and held simultaneity
affected the analysis. These are not differences based on the “fact of a prior
conviction.” Rather, they are differences based on facts about the prior
offenses. Apprendi mandates such facts must be submitted to a jury.
Nijhawan, 557 U.S. at 40; Hayes, 555 U.S. at 426.
The conclusion that these facts are subject to Apprendi’s rule is
confirmed by this Court’s recent decisions in Mathis and Descamps, which
have emphasized the Sixth Amendment underpinnings of Taylor’s
categorical approach. “The Sixth Amendment contemplates that a jury—
not a sentencing court—will find [sentence-enhancing] facts, unanimously
and beyond a reasonable doubt.” Descamps, 133 S.Ct. at 2288. “And the
only facts the court can be sure [a prior] jury found are those constituting
elements of the offense—as distinct from amplifying but legally extraneous
circumstances.” Id. When utilizing the Apprendi exception for the “simple
fact of a prior conviction,” the federal sentencing judge “can do no more,
consistent with the Sixth Amendment, than determine what crime, with
12
what elements, the defendant was convicted of.” Mathis,136 S.Ct. at 2252.
Because the issue of whether three previous convictions were committed
on occasions different from one another will rarely, if ever, be elements of
the prior offenses of conviction, these facts are subject to the rule of
Apprendi, not its exception.
3. The Tenth Circuit’s reliance on Michel is
problematic as it is contrary to intervening
precedent from this Court.
In its decision, the Tenth Circuit Court contended that United States
v. Michel, 446 F.3d 1122 (10th Cir. 2006),5 permits courts rather than
juries to find the sequence of prior offenses, and therefore that this
information falls within Apprendi’s narrow exception, not its rule. This
reading of Michel is “contrary” to Mathis, 135 S.Ct. at 2252, and
Descamps, 133 S.Ct. at 2288. United States v. Brooks, 751 F.3d 1204, 1209
(10th Cir. 2014) (rule preventing one panel of this court from overruling an
earlier panel’s decision does not apply when this Court issues an
intervening decision that is “contrary to” or “invalidates” previous
analysis). Therefore, Michel is not controlling.
In Michel, this Court held the government was not required to plead
5 The Court also cites to United States v. Harris, 447 F.3d 1300 (10th Cir.
2006), a case that relied on Michel to reach an identical holding. Because
Michel contains the controlling precedent, arguments herein address the
fallacies of that case in particular while the analysis extends to its progeny.
13
and prove beyond a reasonable doubt the sequence of an ACCA
defendant’s prior burglary convictions. Michel, 488 F.3d at 1132-1133.
This Court rejected Michel’s argument that the date of an offense fell
outside Apprendi’s prior-conviction exception. Id. Rather, this Court held
the determination of whether prior convictions “occurred on occasions
different from one another” was a factual issue “inherent in the convictions
themselves, and thus…not among the kind of facts extraneous to a
conviction” requiring a jury finding. Id. (quoting United States v.
Thompson, 421 F.3d 278 (4th Cir. 2005)). This Court held the date on
which a defendant committed the offense was part of the “fact of a prior
conviction” that could be found by the sentencing judge to increase the
statutory maximum term.
Intervening authority from this Court undercuts the extent Michel
can be read to allow a federal sentencing judge to find offenses underlying
previous convictions were “committed on occasions different from one
another.” In Mathis, this Court held the federal sentencing judge “can do
no more, consistent with the Sixth Amendment, than determine what
crime, with what elements, the defendant was convicted of.” Mathis, 136
S.Ct. at 2252. “Elements” are “the ‘constituent parts of a crime’s legal
definition—the things the ‘prosecution must prove to sustain a
14
conviction.’” Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2248 (quoting Black’s Law Dictionary
634 (10th ed. 2014)). “At a trial, they are what the jury must find beyond a
reasonable doubt to convict the defendant; and at a plea hearing they are
what the defendant necessarily admits when he pleads guilty.” Mathis, 136
S.Ct. at 2248 (internal citations omitted). “Facts, by contrast, are mere
real-world things—extraneous to the crime’s legal requirements.” Id.
This Court explained Apprendi required this limitation that “only a
jury, and a not a judge, may find facts that increase a maximum penalty,
except for the simple fact of a prior conviction.” Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2252
(citing Apprendi, 530 U.S. at 490). It explained Apprendi’s requirement
“means a judge cannot go beyond identifying the crime of conviction to
explore the manner in which the defendant committed the offense.”
Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2252 (citation omitted). “He is prohibited from
conducting such an inquiry himself; and so too he is barred from making a
disputed determination about ‘what the defendant and state judge must
have understood to be the factual basis of the prior plea’ or ‘what the jury
in a prior trial must have accepted as the theory of the crime.’” Mathis, 136
S.Ct. at 2252 (quoting Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13, 25 (2005);
Descamps, 133 S.Ct. at 2288).
