Opinion
CASE NUMBER 1:13-CR-00122-MAC
05-12-2020
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MICHAEL JOSEPH BARRETT, IV
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION ON PETITION FOR WARRANT FOR OFFENDER UNDER SUPERVISION
Pending is a "Petition for Warrant or Summons for Offender Under Supervision" filed March 26, 2020, alleging that the Defendant, Michael Joseph Barrett, IV, violated his conditions of supervised release. This matter is referred to the undersigned United States magistrate judge for review, hearing, and submission of a report with recommended findings of fact and conclusions of law. See United States v. Rodriguez, 23 F.3d 919, 920 n.1 (5th Cir. 1994); see also 18 U.S.C. § 3401(i) (2000); E.D. Tex. Crim. R. CR-59.
I. The Original Conviction and Sentence
Michael Joseph Barrett, IV was sentenced on September 18, 2014, before The Honorable Marcia A. Crone, of the Eastern District of Texas, after pleading guilty to the offense of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, a Class C felony. This offense carried a statutory maximum imprisonment term of 20 years. The guideline imprisonment range, based on a total offense level of 13 and a criminal history category of VI, was 33 to 41 months. Michael Joseph Barrett, IV was subsequently sentenced to 51 months' imprisonment followed by a 3 year term of supervised release subject to the standard conditions of release, plus special conditions to include: Defendant shall pay any financial penalty that is imposed by his judgment; financial disclosure; no new credit; no gambling; drug abuse aftercare; $3481.95 restitution; and a $100 special assessment.
II. The Period of Supervision
On September 27, 2017, the Defendant, Michael Joseph Barrett, IV, completed his period of imprisonment and began service of the supervision term.
On February 14, 2018, a warrant was issued for the Defendant.
On March 19, 2018, an amended petition was filed, notifying the court of his arrest for possession of synthetic marijuana.
On March 29, 2018, the Defendant's conditions of supervision were modified to include a 180 placement in a residential reentry center.
On April 10, 2018, the petition for warrant was denied as moot and the Defendant was ordered released.
On July 23, 2018, the Defendant's term of supervised release was revoked and he was subsequently sentenced to 14-months imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release to follow.
On July 5, 2019, Michael Joseph Barrett completed his period of imprisonment and began service of the subsequent term of supervision term.
On February 13, 2020, a warrant was issued for Michael Joseph Barrett.
On March 5, 2020, Michael Barrett's conditions of supervision were modified to include a 180 placement in a residential reentry center.
III. The Petition
United States Probation filed the current Petition for Warrant for Offender Under Supervision raising three allegations. The petition alleges that Michael Joseph Barrett, IV violated the following conditions of release:
Allegation 1. The Defendant shall notify the probation officer within seventy-two hours of being arrested or questioned by a law enforcement officer.
Allegation 2. The Defendant shall participate in a program of testing and treatment for drug abuse, as directed by the probation officer, until such time as the defendant is released from the program by the probation officer.
Allegation 3. The Defendant shall reside in a residential reentry center or similar facility, in a community corrections component, for a period of 180 days to commence immediately. You shall abide by the rules and regulations of the center, and pay subsistence according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' guidelines.
IV. Proceedings
On May 11, 2020, the undersigned convened a hearing pursuant to Rule 32.1 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to hear evidence and arguments on whether the Defendant violated conditions of supervised release, and the appropriate course of action for any such violations.
At the revocation hearing, counsel for the Government and the Defendant announced an agreement as to a recommended disposition regarding the revocation. The Defendant agreed to plead "true" to the second allegation that claimed he failed to complete substance abuse treatment. In return, the parties agreed that he should serve a term of 9 months' imprisonment, which shall include 170 days' unserved community confinement, with no supervised release to follow.
V. Principles of Analysis
According to Title 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e)(3), the court may revoke a term of supervised release and require the defendant to serve in prison all or part of the term of supervised release authorized by statute for the offense that resulted in such term of supervised release without credit for time previously served on post-release supervision, if the court, pursuant to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure applicable to revocation of probation or supervised release, finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant violated a condition of supervised release, except that a defendant whose term is revoked under this paragraph may not be required to serve on any such revocation more than five years in prison if the offense that resulted in the term of supervised release is a Class A felony, more than three years if such offense is a Class B felony, more than two years in prison if such offense is a Class C or D felony, or more than one year in any other case. The original offense of conviction was a Class C felony, therefore, the maximum imprisonment sentence is 2 years.
