Beazer v. United States
Beazer v. United States
Opinion of the Court
This matter arises out of the 2014 conviction of the Petitioner, Hasaan Beazer, for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of
In 2016, Mr. Beazer filed the present petition for habeas corpus to vacate and correct his sentence under
For the reasons stated below, the petition will be granted, and Mr. Beazer will be resentenced.
I. BACKGROUND
A. Factual Background .
On April 23, 2014, Mr. Beazer was charged in a one count indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm, specifically, a Walther PPK .380 caliber pistol and six rounds of .380 caliber ammunition, in violation of
The Presentence Investigation Report ("PSR") prepared by the Probation Office prior to sentencing found Mr. Beazer had three prior state convictions for either a violent felony or a serious drug offense, and therefore was an armed career criminal subject to a sentencing enhancement. In particular, the PSR listed the following convictions as predicate offenses for the purposes of the ACCA sentencing enhancement:
(1) June 26, 2007 convictions in Norfolk Superior Court for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, Simple Assault and Battery, Carjacking, and Armed Robbery. [PSR ¶ 32];
(2) August 20, 2007 convictions in New Bedford District Court for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon and Simple Assault. [PSR ¶ 34]. The PSR also indicated that it considered another August 20, 2007 conviction for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and a conviction for Simple Assault, part of the same incident and August 20, 2007 sentencing.1 [PSR ¶ 33]; and,
(3) A February 11, 2013 conviction in Fall River District court for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class B and Class E substance. [PSR ¶ 36].
*6Mr. Beazer did not object to his classification as an armed career criminal under the ACCA, but argued that I should lower his criminal history category as an exercise of my discretion because his prior crimes were the result of his mental health issues, and because the mandatory minimum sentence imposed by ACCA was disproportionate to the severity of his offense. I rejected that argument and, on February 13, 2014, sentenced Mr. Beazer to 188 months incarceration, with credit for time served, and 3 years of supervised release. The sentence was tailored to reflect his status as an armed career criminal, the seriousness of the underlying offense, and his circumstances with respect to mental health and substance abuse.
If Mr. Beazer had not been classified as an armed career criminal, he would have been subject, at most, to ten years incarceration - the statutory maximum penalty for a violation of
B. Procedural Background and the Present Petition
1. The ACCA and the Supreme Court's Decision in Johnson II
The ACCA directs imposition of a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years incarceration for "[any] person who violates section 922(g)... and has three previous convictions by any court ... for a violent felony or a serious drug offense, or both, committed on occasions different from one another."
Under the statute, a "serious drug offense" includes any federal offense "under the Controlled Substances Act ... the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act ... or chapter 705 of Title 46" or any state offense "involving manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture or distribute, controlled substance" "for which a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years or more is prescribed by law."
In 2015, the Supreme Court in Johnson II concluded the last clause of
The following year, on April 18, 2016, the Court held that " Johnson [II ] announced a substantive rule that has retroactive effect in cases on collateral review." Welch v. United States , --- U.S. ----,
*72. The Present Petition
In his June 23, 2016 motion to vacate and correct his sentence pursuant to
II. THE DRUG OFFENSE
In addition to his claims for relief under Johnson II , which I address in Section III below, Mr. Beazer also argues that his February 11, 2013 conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine, should not be considered a predicate offense under ACCA. Mr. Beazer concedes that this particular basis for relief does not flow from Johnson II , but instead presents it as an alternative.
For the reasons set forth below, I find both that this argument is barred and that, even if not barred, it fails on the merits. Mr. Beazer's February 11, 2013 conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine was properly classified as a predicate offense under ACCA and his belated effort to assert this claim is unavailing.
A. Threshold Barriers .
Mr. Beazer's contention that his drug conviction was not properly counted as an ACCA predicate is both untimely and procedurally defaulted.
1. Timeliness
Under federal law, an individual seeking habeas relief must bring his claim within a one-year statutory limitations period that runs from the latest of:
(1) the date on which the judgment of conviction becomes final; (2) the date on which the impediment to making a motion created by governmental action ... is removed; (3) the date on which the right asserted was initially recognized by the Supreme Court, if that right has been newly recognized by the Supreme Court and made retroactively applicable to cases on collateral review; or (4) the date on which facts supporting the claim ... could have been discovered.
Here, Mr. Beazer filed his petition for habeas relief with respect to the classification of his drug conviction on June 23, 2016, more than one year after his conviction and sentence in federal court became final on February 13, 2014. [Dkt. No. 41]. What is more, while Johnson announced a new rule of constitutional law with retroactive effect, see Welch ,
Mr. Beazer has made no contention here that he was somehow impeded from bringing this claim earlier by some action or omission on the part of the Government; nor does he allege any newly discovered facts that would affect his claim.
