Filed: Aug. 15, 2018
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: Case: 18-10309 Date Filed: 08/15/2018 Page: 1 of 5 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ No. 18-10309 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket No. 1:16-cr-00383-ODE-RGV-1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus BERNARD STOKLEY, a.k.a. Big Pat, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia _ (August 15, 2018) Before TJOFLAT, NEWSOM, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Case: 18-10
Summary: Case: 18-10309 Date Filed: 08/15/2018 Page: 1 of 5 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ No. 18-10309 Non-Argument Calendar _ D.C. Docket No. 1:16-cr-00383-ODE-RGV-1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus BERNARD STOKLEY, a.k.a. Big Pat, Defendant-Appellant. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia _ (August 15, 2018) Before TJOFLAT, NEWSOM, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Case: 18-103..
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Case: 18-10309 Date Filed: 08/15/2018 Page: 1 of 5
[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________
No. 18-10309
Non-Argument Calendar
________________________
D.C. Docket No. 1:16-cr-00383-ODE-RGV-1
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
BERNARD STOKLEY,
a.k.a. Big Pat,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Georgia
________________________
(August 15, 2018)
Before TJOFLAT, NEWSOM, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Case: 18-10309 Date Filed: 08/15/2018 Page: 2 of 5
Bernard Stokley appeals his 20-month sentence, imposed after his
supervised release was revoked. On appeal, Stokley argues that his sentence was
procedurally unreasonable because the district court did not explicitly state his
guidelines range or consider the 18 U.S.C. § 3533(a) factors when imposing
sentence. He also argues that his sentence was substantively unreasonable.
We review for an abuse of discretion the reasonableness of a district court’s
sentence imposed upon revocation of supervised release. United States v. Trailer,
827 F.3d 933, 935 (11th Cir. 2016). When a defendant fails to preserve a legal
issue at sentencing, we review that issue for plain error. United States
v. Ramirez-Flores,
743 F.3d 816, 821 (11th Cir. 2014). Under plain error review,
the defendant must show that (1) an error occurred; (2) the error was plain; and
(3) the error affected his substantial rights. United States v. Olano,
507 U.S. 725,
732–35 (1993); see also United States v. Dortch,
696 F.3d 1104, 1114 (11th
Cir. 2012) (stating that an error is not plain unless it is obvious or clear under
current law). When these factors are met, we may exercise our discretion and
correct the error if it “seriously affects the fairness, integrity or public reputation of
judicial proceedings.”
Id. at 736 (quotations and alteration omitted). “In the
ordinary case, . . . the failure to correct a plain Guidelines error that affects a
defendant’s substantial rights will seriously affect the fairness, integrity, and public
reputation of judicial proceedings.” Rosales-Mireles v. United States, No. 16-
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9493, manuscript op. at 15 (U.S. Jun. 18, 2018). An objection is not properly
preserved if it is not clear enough to inform the district court of its legal basis.
United States v. Massey,
443 F.3d 814, 819 (11th Cir. 2006).
If a defendant violates a condition of his supervised release, the district court
may, after considering certain factors in § 3553(a), revoke his supervised release
and impose a prison term. 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(3). Revocation is mandatory when
a defendant possessed a controlled substance in violation of the conditions of his
supervised release. 18 U.S.C. § 3583(g).
In United States v. Campbell, a district court revoked a defendant’s
supervised release and imposed a 24-month sentence.
473 F.3d 1345, 1347 (11th
Cir. 2007). At the revocation hearing, the defendant had noted that the Sentencing
Guidelines permitted a sentence of at least 21 months’ imprisonment.
Id. On
appeal, we noted that “[o]ne of the [§ 3553(a)] factors a court must consider is the
sentencing range established by the applicable guidelines or policy statements
issued by the Sentencing Commission,” although the record only need provide
“some indication that the district court was aware of and considered the
Guidelines.”
Id. at 1348–49 (emphasis in original) (ellipses and quotations
omitted). We noted that the district court never: (1) explicitly mentioned the
defendant’s guidelines range; (2) said the word “Guidelines” during the hearing; or
(3) mentioned the criminal classification of the crime for which the defendants
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supervised release was revoked, and upon which the advisory guidelines range was
based.
Id. at 1349. Accordingly, we concluded that the record was insufficient to
determine whether the district court had considered the guidelines range.
Id.
As a preliminary matter, Stokley’s objection at sentencing was “not clear
enough to inform the district court of the legal basis for the objection,” and so we
review for plain error.
Massey, 443 F.3d at 819. We first note that the pre-sentence
investigation (“PSI”) set out the guidelines range of twelve to eighteen months. At
the hearing, the government stated that it was recommending a sentence of twelve
months, explicitly noting that it was the low end of the guidelines range, to which
the district court responded, “what is the reason for the low end of the guideline
range?” This indicates the district court’s awareness that the guidelines range, at
the low end, was twelve months.
Additionally, the district court expressly said “I looked in the presentence
report,” which included a statement that the guidelines range was twelve to
eighteen months. Moreover, the district court noted other information which was
apparently derived from the PSI, bolstering the probability that the district court
had, in fact, read and considered the PSI and was thus aware of the guidelines
range of twelve to eighteen months. This confluence of factors provides “some
indication that the district court was aware of and considered the Guidelines.”
Campbell, 473 F.3d at 1348–49. Because the record provides some indication that
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Case: 18-10309 Date Filed: 08/15/2018 Page: 5 of 5
the district court considered the Guidelines, we cannot say that the district court
erred. Thus, we reject Stokley’s argument that his sentence was procedurally
unreasonable. We also readily reject Stokley’s argument that his sentence was
substantively unreasonable.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the district court is
AFFIRMED.
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