According to U.S.S.G. § 7B1.1(a), if the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the Defendant violated conditions of supervision by failing to complete substance abuse treatment, the Defendant will be guilty of committing a Grade C violation. U.S.S.G. § 7B1.3(a)(2) indicates that upon a finding of a Grade C violation, the court may (A) revoke probation or supervised release; or (B) extend the term of probation or supervised release and/or modify the conditions of supervision.
All of the policy statements in Chapter 7 that govern sentences imposed upon revocation of supervised release are non-binding. See U.S.S.G. Ch. 7 Pt. A; United States v. Price, 519 F. App'x 560, 562 (11th Cir. 2013). --------
U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4(a) provides that in the case of revocation of supervised release based on a Grade C violation and a criminal history category of VI, the policy statement imprisonment range is 8 to 14 months.
According to U.S.S.G. § 7B1.3(c)(2), where the minimum term of imprisonment determined under U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4 is more than six months but not more than ten months, the minimum term may be satisfied by (A) a sentence of imprisonment; or (B) a sentence of imprisonment that includes a term of supervised release with a condition that substitutes community confinement or home detention according to the schedule in U.S.S.G. § 5C1.1(e), provided that at least one-half of the minimum term is satisfied by imprisonment.
According to U.S.S.G. § 7B1.3(d), any restitution, fine, community confinement, home detention, or intermittent confinement previously imposed in connection with a sentence for which revocation is ordered that remains unpaid or unserved at the time of revocation shall be ordered to be paid or served in addition to the sanction determined under U.S.S.G. § 7B1.4 and any such unserved period of community confinement, home detention, or intermittent confinement may be converted to an equivalent period of imprisonment.
In determining the Defendant's sentence, the court shall consider:
1. The nature and circumstance of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defendant; see 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(1);18 U.S.C. §§ 3583(e) and 3553(a).
2. The need for the sentence imposed: to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct; to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant; and to provide the Defendant with needed educational or vocational training, medical care, other corrective treatment in the most effective manner; see 18 U.S.C. §§ 3553 (a)(2)(B)-(D);
3. Applicable guidelines and policy statements issued by the Sentencing Commission, for the appropriate application of the provisions when modifying or revoking supervised release pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 994(a)(3), that are in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced; see 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(4); see also 28 U.S.C. § 924(A)(3);
4. Any pertinent policy statement issued by the Sentencing Commission, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 994(a)(2), that is in effect on the date the defendant is sentenced; see 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(5); and
5. The need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct; see 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(6).
6. The need to provide restitution to any victims of the offense.
VI. Application
The Defendant pled "true" to the petition's allegation that he violated a special condition of release that he failed to complete substance abuse treatment. Based upon the Defendant's plea of "true" to this allegation of the Petition for Warrant or Summons for Offender Under Supervision and U.S.S.G. § 7B1.1(a), the undersigned finds that the Defendant violated a condition of supervised release.
The undersigned has carefully considered each of the factors listed in 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e). The Defendant's violation is a Grade C violation, and the criminal history category is VI. The policy statement range in the Guidelines Manual is 8 to 14 months. The Defendant did not comply with the conditions of supervision and has demonstrated an unwillingness to adhere to conditions of supervision.
Consequently, incarceration appropriately addresses the Defendant's violation. The sentencing objectives of punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation along with the aforementioned statutory sentencing factors will best be served by a prison sentence of 9 months (which includes 170 days of unserved community confinement converted to an equivalent term of imprisonment), with no term of supervised release to follow.
VII. Recommendations
The court should find that the Defendant violated the allegation in the petition that he violated a special condition of release by failing to complete substance abuse treatment. The petition should be granted and the Defendant's supervised release should be revoked pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3583. The Defendant should be sentenced to a term of 9 months' imprisonment (which includes 170 days' unserved community confinement converted to an equivalent term of imprisonment), with no term of supervised release to follow. The Defendant requested to serve his prison term at the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma. The Defendant's request should be accommodated, if possible.
VIII. Objections
At the close of the revocation hearing, the Defendant, defense counsel, and counsel for the government each signed a standard form waiving their right to object to the proposed findings and recommendations contained in this report, consenting to revocation of supervised release, and consenting to the imposition of the above sentence recommended in this report (involving all conditions of supervised release, if applicable). The Defendant also waived his right to be present and speak and have his counsel present and speak before the district court imposes the recommended sentence. Therefore, the court may act on this report and recommendation immediately.
SIGNED this 12th day of May, 2020.
/s/_________
Zack Hawthorn
United States Magistrate Judge