Under Mathis, the date of an offense, or whether specific
15
circumstances of several offenses show they were separate and distinct
criminal episodes, are not elements of a prior conviction that the Sixth
Amendment permits a sentencing judge to determine. The “committed on
occasions different from one another” inquiry does not ask “what crime,
with what elements, the defendant was convicted of.” Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at
2252. It does not describe something “the prosecution must prove to
sustain a conviction.” Id. at 2248. It asks about more than “the simple fact
of a prior conviction.” Id. at 2252. It asks about a “real-world thing,” and to
resolve the issue the court must “go beyond identifying the crime of
conviction to explore the manner in which the defendant committed the
offense.” Id. at 2248, 2252. To the extent Michel held otherwise, it cannot
be reconciled with Mathis.
Likewise, in Descamps, this Court specifically and forcefully
rejected the Ninth Circuit Court’s prior approach to the ACCA, which
allowed a sentencing court to find facts about a prior conviction that were
not elements of the prior offense. Descamps, 133 S.Ct. at 2288-2289.
Emphasizing the Sixth Amendment underpinnings of the categorical
approach, this Court reiterated “that ‘[o]ther than the fact of a prior
conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the
prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved
16
beyond a reasonable doubt.’” Id. at 2288 (quoting Apprendi, 530 U.S. at
490). By finding the defendant’s prior conviction for burglary under
California Penal Code § 459 involved an unlawful entry, even though that
was not an element of the offense of conviction, the district “court did just
what [this Court] ha[d] said it cannot: rely on its own finding about a nonelemental fact to increase a defendant’s maximum sentence.” Descamps,
133 S.Ct. at 2289.
The only facts the federal sentencing court can be sure a prior jury
found are those facts that constitute elements of the prior offense of
conviction. Mathis, 136 S.Ct. at 2248, 2252; Descamps, 133 S.Ct. at 2288.
Whether prior offenses were “committed on occasions different from one
another,” will rarely, if ever, be elements a prior jury will have found
unanimously beyond a reasonable doubt. Because these facts are not
susceptible to the categorical approach, they are not subject to Apprendi’s
narrow exception. If there were doubt on this issue, the statute must be
interpreted to avoid the constitutional question. Shepard, 544 U.S. at 2526.
C. This Court should reverse the Tenth Circuit’s decision to
remand for resentencing.
While Mr. Dutch’s 2005 indictment refers vaguely to three separate
dates of robberies by alleging that they were committed “on or about” a
17
certain day, the plea failed to specify that Mr. Dutch had three prior
convictions for offenses “committed on occasions different from one
another.” (Doc. 34-1) The 2016 indictment references a singular bank
robbery, but provides no other details. (Doc. 2) There is no indication that
he ever affirmatively admitted the factors used to increase his sentence at
the prior sentencing hearing, and as such, the evidence was insufficient to
support the 15-year ACCA sentence. The district court properly exercised
restraint as instructed by Mathis and Decamps and did not go beyond
identifying the crime of conviction to explore the manner in which the
defendant committed the offense. The judge appropriately refrained from
conducting an inquiry about what the defendant and the plea-judge must
have understood as the factual basis of the prior plea. See Shepard, 544
U.S. at 25-26 (2005) (“The rule of reading statutes to avoid serious risks of
unconstitutionality… counsels us to limit the scope of judicial factfinding on
the disputed generic character of a prior plea[.]”) To avoid a constitutional
infirmity, this Court should reverse the Tenth Circuit’s decision.
Conclusion
This Court should grant its writ of certiorari to protect the
constitutional principles enshrined in the Sixth Amendment and Apprendi.
Because determining whether prior offenses were “committed on occasions
18
different from another” under ACCA is a fact-intensive inquiry, tallying
prior offenses should be a task assigned to a properly-instructed jury.
Respectfully submitted,
STEPHEN MCCUE
Federal Defender
DATED: March 12, 2019
s/ Brian A. Pori
BRIAN A. PORI
Attorney for the Petitioner &
Counsel of Record
Office of the Federal Public Defender
District of New Mexico
111 Lomas Blvd., NW, Suite 501
Albuquerque, N.M. 87102
Telephone: (505) 346-2489
Facsimile: (505) 346-2494
E-mail: brian_pori@fd.org
19
APPENDIX
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
November 1, 2018
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v.
MARC DUTCH,
No. 17-2219
(D.C. No. 1:16-CR-01424-MV-1)
(D.N.M)
Defendant - Appellee.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT*
Before LUCERO, EBEL, and PHILLIPS, Circuit Judges.
The government appeals the sentence of Marc Dutch. It contends the district
court erred in refusing to apply the Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA”). We
agree with the government that the ACCA governs because Dutch’s prior crimes
were “committed on occasions different from one another.” 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1).
Exercising jurisdiction under 18 U.S.C. § 3742(b), we reverse and remand for
resentencing.
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines
of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its
persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1.
Appendix 1a
I
In 2016, Dutch was arrested after fleeing the scene of a traffic accident.