I conclude Mr. Beazer's claim with respect to his drug conviction is therefore barred by the one-year limitations period established by
2. Procedural Default
Even if Mr. Beazer could be said to have filed his claim for relief with respect to the drug conviction within the one-year limitations period, I find his claim to be *8procedurally defaulted. Mr. Beazer did not object, either in his sentencing memorandum, or during his sentencing, to his classification as an armed career criminal. Nor did he object to the classification of his February 11, 2013 drug conviction as a predicate offense under the ACCA. Though he had a right to appeal, he did not seek direct review of his sentence or of his classification as a career offender. Consequently, his claim appears procedurally defaulted. See, e.g., Wainwright v. Sykes ,
Nevertheless, "[w]here a defendant has procedurally defaulted a claim by failing to raise it on direct review, the claim may be raised on habeas ... if the defendant can first demonstrate either 'cause' and actual 'prejudice' ... or that he is 'actually innocent.' " Bousley ,
Mr. Beazer cannot show cause for his failure to object to the classification of the drug offense as an ACCA predicate during his sentencing. As he concedes, his argument concerning the drug conviction does not flow from Johnson II . It was certainly available to him at the time of sentencing, even if it was, and remains, foreclosed by circuit precedent. See e.g., United States v. Moore ,
Mr. Beazer's claim concerning his drug offense is therefore procedurally barred.
B. The Merits .
Even if Mr. Beazer's claim relating to his drug offense was able to surmount the threshold barriers to its assertion, it would still fail on the merits because, under case law I am bound to treat as controlling, that conviction qualifies as a "serious drug offense" under ACCA.
The term "serious drug offense" includes any "offense under state law, involving manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture or distribute, a controlled substance ... for which a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years or more is prescribed by law."
The predicate offense at issue was prosecuted under M.G.L. c. 94C §§ 32 and 32A, both of which provide for a maximum term of imprisonment "in the state prison for not more than ten years, or in jail or house of correction for not more than two and one-half years" for "knowingly or intentionally manufactur[ing], distribut[ing], dispens[ing], or possess[ing] with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance." M.G.L. c. 94C § 32 (for controlled substances in Class A, as defined by M.G.L. c. 94C § 31 ); M.G.L. c. 94C § 32A (for controlled substances in Class B, as defined by M.G.L. c. 94C § 31 ); see also [PSR ¶ 36].
Though the statute is crafted in a way that recognizes the difference in sentencing authority between the Massachusetts Superior Court and the Massachusetts District Court, it plainly "allows for a maximum possible penalty of ten years incarceration, and, thus, fits comfortably within *9the ambit of 'serious drug offense' as that term is defined in [ACCA]." Moore ,
I am bound by the First Circuit's precedent on this matter, and therefore hold alternatively that, even if this claim was not barred on timeliness and procedural default grounds, Mr. Beazer's February 11, 2013 conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine under Massachusetts law is a valid predicate offense under ACCA.
III. THE JOHNSON II CLAIMS
The core of Mr. Beazer's petition rests on his argument that his prior convictions for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon ("ABDW"),
This argument derives from the Court's decision in Johnson II . I conclude in Section III.A. that the argument is not barred at the threshold, and that I will address it on the merits. Based on guidance from the First Circuit in developing ACCA case law in the wake of Johnson II , I conclude that Mr. Beazer was improperly classified as an armed career criminal and is entitled to relief.
A. Procedural Barriers to Review
Unlike his claim relating to his drug conviction, Mr. Beazer's Johnson II claims are not untimely; nor are they procedurally defaulted.
The Supreme Court explicitly acknowledged that Johnson II announced a new rule of law that is retroactively applicable on collateral review. Welch ,
Though Mr. Beazer did not seek direct review of his conviction, he satisfies the "cause and actual prejudice" standard to overcome procedural default. See Bousley ,
A petitioner may show cause by demonstrating that his claim is "so novel that its legal basis is not reasonably available to counsel" at the time of conviction. Bousley ,
The Court's holding in Johnson II clearly satisfies this standard. When Mr. Beazer was sentenced in 2014, "the Supreme Court's decisions in James [v. United States ,
Mr. Beazer must also show that he suffered "actual prejudice" as a result of the complained-of errors. He does so here. If, in fact, Mr. Beazer did not have two prior non-drug offense convictions that are categorically violent felonies under the force clause of ACCA, "he can argue actual prejudice because his sentence was undoubtedly influenced by the determination that he had qualifying ACCA predicates" and should be sentenced as a career offender. Lassend ,
Consequently, I conclude Mr. Beazer's Johnson II claims are neither untimely nor procedurally defaulted, and I now turn to their merits.
B. Assault Based Offenses
Mr. Beazer focuses on his June 26, 2007 conviction for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon ("ABDW") and Simple Assault and Battery, [PSR ¶ 32], and his August 20, 2007 conviction for ABDW and Simple Assault. [PSR ¶ 34]. The government, for the first time in its supplemental response, would also have me consider Mr. Beazer's August 20, 2007 conviction for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon ("ADW") as a predicate.
*11These four offenses - simple assault, ADW, simple assault and battery, and ABDW - are treated similarly by Massachusetts law. I will address each in turn for analysis of their elements.
1. Simple Assault
Under Massachusetts law, the elements of simple assault are determined by the common law,
A conviction under either theory of assault may be sustained by a "mere touching." United States v. Martinez ,
Mr. Beazer's August 20, 2007 convictions for simple assault cannot serve as ACCA predicates. [PSR ¶¶ 33, 34].
