United States v. Havner , 193 F. App'x 503 ( 2006 )


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  •                    NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FULL-TEXT PUBLICATION
    File Name: 06a0636n.06
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    No. 05-6468
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,                                        )
    )
    Plaintiff-Appellee,                                     )
    )
    )      ON APPEAL FROM THE UNITED
    V.                                                               )       STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR
    )        THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF
    )      TENNESSEE AT CHATTANOOGA
    DAVID C. HAVNER,                                                 )
    )
    Defendant-Appellant.                                    )
    )
    )
    Before: RYAN and COOK, Circuit Judges; FORESTER, Senior District Judge.*
    KARL S. FORESTER, Senior District Judge. Defendant-Appellant David Havner
    pleaded guilty to seven counts of a nine-count indictment charging him with various drug
    offenses arising from a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Treating the United States
    Sentencing Guidelines (“Guidelines”) as mandatory, the district court sentenced Havner to 235
    months’ imprisonment, which Havner appealed.
    While Havner’s appeal was pending, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision
    in United States v. Booker, 
    543 U.S. 220
    (2005). Thereafter, this Court affirmed Havner’s
    *
    The Honorable Karl S. Forester, Senior United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky,
    sitting by designation.
    1
    conviction, but vacated the sentence and remanded for re-sentencing in light of Booker. On
    remand, the district court, treating the Guidelines as advisory, reinstated its earlier findings and
    imposed the same sentence. Havner appeals the sentence.
    I. Booker Challenge
    Havner argues that the district court violated his Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial
    and this Court’s April 28, 2005, order by resentencing him based on judge-found facts, including
    the quantity of drugs attributable to Havner and the fact that children were near the
    methamphetamine lab at issue. It is clear that at Havner’s resentencing, the district court did not
    violate the Sixth Amendment or the remand order. The district court treated the Guidelines as
    advisory and did not use judicially-found facts to sentence Havner beyond the statutorily-
    authorized maximum term. Pursuant to United States v. Stone, 
    432 F.3d 651
    , 655 (6th Cir.
    2005), district courts continue to “calculate the Guideline range as they would have done prior to
    Booker,” finding facts by a preponderance of the evidence under the now-advisory Guidelines
    and taking into account the factors enunciated in 18 U.S.C. § 3553. We find no error in the
    procedure used by the district court and, therefore, reject Havner’s challenge pursuant to Booker.
    II. Ex Post Facto Challenges
    a. Booker
    Havner further argues that because the date of his offense conduct preceded Booker, the
    ex post facto principle inherent in the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment prohibited the
    district court from sentencing Havner above the unenhanced sentencing range provided by the
    Guidelines. In other words, he asserts that the remedial holding in Booker cannot be applied to
    his sentence.
    2
    Shortly after oral argument in the present case, a separate panel of this Court rejected this
    argument, holding that retroactive application of the remedial holding of Booker does not violate
    ex post facto or due process principles. United States v. Shepherd, 
    453 F.3d 702
    , 705-06 (6th
    Cir. 2006). In so holding, this Court joined at least seven other courts of appeals in rejecting
    Havner’s argument. See 
    id. (citing cases).
    Therefore, this claim has no merit.
    b. Sentencing Enhancement
    Havner also argues that the district court violated the ex post facto clause by applying the
    enhancement in Guideline § 2D1.1(b)(5)(B) and (C) to his sentence, asserting that the guideline
    did not become effective until after the events giving rise to the enhancement. However, after
    further briefing, it is now clear that the enhancement at issue took effect on December 16, 2000,
    two months before the relevant conduct occurred, and Havner concedes this point. Therefore,
    we find that this claim has no merit.
    III. Drug Quantity Calculation
    Finally, Havner asserts that the district court’s drug-quantity finding, based upon the
    probation officer’s calculation in the presentence investigation report, constitutes clear error
    because the government failed to introduce any evidence on this point.
    This Court reviews a sentencing court’s determination of drug quantity for clear error.
    United States v. Treadway, 
    328 F.3d 878
    , 883 (6th Cir. 2003). Havner did not object to or
    challenge the drug-quantity finding. We have held that a defendant’s failure to challenge drug
    quantity findings made by the probation officer in the presentence investigation report operates
    as an admission to those drug types and quantities and provides the requisite factual basis to
    sustain the defendant’s enhanced sentence. United States v. Stafford, 
    258 F.3d 465
    , 476 (6th Cir.
    3
    2001). Thus, we find the district court did not clearly err in the present case.
    IV. Conclusion
    Based on the above, we AFFIRM Havner’s sentence.
    4
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 05-6468

Citation Numbers: 193 F. App'x 503

Filed Date: 8/24/2006

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 1/12/2023