Officers discovered a loaded revolver and ammunition in a subsequent search. Dutch
pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18
U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Dutch’s Presentence Investigation Report recommended that he be subject to
the ACCA based on three prior bank robbery convictions. In 2006, Dutch pled guilty
to three counts of bank robbery and aiding and abetting in violation of 18 U.S.C.
§§ 2113(a) and 2. The government offered the indictment, Dutch’s plea agreement,
and the judgment from that case. According to the indictment, the bank robberies
occurred on or about: (1) November 12, 2005, at First Financial Credit Union, 2700
San Mateo Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM; (2) November 25, 2005, at Ironstone
Bank, 7300 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM; and (3) November 26, 2005, at Sandia
Laboratory Federal Credit Union, 3707 Juan Tabo Blvd., Albuquerque, NM.
The district court concluded that the government had not met its burden to
establish the ACCA applied because the record did not indicate whether Dutch’s
crimes occurred on different occasions or as part of one continuous drug-fueled
enterprise. It noted that Dutch’s long history of substance abuse and mental illness
likely deprived him of a meaningful opportunity to cease his criminal conduct.
Dutch was sentenced to 60 months. The government timely appealed.
2
Appendix 2a
II
We review the district court’s decision whether to apply the ACCA de novo.
United States v. Delossantos, 680 F.3d 1217, 1219 (10th Cir. 2012). A defendant is
subject to an enhanced sentence under the ACCA if he has three prior violent felony or
serious drug offense convictions that were “committed on occasions different from one
another.” § 924(e)(1). The government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence
that prior offenses occurred on different occasions. Delossantos, 680 F.3d
at 1219.
This court has repeatedly held that predicate offenses occurred on different
occasions for the purposes of § 924(e)(1) when the offenses took place at different
times or locations. See United States v. Harris, 447 F.3d 1300, 1305 n.2 (10th Cir.
2006) (“Separateness under the ACCA turns on when and where the crimes were
committed.”); United States v. Michel, 446 F.3d 1122, 1134 (10th Cir. 2006)
(enhancement applied because defendant “committed three successive criminal incidents
at three separate locations against three different victims”); United States v.
Johnson, 130 F.3d 1420, 1431 (10th Cir. 1997) (“[O]ffenses committed at distinct,
different times will be treated as separate predicate offenses for purposes of
§ 924(e)(1).” (quotation omitted)); United States v. Tisdale, 921 F.2d 1095, 1099
(10th Cir. 1990) (considering whether prior offenses were “distinct in time” and
“committed at different locations”). In determining the time and place of prior
offenses, sentencing courts may consult certain records, including charging
documents. See Harris, 447 F.3d at 1305 (citing Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S.
3
Appendix 3a
13, 20-21 (2005)). “The time, place, and substance of the prior convictions can
ordinarily be ascertained from court records associated with those convictions . . . .” Id.
at 1304.
Dutch’s prior indictment demonstrates that his three bank robberies occurred
at different times and places, and involved different banks. This information satisfies
the government’s burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the
offenses were “committed on occasions different from one another.” § 924(e)(1).
Although two of the robberies occurred within a day of one another, we have held
that even crimes occurring in quick succession qualify as separate. See Michel, 446
F.3d at 1134 (three separate crimes “all occurred within a short period of time”); Tisdale,
921 F.2d at 1099 (defendant’s three burglaries at three separate businesses in
same shopping mall on same night were separate for the purpose of § 924(e)(1)).
In ruling otherwise, the district court relied heavily on Dutch’s argument that
his drug use rendered him unable to halt his criminal activities. Dutch is correct that
we do sometimes consider whether a defendant had the opportunity to cease his
conduct in applying § 924(e)(1). But we do so to help determine whether the
offenses were in fact distinct in time, rather than as a separate inquiry into the
defendant’s state of mind. See Michel, 446 F.3d at 1134 (considering the fact that
defendant “had the opportunity after assaulting the first officer simply to flee the scene
rather than attempting to rob the convenience store and assaulting the second officer”);
Tisdale, 921 F.2d at 1098-99 (noting that “[a]fter the defendant successfully completed
burglarizing one business, he was free to leave” (quotation omitted)).
4
Appendix 4a
Moreover, Dutch necessarily admitted that he possessed the requisite mens rea as
to each independent robbery by pleading guilty to three separate counts. His voluntary
intoxication does not mean that he was denied a meaningful opportunity to cease his
conduct. See United States v. Taylor, 454 F.3d 1075, 1081 (10th Cir. 2006) (noting that
§ 2113(a) is a general intent crime); United States v. Williams, 403 F.3d 1188, 1194
(10th Cir. 2005) (voluntary intoxication is not a defense to general intent crimes).
We also reject Dutch’s argument that he did not admit to aiding and abetting
the bank robberies on different occasions. Regardless of the facts underlying Dutch’s
aiding and abetting, the government offered proof that Dutch pled guilty to three
counts of substantive bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). And as
explained supra, the indictment demonstrates that the three bank robberies occurred
on different dates and at different locations.
