Filed: Jul. 10, 2006
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FILED FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT U.S. COURT OF APPEALS _ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT JUL 10, 2006 No. 05-16929 THOMAS K. KAHN Non-Argument Calendar CLERK _ D. C. Docket No. 03-00024-CR-FTM-29DNF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus ELIZABETH MARIE MORSE THOMPSON, a.k.a. Lisa Thompson, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (July 10, 2006) Before CARNES, HULL and PRYOR, Circ
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FILED FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT U.S. COURT OF APPEALS _ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT JUL 10, 2006 No. 05-16929 THOMAS K. KAHN Non-Argument Calendar CLERK _ D. C. Docket No. 03-00024-CR-FTM-29DNF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus ELIZABETH MARIE MORSE THOMPSON, a.k.a. Lisa Thompson, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (July 10, 2006) Before CARNES, HULL and PRYOR, Circu..
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[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FILED
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
________________________ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
JUL 10, 2006
No. 05-16929 THOMAS K. KAHN
Non-Argument Calendar CLERK
________________________
D. C. Docket No. 03-00024-CR-FTM-29DNF
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
ELIZABETH MARIE MORSE THOMPSON,
a.k.a. Lisa Thompson,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Florida
_________________________
(July 10, 2006)
Before CARNES, HULL and PRYOR, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Elizabeth Marie Morse Thompson appeals her 240-month concurrent
sentences for (1) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more
of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine and five grams
or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base,
in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2 and 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(ii),
(b)(1)(B)(iii), and 846; and (2) two counts of possession with intent to distribute a
detectable amount of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, in violation
of 18 U.S.C. § 2 and 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). After review, we
affirm.
I. BACKGROUND
On two separate dates, Thompson sold cocaine base to an Drug Enforcement
Agency (“DEA”) informant outfitted with electronic surveillance equipment. A
search of Thompson’s apartment found a small amount (88 milligrams) of crack
cocaine, digital scales and various items of drug paraphernalia. Thompson
admitted to officers that she had been selling cocaine since 1999 and that she
would sell up to a half ounce daily. At trial, various drug purchasers and dealers
testified that Thompson either sold them drugs or received shipments of their
drugs. Additionally, two witnesses testified that they each had made drug
deliveries for Thompson.
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The jury convicted Thompson of the above-mentioned counts. The verdict
form indicated that the jury found that the conspiracy count involved “500 grams
or more” of cocaine and “five (5) grams or more” of cocaine base, crack cocaine.
At her first sentencing, the Presentence Investigation Report (“PSI”)
attributed 1.5 kilograms of cocaine base to Thompson. However, at the sentencing
hearing, the government stated that it did not object to the lesser amount of 500
grams of cocaine base because it did not affect the Guidelines range. The district
court rejected Thompson argument that she should be held accountable for less
than 500 grams, stating:
“[I]n good faith, I can’t find that there’s less than 500 grams. But for
the government’s concession, I’d find that there’s over 1.5 kilograms
of crack cocaine, based upon the testimony I find credible. The Court
is willing to accept the government’s concession that there’s at least
500 grams of crack cocaine and change paragraph 38 to offense level
36.
I understand the testimony is disputed. I heard it all. I read it
all. It’s just very clear to me that certainly by a preponderance of the
evidence there’s more than 500 grams of crack cocaine involved and
that the defendant was involved with this amount.
Thus, the district court overruled Thompson’s drug quantity objection, finding by a
preponderance of the evidence that Thompson’s offenses involved 500 grams of
cocaine base. The district court sentenced Thompson under a mandatory
Guidelines scheme to a 360-month sentence, at the low-end of the Guidelines
range. In so doing, the district court expressed the desire to impose a more lenient
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sentence than was permitted by the Guidelines.
Thompson appealed. On September 1, 2005, this Court affirmed
Thompson’s conviction, but vacated and remanded in light of United States v.
Booker,
543 U.S. 220,
125 S. Ct. 738 (2005), for resentencing under the advisory
Guidelines. See United States v. Thompson,
422 F.3d 1285, 1300-01 (11 th Cir.
2005).
