JOHN JOHNSTON, Magistrate Judge.
The United States accused Mr. Denny of violating his conditions of supervised release by missing a scheduled urinalysis, providing a urine sample that tested positive for Oxycodone, and failing to complete substance abuse treatment. He admitted to the violations. Mr. Denny's supervised release should be revoked. He should be sentenced to six months in custody, with forty-eight months of supervised release to follow.
United States District Judge Brian Morris sentenced Mr. Denny to 366 days in custody, with sixty months of supervised release to follow, on September 4, 2014, after he pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact Without Permission. Mr. Denny began his first term of supervised release on August 17, 2015.
Judge Morris revoked Mr. Denny's supervised release on March 1, 2016, because he failed to report for urinalysis testing and sexual offender treatment sessions, tested positive for methamphetamine, and failed to enroll in substance abuse treatment. (Doc. 72.) Judge Morris sentenced him to two months in custody followed by fifty-four months of supervised release. (Id.) Mr. Denny began his current term of supervised release on April 22, 2016.
The United States Probation Office filed a Report on Offender Under Supervision on October 18, 2016, notifying the Court that Mr. Denny failed to (1) enroll in substance abuse treatment, (2) appear for sweat patch removal and application, and (3) attend sexual offender treatment. (Doc. 75.) Judge Morris allowed him to continue his supervised release.
The Probation Office filed a Petition for Warrant for Offender Under Supervision on December 29, 2016, alleging that Mr. Denny violated the conditions of his supervised release by missing sexual offender treatment sessions, being terminated from outpatient aftercare, failing to appear for sweat-patch removal and application, and failing to submit monthly reports. (Doc. 76.) The United States moved to have the petition dismissed and recommended that Mr. Denny be placed on zero-tolerance supervision. The undersigned dismissed the petition.
The Probation Office filed a petition asking the Court to revoke Mr. Denny's supervised release on June 1, 2017. (Doc. 88.) In the petition, the Probation Office accused Mr. Denny of violating the conditions of his supervised release by missing a scheduled urinalysis, providing a urine sample that tested positive for Oxycodone, and failing to complete substance abuse treatment. (Id.) Based on the petition, Judge Morris issued a warrant for Mr. Denny's arrest. (Doc. 89.)
Mr. Denny appeared before the undersigned on June 12, 2017, in Great Falls, Montana. Federal Defender Hank Branom accompanied him at the initial appearance. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Betley represented the United States.
Mr. Denny said he had read the petition and understood the allegations. He waived the preliminary hearing, and the parties consented to proceeding before the undersigned. The hearing commenced.
Mr. Denny admitted that he violated his supervised release. The admitted violations are serious and warrant revocation of his supervised release.
Mr. Denny's violation grade is Grade C, his criminal history category is I, and his underlying offense is a Class E felony. He could be incarcerated for up to twelve months. He could be ordered to remain on supervised release for five years to life. The United States Sentencing Guidelines call for three to nine months in custody.
Mr. Branom and Ms. Betley agreed that Mr. Denny should be incarcerated for six months, with forty-eight months of supervised release to follow. Mr. Denny addressed the Court and stated that he has chronic pain and is seeking a prescription for pain medication from a doctor.
Mr. Denny's supervised release should be revoked because he admitted violating its conditions. Mr. Denny should be incarcerated for six months, with forty-eight months of supervised release to follow. This sentence would be sufficient given the seriousness of the violations but would not be greater than necessary.
Mr. Denny was advised that the above sentence would be recommended to Judge Morris. The Court reminded him of his right to object to these Findings and Recommendations within 14 days of their issuance. The undersigned explained that Judge Morris would consider his objection, if it is filed within the allotted time, before making a final determination on whether to revoke his supervised release and what, if any, sanction to impose.
The undersigned
The undersigned
The parties may serve and file written objections to the Findings and Recommendations within 14 days of their entry, as indicated on the Notice of Electronic Filing. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). A district judge will make a de novo determination regarding any portion of the Findings and Recommendations to which objection is made. The district judge may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the Findings and Recommendations. Failure to timely file written objections may bar a de novo determination by the district judge, and may waive the right to appear and allocute before a district judge.
[✓] admitted guilt to violation of condition(s)
[] was found in violation of condition(s) count(s) _________________ after denial of guilt.
The defendant is adjudicated guilty of these violations:
The defendant is sentenced as provided in pages 2 through
[] The defendant has not violated condition(s) __________________ and is discharged as to such violation(s) condition.
It is ordered that the defendant must notify the United States attorney for this district within 30 days of any change of name, residence, or mailing address until all fines, restitution, costs, and special assessments imposed by this judgment are fully paid. If ordered to pay restitution, the defendant must notify the court and United States attorney of material changes in economic circumstances.
The defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a total term of:
6 months
I have executed this judgment as follows:
Defendant delivered on ______________________________ to __________________________ at with a certified copy of this judgment.
Upon release from imprisonment, you will be on supervised release for a term of:
1. You must not commit another federal, state or local crime.
2. You must not unlawfully possess a controlled substance.
3. You must refrain from any unlawful use of a controlled substance. You must submit to one drug test within 15 days of release from imprisonment and at least two periodic drug tests thereafter, as determined by the court.