Dutch raises two alternative issues that are foreclosed by circuit precedent.
See United States v. White, 782 F.3d 1118, 1126-27 (10th Cir. 2015) (“One panel of
this court cannot overrule the judgment of another panel absent en banc consideration
or an intervening Supreme Court decision that is contrary to or invalidates our
previous analysis.” (quotation omitted)). We have held that judges may find prior
offenses occurred on different occasions without violating the Sixth Amendment.
Harris, 447 F.3d at 1305; Michel, 446 F.3d at 1132-33. Subsequent decisions
addressing how courts may determine the elements of a prior offense, see, e.g.,
Mathis v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 2243 (2016), have not undermined that holding.
5
Appendix 5a
This court has also already held that bank robbery in violation of § 2113(a) is a
violent felony. United States v. McCranie, 889 F.3d 677, 677-78 (10th Cir. 2018).
III
We REVERSE the district court’s conclusion that the ACCA does not apply
and REMAND with instructions to VACATE Dutch’s sentence and resentence him
consistent with this order and judgment.
Entered for the Court
Carlos F. Lucero
Circuit Judge
6
Appendix 6a
Case 1:16-cr-01424-MV Document 42 Filed 11/06/17 Page 7 of 27 Appellate
Case: 17-2219
Document: 01019968589 Date Filed: 04/02/2018 Page: 30
1
11
Mr. Dutch when he returns to Hobbs once the writ is discharged.
2
THE DEFENDANT:
I'd like to add, too, that the first
3
initial BOP sentence that I served, I went to USP Terre Haute and
4
completed the Challenge Program, which is -- they don't offer the
5
RDAP program in the custody level that I fall in.
But they do
6
offer a residential program that was completed.
It did help, but
7
when I got out that time, my dad committed suicide, and it threw
8
me into a relapse.
9
MR. PORI:
Hence, the second prison sentence.
The only other thing I'm going to add is
10
Mr. Herring, who wrote that letter to the Court, sent some advice
11
for Mr. Dutch, and that advice is:
12
custody clean.
13
has the opportunity to use drugs or alcohol in prison, but if he's
14
serious about not having another relapse in him, he needs to do
15
every day of whatever sentence is imposed clean.
16
Do every day of your time in
And that's vitally important for Mr. Dutch.
MR. KRAEHE:
He
And, Your Honor, I just mentioned -- I just
17
brought that up in order to preserve my objection on that.
I
18
think, actually, Mr. Pori may be right as to the concurrent
19
sentence so...
20
that.
21
sentence is not appropriate in this case if the Armed Career
22
Criminal Act clearly applies, and that a 15-year sentence should
23
be imposed.
But I just wanted to preserve any objection to
But our position, anyway, Your Honor, is that a guideline
24
THE COURT:
Mr. Dutch is before the Court for sentencing
25
in case number 16-CR-1424-001.
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 7a
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1
12
Pursuant to Booker, this Court must consider the advisory
2
Sentencing Guidelines, as well as each of the additional factors
3
stated in 18 U.S.C. Section 3553(a), in imposing a reasonable
4
sentence that is sufficient but not greater than necessary to
5
comply with the purposes set forth in Section 3553(a).
6
The United States did not object to the Presentence Report,
7
but Mr. Dutch objected to paragraphs 31, 48 and 55 of the report.
8
Paragraph 31 states that Mr. Dutch is an armed career criminal and
9
is subject to an enhanced sentence under 18 U.S.C. 924(e), because
10
each of the three counts of bank robbery he pled guilty to in case
11
number 5-CR-2769-002-JC is a separate crime committed at a
12
different time.
13
robberies.
14
Mr. Dutch is an armed career criminal, and, therefore, the
15
criminal history category shall be the greatest of the criminal
16
history category applicable under Sentencing Guideline Sections
17
4B1.4(c)(1), (2), or (3), which in this case is V.
Paragraph 48 states details of those three bank
Paragraph 55 of the Presentence Report states that
18
The Court overrules Mr. Dutch's objection to paragraph 48 as
19
that paragraph appears to accurately describe the details of the
20
three robberies at issue.
21
With respect to paragraphs 31 and 55 of the Presentence
22
Investigation Report, the Government bears the burden of proving
23
by a preponderance of the evidence that an enhancement is
24
appropriate.
25
Circuit 1997.
United States v. Johnson, 130 F.3d 1420, 1430, Tenth
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 8a
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1
Furthermore, it bears the burden of proving that prior
2
offenses occurred on different occasions.
3
States, 544 U.S. 13, 2005.
4
878, 891 to 93, Seventh Circuit, 2012.
5
13
Shepard v. United
Kirkland v. United States, 687 F.3d
If the Government fails to show that the three prior
6
convictions arose out of separate and distinct criminal episodes,
7
then the ACCA enhancement will not apply.