At resentencing, the district court stated that it wanted to impose a sentence
below the advisory Guidelines range, but noted that most factors, aside from
Thompson’s family background, weighed against a below-Guidelines sentence.
The district court acknowledged the sentences of Thompson’s co-defendants and
recounted Thompson’s lengthy history with drug abuse and criminal activity.
After noting the advisory Guidelines range and the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a),
the district court imposed below-Guidelines concurrent sentences of 240 months.
Thompson stated that she had no objection to the sentence. The district court then
stated that it “recognize[d] that the sentence is ten years below the guidelines. And
ten years is a significant sentence. But a sentence of 20 years is also significant,
and, given all the factors in this case, it’s my view that a 20-year sentence is
sufficient in this case.” Thompson appealed her sentences.
II. DISCUSSION
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For the first time on appeal, Thompson argues that the district court violated
her Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights by finding by a preponderance of the
evidence that Thompson was responsible for at least 500 grams of cocaine base.1
We have repeatedly rejected this argument. When a district court applies the
Guidelines in an advisory manner, it does not violate a defendant’s Fifth and Sixth
Amendment rights under Booker by finding facts and applying extra-verdict
enhancements. See United States v. Chau,
426 F.3d 1318, 1323-24 (11th Cir.
2005); United States v. Rodriguez,
398 F.3d 1291, 1301 (11 th Cir.), cert. denied,
125 S. Ct. 2935 (2005). Here, the district court applied the Guidelines in an
advisory fashion and, consequently, any judicial fact-finding done by the district
court as to drug quantity and extra-verdict enhancements did not violate
Thompson’s Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights.
Thompson also asserts that her sentence is unreasonable under Booker.
After Booker, the district court must correctly calculate the defendant’s Guidelines
range and then, using the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), the court may impose a
more severe or more lenient sentence as long as it is reasonable. See United States
1
Because Thompson did not raise Fifth or Sixth Amendment objections below, we review
for plain error. United States v. Rodriguez,
398 F.3d 1291, 1298 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 125 S.
Ct. 2935 (2005); Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(b). To prove plain error, the defendant must establish that
(1) there is an error, (2) the error is plain, and (3) it affects substantial rights.
Rodriguez, 398
F.3d at 1298. “If all three conditions are met, an appellate court may then exercise its discretion
to notice a forfeited error, but only if (4) the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or
public reputation of judicial proceedings.”
Id. (internal quotation marks omitted).
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v. Crawford,
407 F.3d 1174, 1179 (11 th Cir. 2005). We review a defendant’s
sentence for unreasonableness in light of the factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)
and the reasons given by the district court. United States v. Williams,
435 F.3d
1350, 1354-55 (11th Cir. 2006).2 Our review is deferential, and “when the district
court imposes a sentence within the advisory Guidelines range, we ordinarily will
expect that choice to be a reasonable one.” United States v. Talley,
431 F.3d 784,
788 (11 th Cir. 2005). “[T]he party who challenges the sentence bears the burden of
establishing that the sentence is unreasonable in light of both [the] record and the
factors in section 3553(a).”
Id.
Here, we cannot say that Thompson’s concurrent 240-month sentences were
unreasonable. Thompson does not challenge the district court’s Guidelines
calculation, which resulted in an advisory Guidelines range of 360 months to life
imprisonment. The 240-month sentences fall 120 months below the low end of the
Guidelines range and well below the statutory maximum of life. The district court
explicitly considered Thompson’s offense conduct, criminal history, family
background, and the sentences of Thompson’s co-defendants, all circumstances
falling within § 3553(a)’s factors, and determined that a sentence ten years below
2
Because Thompson’s challenge to the reasonableness of her sentence fails under
reasonableness review, it is not necessary to determine, as the government asserts, whether she is
only entitled to plain-error review.
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the advisory Guidelines range was sufficient. See 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(1)-(2), (6);
see also United States v. Scott,
426 F.3d 1324, 1329 (11 th Cir. 2005) (explaining
that the district court is not required to consider explicitly each § 3553(a) factor).
Nothing in the record convinces us that Thompson’s concurrent 240-month
sentences are unreasonable.
AFFIRMED.
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