4. [✓] You must cooperate in the collection of DNA as directed by the probation officer. (check if applicable)
5. [] You must comply with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (42 U.S.C. § 16901, et seq.) as directed by the probation officer, the Bureau of Prisons, or any state sex offender registration agency in the location where you reside, work, are a student, or were convicted of a qualifying offense. (check if applicable)
6. [] You must participate in an approved program for domestic violence. (check if applicable)
You must comply with the standard conditions that have been adopted by this court as well as with any other conditions on the attached page.
As part of your supervised release, you must comply with the following standard conditions of supervision. These conditions are imposed because they establish the basic expectations for your behavior while on supervision and identify the minimum tools needed by probation officers to keep informed, report to the court about, and bring about improvements in your conduct and condition.
1. You must report to the probation office in the federal judicial district where you are authorized to reside within 72 hours of your release from imprisonment, unless the probation officer instructs you to report to a different probation office or within a different time frame.
2. After initially reporting to the probation office, you will receive instructions from the court or the probation officer about how and when you must report to the probation officer, and you must report to the probation officer as instructed.
3. You must not knowingly leave the federal judicial district where you are authorized to reside without first getting permission from the court or the probation officer.
4. You must answer truthfully the questions asked by your probation officer.
5. You must live at a place approved by the probation officer. If you plan to change where you live or anything about your living arrangements (such as the people you live with), you must notify the probation officer at least 10 days before the change. If notifying the probation officer in advance is not possible due to unanticipated circumstances, you must notify the probation officer within 72 hours of becoming aware of a change or expected change.
6. You must allow the probation officer to visit you at any time at your home or elsewhere, and you must permit the probation officer to take any items prohibited by the conditions of your supervision that he or she observes in plain view.
7. You must work full time (at least 30 hours per week) at a lawful type of employment, unless the probation officer excuses you from doing so. If you do not have full-time employment you must try to find full-time employment, unless the probation officer excuses you from doing so. If you plan to change where you work or anything about your work (such as your position or your job responsibilities), you must notify the probation officer at least 10 days before the change. If notifying the probation officer at least 10 days in advance is not possible due to unanticipated circumstances, you must notify the probation officer within 72 hours of becoming aware of a change or expected change.
8. You must not communicate or interact with someone you know is engaged in criminal activity. If you know someone has been convicted of a felony, you must not knowingly communicate or interact with that person without first getting the permission of the probation officer.
9. If you are arrested or questioned by a law enforcement officer, you must notify the probation officer within 72 hours.
10. You must not own, possess, or have access to a firearm, ammunition, destructive device, or dangerous weapon (i.e., anything that was designed, or was modified for, the specific purpose of causing bodily injury or death to another person such as nunchakus or tasers).
11. You must not act or make any agreement with a law enforcement agency to act as a confidential human source or informant without first getting the permission of the court.
12. If the probation officer determines that you pose a risk to another person (including an organization), the probation officer may require you to notify the person about the risk and you must comply with that instruction. The probation officer may contact the person and confirm that you have notified the person about the risk.
13. You must follow the instructions of the probation officer related to the conditions of supervision.
A U.S. probation officer has instructed me on the conditions specified by the court and has provided me with a written copy of this judgment containing these conditions. For further information regarding these conditions, see Overview of Probation and Supervised Release Conditions, available at:
1. The defendant shall comply with Sexual Offender Registration requirements for convicted offenders in any state in which the defendant resides
2. The defendant shall participate in and complete a program of substance abuse treatment as approved by the United States Probation Office, until the defendant is released from the program by the probation officer. The defendant is to pay part or all of the cost of this treatment, as directed by the United States Probation Office.
3. The defendant shall abstain from the consumption of alcohol and shall not enter establishments where alcohol is the primary item of sale.
4. The defendant shall participate in substance abuse testing to include not more than 104 urinalysis tests, not more than 104 breathalyzer tests, and not more than 36 sweat patch applications annually during the period of supervision. The defendant shall pay all or part of the costs of testing as directed by the United States Probation Office.
5. The defendant shall not possess, ingest or inhale any toxic substances such as, but not limited to, synthetic marijuana and/or synthetic stimulants that are not manufactured for human consumption, for the purpose of altering his mental or physical state.
6. The defendant shall not purchase, possess, use, distribute or administer marijuana, or obtain or possess a medical marijuana card or prescription.
7. The defendant shall have no contact with the victim in the instant offense.
8. The defendant shall submit his person, and any property, residence, vehicle, papers, computers (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1030(e)(1)), other electronic communications or data storage devices or media, to which the defendant has access, to a search at a reasonable time and a reasonable manner, with or without a warrant, by the United States Probation Office, or by any law enforcement officers upon the express direction of the United States Probation Office, with reasonable suspicion concerning a violation of a condition of supervision or unlawful conduct by the defendant. Failure to submit to search may be grounds for revocation. The defendant shall warn any other occupants, adults, and minors that the premises may be subject to searches pursuant to this condition. The defendant shall allow seizure of suspected contraband for further examination.
9. The defendant shall submit to not more than six polygraph examinations per year as directed by United States Probation to assist in treatment, planning, and case monitoring. The defendant maintains the Fifth Amendment rights during polygraph examinations and may refuse to answer any incriminating questions. The defendant is to pay all or part of the cost of the examinations as directed by United States Probation Office.
10. The defendant shall enter and successfully complete a sex offender treatment program. The defendant is to enter a program designated by, and until released by, the United States Probation Office. The defendant is to pay all or part of the costs of treatment as directed by United States Probation Office.
11. All employment must be approved in advance in writing by the United States Probation Office. The defendant shall consent to third-party disclosure to any employer or potential employer.