8
600 F.3d 1326, at 1329 to 32, Eleventh Circuit, 2010.
United States v. Sneed,
9
When, as in this case, the Court must determine whether a
10
prior conviction resulting from a guilty plea is a violent felony
11
for the purpose of the ACCA, the Court is limited to an
12
examination of the language of the conviction, the terms of the
13
charging document, the terms of a plea agreement or transcript of
14
colloquy between judge and defendant, or to some comparable
15
judicial record of this information.
16
States v. Taylor at 413 F.3d 1146, at 1157, Tenth Circuit, 2005,
17
citing Shepard at 544 U.S. at 24.
And I'm quoting from United
18
Here, with respect to the prior bank robbery convictions, the
19
Indictment charged Mr. Dutch and two co-defendants with ten counts
20
of violation of 18 U.S.C. 2113(a) and Section 2, for bank
21
robberies that occurred on November 12th, 14th, 18th, 21, 22, 25,
22
26, 28th, 29th and 30th.
23
alleged conduct or role each defendant played in the robberies.
It contained no language amplifying the
24
The plea agreement stated that Mr. Dutch agreed to plead
25
guilty to Counts 1, 6 and 7 -- which were the November 12th, 25th
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 9a
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14
1
and 26th robberies -- but provided no detail about his actual role
2
in the robberies.
3
Mr. Dutch pled guilty to Counts 1, 6 and 7, but included no
4
further information about the offenses.
5
the sentencing hearing or plea colloquy, nor does the Sentencing
6
Minute Sheet set out any details of the robberies.
The judgment in the case indicated that
There is no transcript of
7
The Court concludes that the Government has failed to meet
8
its burden under Shepard of providing the reliable evidence that
9
the prior offense occurred on occasions different from one
10
another, rather than as part of an ongoing drug-fueled criminal
11
offense.
12
Moreover, the fundamental aspect of the framework for
13
determining whether prior offenses occurred on separate occasions
14
is whether the Defendant had an opportunity between offenses to
15
cease from the criminal activity.
16
United States v. Tisdale, 921 F.2d 1095 at 1098 and 99, Tenth
17
Circuit, 1990, the Tenth Circuit stated that Congress' use of the
18
phrase, quote, "committed on occasions different from one
19
another," end quote, was intended to reach multiple criminal
20
episodes distinct in time.
21
Kirkland 687 F.3d at 891.
In
In United States v. Delossantos, 680 F.3d 1217, a 2012 Tenth
22
Circuit decision, the Tenth Circuit upheld the district court's
23
decision that the defendant's sale of controlled substances on
24
three separate dates were criminal episodes distinct in time, even
25
though the offenses were part of the same course of conduct or
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 10a
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1
criminal scheme or plan.
2
between each of the drug offenses, defendant had a meaningful
3
opportunity to cease his illegal conduct."
4
In doing so, the Court stated:
15
"In
This is at 1220.
In this case, it is clear from the Presentence Investigation
5
Reports in both the bank robbery case and in this case, the
6
evaluation performed by Dr. Marshall, and the letters sent by
7
individuals who know Mr. Dutch, that:
8
extraordinarily long history of drug addiction starting at the age
9
of nine, which has been largely untreated.
10
addicted to, methamphetamine and crack cocaine, are extremely
11
difficult to withdraw from.
12
of treatment for his addiction or substance abuse counseling at
13
the time of the bank robberies.
14
methamphetamine and crack cocaine very heavily at the time of the
15
robberies.
16
to buy more drugs.
One, he has an
Two, the drugs he is
Three, he was not undergoing any kind
Four, he was using
Lastly, he was participating in the robberies in order
17
Given these facts, the Court cannot conclude that in between
18
each of these robberies, Mr. Dutch had a meaningful opportunity to
19
cease his conduct.
20
Finally, as its name suggests, the Armed Career Criminal Act
21
is aimed at identifying and selectively incapacitating criminals
22
who are unresponsive to rehabilitative treatment or deterrence,
23
denying them the opportunity to commit crimes by locking them up
24
for long periods of time.
25
possession of firearms by any felon who has three previous
It does this by criminalizing
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 11a
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1
convictions by any court for a violent felony or serious drug
2
offense, or both, quote, "committed on occasions different from
3
one another," end quote.
4
Mr. Dutch is a drug addict.
16
When sober, he has been a
5
law-abiding, productive citizen who has excelled in his job, who
6
has been given promotions, who has been able to supervise others.
7
But his addiction has gone largely untreated.
8
robberies were all committed within an approximately two-week
9
period of time when he was high on drugs.
10
believe, based on the facts of this case, that Mr. Dutch is the
11
type recidivist criminal the Act was intended to target.
And the bank
The Court does not
12
Accordingly, the Court grants Mr. Dutch's objections to
13
paragraphs 31 and 55 of the Presentence Report and concludes that
14
he is not an armed career criminal under the Armed Career Criminal
15
Act pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 924(e).
