ANDREA K. JOHNSTONE, Magistrate Judge.
Before the court is the respondent's motion to dismiss (doc. no. 8) the 28 U.S.C. § 2241 petition filed by Joseph Sullivan. Sullivan objects to the motion (doc. no. 9). The motion is before the undersigned magistrate judge for a report and recommendation, pursuant to LR 72.1. For the reasons stated below, this court recommends that the district judge grant the motion to dismiss (doc. no. 8) and deny the § 2241 petition.
On October 26, 2010, Sullivan was arrested and released on conditions, including home confinement, in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Sullivan subsequently pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud and remained released on the same conditions pending sentencing.
On June 6, 2011, Sullivan's bail was revoked as a result of his arrest on charges of passport fraud resulting from his application for renewal of a passport under an assumed name. On July 14, 2011, Sullivan pled guilty to one count of passport fraud. On October 27, 2011 Sullivan was sentenced in the District of Hawaii to fifty-five months of incarceration and three years of supervised release on all counts to which he had pled guilty.
At Sullivan's sentencing, the government successfully argued for an increase in Sullivan's base offense level by two levels for obstruction of justice pursuant to United States Sentencing Guidelines (U.S.S.G) §3C1.1. The enhancement was based on Sullivan's attempted escape from home confinement while he was released pretrial on conditions.
Sullivan asserts that the Bureau of Prisons ("BOP") is estopped from construing his seven-month period of pretrial/presentence home confinement as being in "custody" for computation of his offense level for sentencing purposes, but not as "official detention" when calculating his sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3585(b). Sullivan argues that under the doctrine of judicial estoppel, the BOP, having taken inconsistent positions, is obligated to credit him with the seven month period of pretrial/pre-sentencing home confinement when calculating his sentence.
Respondent has moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim, arguing that the government has not taken inconsistent positions and that Sullivan's arguments fail as a matter of law.
Respondent's motion is governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6).
Sullivan concedes that as a matter of law, pretrial/presentencing home confinement does not constitute "official detention" for § 3585(b) sentence calculation purposes.
To establish judicial estoppel, a litigant must show that an opposing party is pressing a litigation position inconsistent with a position the party successfully asserted previously, and the new position would unfairly advantage that party if accepted by the court.
As discussed further below, the government has not taken inconsistent positions. The government, by arguing that home confinement is "custody" to secure a two level enhancement under the sentencing guidelines for obstruction of justice, did not transform Sullivan's pretrial/pre-sentencing home confinement into "official detention" for § 3585(b) sentence calculation purposes. The meaning of "custody" as used in U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1, and "custody" that equates to "official detention," as used in § 3585(b), are not synonymous. "A legal term does not have to mean the same thing in every context."
The enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1 applies to, among other things, "escaping or attempting to escape from custody before trial or sentencing . . . ." U.S.S.G. § C1.1 cmt. n.4(E). "Custody" in this context includes pretrial release circumstances where there is a substantial restraint on one's liberty, analogous to home confinement.
The government argued at Sullivan's sentencing hearing that his effort to renew a passport while placed in pretrial home confinement was an attempt to escape custody within the meaning of U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1. Having so argued however, does not preclude the government from taking the position that Sullivan's home detention was not "custody" within the meaning of "official detention" under § 3585(b).
"Credit for time spent in `official detention' under § 3585(b) is available only to [ ] defendants who were detained in a `penal or correctional facility . . . .'"
For the foregoing reasons, the court recommends that the district judge grant the respondent's motion to dismiss (doc. no. 8), and deny the § 2241 petition. Any objections to this Report and Recommendation must be filed within fourteen days of receipt of this notice.