16
Mr. Dutch pled guilty to violation of 18 U.S.C. Section
17
922(g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
18
On January 27th, 2016, Mr. Dutch crashed his vehicle at the
19
intersection of Comanche and Camino De La Sierra in Albuquerque,
20
and then he fled from the scene.
21
near the scene of the accident and ordered him to remove his hands
22
from his pockets.
23
was taken into custody.
24
25
Responding officers located him
He was initially noncompliant but ultimately he
Officers found a .22 caliber revolver and ammunition, as well
as methamphetamine, on his person.
Vol. III
Mr. Dutch appeared to be
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 12a
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17
1
intoxicated on an unknown substance.
He was transported to the
2
Foothills Substation to complete a DWI investigation.
3
substation, he was read the New Mexico Implied Consent Advisory
4
and refused to subject himself to a breath or blood test.
5
Officers verified Mr. Dutch was on active probation and parole
6
with the New Mexico Probation and Parole Department, and an arrest
7
and hold was issued.
8
leaving the scene of an accident; probation and parole violation;
9
possession of methamphetamine; and felon in possession of a
10
firearm.
At the
Mr. Dutch was charged with aggravated DWI;
11
ATF officers subsequently test fired the firearm, which
12
functioned as designed, and determined that the firearm and
13
ammunition traveled in/or affected foreign commerce.
14
confirmed fingerprint impressions matched with Mr. Dutch's
15
previous felony convictions.
16
They
The firearm was not reported stolen.
Mr. Dutch committed the instant offense subsequent to his
17
convictions for the following felony convictions:
Aggravated
18
assault with a deadly weapon, Bernalillo County District Court,
19
Albuquerque, New Mexico, Case No. D-202-CR-2004-04358; bank
20
robbery, three counts:
21
Mexico, Case No. 1:05-CR-2769-002; conspiracy to commit robbery,
22
Bernalillo County District Court, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Case
23
No. D-202-CR-2010-03474; embezzlement of a motor vehicle and
24
burglary (automobile), Bernalillo County District Court,
25
D-202-CR-2013-01126.
U.S. District Court, District of New
Mr. Dutch was a prohibited person from
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
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1
18
possessing a firearm.
2
The offense level in this case is 21, and the criminal
3
history category is V.
4
therefore, 70 to 87 months.
5
The guideline imprisonment range is,
In addition to the advisory Sentencing Guidelines, this Court
6
also considers other factors set forth in Section 3553(a).
7
section requires the Court to consider the nature and
8
circumstances of the offense, and the history and characteristics
9
of Mr. Dutch.
10
that complies with the purposes of sentencing, which include
11
retribution, deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation.
12
satisfying these purposes, the Court is obligated to consider each
13
of the factors outlined in Section 3553(a).
14
so.
15
This
It also requires the Court to impose a sentence
In
This Court has done
As for the history and characteristics of Mr. Dutch, he had a
16
tumultuous and troubled childhood.
17
Dutch, was an alcoholic and drank heavily.
18
that, at an early age, his older brother was caught taking a beer
19
out of the refrigerator.
As punishment, their father made both
20
boys drink several beers.
Mr. Dutch became sick and vomited.
21
Mr. Dutch's father would physically abuse his mother, Joanne
22
Ownbey, when he was drinking.
23
she relocated from Albuquerque to Danville, Illinois, and
24
remarried.
25
His father, Mark Anthony
Mr. Dutch recalls
His parents divorced in '94, and
After that, his mother became an alcoholic and his father
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
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1
began to use crack cocaine.
Mr. Dutch bounced around between
2
Danville and Albuquerque.
While in Albuquerque, he obtained a
3
paper route and gave the money he made from it to his father to
4
support his crack cocaine addiction.
5
cocaine but began smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol during
6
this time period.
7
bought a car with money his grandmother had given him and drove
8
from Danville to Albuquerque.
9
briefly attended Central New Mexico Community College.
10
vocational training in carpentry.
11
Mr. Dutch did not use crack
When he was 14, he dropped out of school and
He's never married.
He eventually obtained his GED and
He has no children.
He has
His father
12
committed suicide in 2010.
13
who lives in Texas; a stepbrother and two stepsisters; and a
14
younger paternal half sister, Symphony Bassett, who lives in
15
Albuquerque.
16
siblings.
17
He has an older brother, Jason Dutch,
He no longer maintains close relationships with his
Mr. Dutch has attempted suicide at least twice in the past.
18
He reports suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as a
19
result of being involved in a prison riot while he was an inmate
20
in Terre Haute, Indiana, during his previous federal
21
incarceration.
22
19
Mr. Dutch has a long history of substance abuse.
He began
23
drinking alcohol at the age of 8, using marijuana at the age of 9
24
or 10, and using crack cocaine when he was about 15.
25
using methamphetamine when he was 17, and continued until his
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
He began
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1
arrest for this offense.
2
from January 2015 to January 2016, but relapsed after that.
3
Mr. Dutch also has a history of gambling addiction, and it has
4
been a contributing factor to his relapse and use of
5
methamphetamine before the instant offense.
6
He was clean from illegal substances
With respect to the need for the sentence imposed to reflect
7
the seriousness of the offense, the offense in this case was
8
serious.
9
the law enforcement officers at risk of injury or death.
10
Court notes, however, that Mr. Dutch admitted and accepted his
11
responsibility for his actions.
Mr. Dutch, by his offense conduct, put the public and
The
12
With respect to deterrence, the Court believes that a
13
combination of an appropriate period of imprisonment, combined
14
with proper drug and mental health treatment, should help
15
Mr. Dutch avoid future criminal behavior.
16
With respect to public safety, as the Court noted, Mr. Dutch
17
endangered the safety and lives of the public and the police
18
officers.
19
20
With respect to providing the Defendant with needed
20
treatment, Mr. Dutch has a serious drug addiction and suffers from
21
mental illness.
22
addiction -- both during his time in prison and after his
23
release -- and for mental health treatment to address the very
24
difficult issues of his youth.
25
He is desperately in need of treatment for his
Although Mr. Dutch has an extensive criminal history, most of
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
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1
it appears to have been related to his serious drug addiction,
2
compounded by his mental illness.
21
3
Considering the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a),
4
including his very difficult and painful childhood, his drug
5
addiction and his mental illness, the Court finds that a downward
6
variance is appropriate in this case.
7
reflect the seriousness of the behavior of the offense, while
8
recognizing that Mr. Dutch's drug abuse has greatly contributed to
9
his criminal behavior.
10
Such a sentence would
As to the charge in the Indictment in 16-CR-1424, Mr. Dutch
11
is committed to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for a term of
12
60 months.
13
14
15
The Court recommends that Mr. Dutch participate in the Bureau
of Prisons 500 hour drug and alcohol program.
The Court also orders that this run concurrently with state
16
D-202-CR-2013-01126, and designates a state facility as the
17
primary custodian for the sentence in this case.
18
The Court recommends that Mr. -- the Court orders that
19
Mr. Dutch be placed on supervised release for a term of three
20
years as to the charge in the Indictment.
21
Mr. Dutch must comply with the mandatory and standard
22
conditions of supervised release.
23
following special conditions:
24
25
He must also comply with the
You must reside in a residential re-entry center for a period
of up to six months and must follow the rules and regulations of
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
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1
2
22
the center.
You must participate in an inpatient substance abuse
3
treatment program to be followed by an outpatient substance abuse
4
treatment program when you are released.
5
will supervise your participation in the program such as the
6
provider, location, modality, et cetera.
7
pay for a portion of the cost of the program.
8
inpatient when you are released, followed by outpatient to be
9
completed while you are living at a residential halfway house.
10
You must participate -- oh.
Your probation officer
You may be required to
So we're talking
You must participate in an AA or
11
NA -- and, I'm sorry, I forgot to include that as a condition for
12
Ms. Sarracino, and since you're still here, Ms. Sarracino, I do
13
strongly believe in AA program as well.
14
So I am going to want to include that as a condition for
15
Ms. Sarracino as well.
16
I want that signed, so that I know that you're going.
17
I've had many successes.
That is, 90 days of participation in AA.
Getting back to you, I do want you to participate in either
18
AA or NA.
I'll leave that up to you depending on which program
19
you find.
You must obtain a sponsor for the program and follow
20
the rules and regulations of the program.
21
officer's going to supervise your participation in the program.
22
Your probation
You're going to have to submit to substance abuse testing to
23
determine if you've used a prohibited substance.
24
testing will include urine testing, the wearing of a sweat patch,
25
a remote alcohol testing system, an alcohol monitoring technology
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
As you know,
Appendix 18a
Case 1:16-cr-01424-MV Document 42 Filed 11/06/17 Page 23 of 27
Appellate Case: 17-2219 Document: 01019968589 Date Filed: 04/02/2018 Page: 42
23
1
program, and/or any form of prohibited substance screening or
2
testing.
3
and you could be required to pay for a portion of the cost of the
4
testing.
You can't obstruct or tamper with the testing methods
5
You must not use or possess alcohol.
6
You must not knowingly purchase, possess, distribute,
7
administer or otherwise use any psychoactive substance such as
8
synthetic marijuana or bath salts that impair your physical or
9
mental functioning, whether or not intended for human consumption.
10
You must not possess, sell, offer for sale, transport, cause
11
to be transported, cause to affect interstate commerce, import or
12
export any drug paraphernalia as defined in 21 U.S.C. Section
13
863(d).
14
You must submit to a search of your person, property,
15
residence, vehicle, papers, computers, other electronic
16
communications or office under your control.
17
officer may conduct a search but only when reasonable suspicion
18
exists, always in a reasonable manner, and at a reasonable time,
19
and it is for the purpose of detecting drugs, drug paraphernalia,
20
and any other illegal contraband.
21
you live know that you are subject to this search condition.
22
The probation
You must let people with whom
I want you to be working or going to school, but you have to
23
be doing something.
24
participate in an educational or vocational program.
25
So if you're not employed, then you must
Obviously, no gambling.
And that includes lotteries, online
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 19a
Case 1:16-cr-01424-MV Document 42 Filed 11/06/17 Page 24 of 27
Appellate Case: 17-2219 Document: 01019968589 Date Filed: 04/02/2018 Page: 43
24
1
wagering, sports betting, et cetera.
2
allowed to enter any casino or other establishment where gambling
3
is the primary purpose.
4
off-track betting establishments.
5
You're not going to be
This includes horse race tracks,
You must participate in a gambling addiction program and
6
follow the rules and regulations of that program.
7
officer will supervise that as well.
Your probation
8
I also want you to participate in a mental health treatment
9
program and follow the rules and regulations of that program, and
10
your probation officer will also supervise your participation.
11
I want you to take mental health medications that are
12
prescribed by your physician, and you're going to be required to
13
take whatever is prescribed.
14
not -- if it's causing bad side effects you have to take it.
15
means that I want you to report bad side effects to your doctor,
16
so that you can take something that is working for you and
17
something that is helping you.
18
19
20
21
That doesn't mean that if it's
That
There will not be a fine, Mr. Dutch, based on your lack of
financial resources.
There is a mandatory assessment of $100, which is payable to
the United States District Court Clerk's office.
22
I will recommend the Granville, Illinois, facility, which is
23
closest to your family, so that you may have some family support.
24
I like the idea of you going back to work with your family.
25
The letters that I received were very impressive.
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
They were from
Appendix 20a
Case 1:16-cr-01424-MV Document 42 Filed 11/06/17 Page 25 of 27
Appellate Case: 17-2219 Document: 01019968589 Date Filed: 04/02/2018 Page: 44
1
people that know you and people that aren't writing nice things
2
just because you are a family member.
3
for whom you have established yourself as someone that can be
4
reliable, that has a strong work ethic and has proven yourself.
5
I have great faith in you.
25
They are written by people
I believe that you can do this.
6
And I believe that the resources that our national probation
7
offices have are just what you need.
8
characteristics to do this, and I have great faith that you will.
9
I'm just sorry I won't get to work with you, because I know we
10
will transfer your jurisdiction, so that you can finally go home.
11
I'm very glad that you have a family farm, because I know that it
12
will succeed with you at its helm.
13
THE DEFENDANT:
14
THE COURT:
You have the personal
Thank you.
You've got 14 days to appeal the final
15
sentence of this Court, and you can appeal in forma pauperis if
16
you're unable to pay for the cost of an appeal.
17
happy to assist you with that.
18
Don't give up, Mr. Dutch.
19
MR. PORI:
Mr. Pori will be
I know that you will do well.
Your Honor, can I make one correction to the
20
record?
I think the Court's -- in calculating the offense level
21
outside of the Armed Career Criminal Act, the Court said it was an
22
offense level of 21 and a criminal history --
23
THE COURT:
Yes.
24
MR. PORI:
I think, though, it's an offense of 28, minus
25
3 for acceptance, is 25, because it was a 24 plus 4 for possessing
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 21a
1
the firearm in connection with another offense.
2
the record to reflect that even if the offense level was 25, I
3
presume and will not speak for the Court, that the Court would
4
still depart for the reasons set forth in the judgment.
5
referring to paragraphs 26 and -- 25 and 26 of the Presentence
6
Report.
7
8
9
THE COURT:
Okay.
Let's see.
And I just want
And I'm
It appears that you're
correct.
Did you have something, Mr. Kraehe?
10
MR. KRAEHE:
Your Honor, I believe I probably have done
11
enough to preserve error on appeal on the ACCA question, but I did
12
want to object to the sentencing and to the judgment of the Court
13
as to the applicability of the ACCA just for purposes of
14
preserving appeal.
15
16
THE COURT:
All right.
17
Yes, I think you have.
Thank you very much.
I think that's it.
MR. PORI:
Your Honor, thank you very much.
19
THE COURT:
Yes.
20
(Court in recess at 1:08 p.m.)
18
May we be
excused?
Thank you.
21
22
23
24
25
USA v. MARK DUTCH
16-CR-1424 MV
October 12, 2017
Appendix 22a
Appellate Case: 17-2219
Document: 010110099660
Date Filed: 12/18/2018
LSS
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEAL
Page: 1
FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
December 18, 2018
_
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v.
No. 17-2219
MARC DUTCH,
Defendant - Appellee.
_
ORDER
_
Before LUCERO, EBEL, and PHILLIPS, Circuit Judges.
_
This matter is before the court on Appellant’s petition for rehearing en banc.
The petition for rehearing en banc was transmitted to all of the judges of the court
who are in regular active service. As no member of the panel and no judge in regular
active service on the court requested that the court be polled, that petition for rehearing en
banc is denied.
Entered for the Court
ELISABETH A. SHUMAKER, Clerk
Appendix 23a
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.