2. Simple Assault and Battery
Mr. Beazer also contests the classification of his June 26, 2007 conviction for simple assault and battery as an ACCA predicate offense. Like simple assault, simple assault and battery under Massachusetts law is divisible into two categories: "intentional battery" and "reckless battery." Porro ,
While intentional battery that is physically harmful would categorically be a violent felony under ACCA, neither offensive battery - intentional battery that is not physically harmful - nor reckless battery would be. See United States v. Holloway ,
Here, it is not immediately clear that the assault and battery statute at issue, M.G.L. c. 265 § 13A, is divisible into its intentional and reckless forms: the statute does not list potential crimes in the alternative or otherwise alter the punishment based on the way a particular crime was committed. United States v. Faust ,
3. Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon
Mr. Beazer argues that his convictions for ABDW are not predicate offenses for the purposes of ACCA. Like simple assault and battery, ABDW includes both "the intentional and unjustified use of force upon the person of another, however slight" and "the intentional commission of a wanton or reckless act causing physical or bodily injury to another." United States v. Tavares ,
However, unlike simple assault and battery, the intentional form of ABDW "constitutes a crime of violence under § 4B1.2(a)(1) of the [Sentencing Guidelines]" because ADW is a lesser-included offense of this form of ABDW and ADW is, itself, a violent felony.
The reckless form of ABDW, however, is not categorically a violent felony under ACCA because "it does not require that the defendant intend to cause injury ... or even be aware of the risk of serious injury that any reasonable person would perceive." United States v. Windley ,
As with simple assault and battery, it is not immediately clear that *13ABDW is divisible.
There is insufficient evidence in the record before me to show that Mr. Beazer, on June 26, 2007, was convicted of the intentional form of ABDW. Since his conviction for simple assault and battery is also not a valid predicate, Mr. Beazer's June 26, 2007 convictions in Norfolk Superior Court may only qualify as an ACCA predicate if either his conviction for carjacking or for armed robbery are violent felonies, a question I will address in Section III.C. below.
Similarly, the record before me concerning Mr. Beazer's August 20, 2007 conviction does not identify whether Mr. Beazer was convicted of the intentional form of ABDW. As with the charging documents for the June 26, 2007 conviction, the charging documents for the August 20, 2007 conviction indicate only that Mr. Beazer was charged with, and ultimately pled guilty to, the general crime of ABDW. Consequently, this August 20, 2007 conviction also does not qualify as an ACCA predicate.
4. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
Mr. Beazer's August 20, 2007 conviction for ADW
C. Theft Offenses
In addition to his various convictions for assault and battery, Mr. Beazer was convicted on June 26, 2007 for armed robbery and carjacking. [PSR ¶ 32]. Neither of these two convictions are proper predicate offenses under ACCA. Since the conviction for ABDW and simple assault and battery are also not proper predicate offenses, see supra , the various June 26, 2007 convictions do not include a proper basis for his classification as a career offender under ACCA.
1. Armed Robbery
Under Massachusetts law, a person may be found guilty of armed robbery if, "while armed with a dangerous weapon, [the defendant] assaulted another person, and took money or property from the person with the intent to steal it." Commonwealth v. Anderson ,
However, "the degree of force is immaterial so long as it is sufficient to obtain the victim's property against his will."
*15Under Massachusetts law, the only distinction between unarmed robbery and armed robbery is the presence of a dangerous weapon. But, to be convicted, a defendant need "not have used or displayed the dangerous weapon during the robbery; it is sufficient for the prosecutor to prove that the robber possessed the dangerous weapon during the robbery," even if the victim did not know the weapon was there. Anderson ,
Because the degree of force is immaterial and because the victim need not be aware of the presence of a dangerous weapon, Massachusetts armed robbery is not categorically a violent felony under the force clause. Starks ,
Armed robbery is therefore not categorically a violent felony under ACCA.
2. Carjacking
Mr. Beazer argues that his June 2007 conviction for carjacking is also not categorically a violent felony under the ACCA. Under Massachusetts law, an individual is guilty of carjacking when he "with intent to steal a motor vehicle, assaults, confines, maims or puts any person in fear for the purpose of stealing a motor vehicle," even if he does not succeed in actually stealing the motor vehicle. M.G.L. c. 265 § 21A. Massachusetts law recognizes that carjacking "has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force ... against the person of another." Anderson ,
This does not mean, however, that it is categorically a violent felony under the force clause of ACCA. Indeed, though the First Circuit has not considered the question, Mr. Beazer urges me to hold that Massachusetts carjacking is indivisible or, in the event that it is divisible, that there is insufficient evidence to show that Mr. *16Beazer was convicted of the violent form of the offense.
The Supreme Judicial Court has suggested - but not held by terms - that carjacking is divisible based on whether the defendant committed the offense by "assaulting," "confining," "maiming," or "putting in fear" the victim. Commonwealth v. Souza ,
If the statute is ultimately found to be indivisible, my inquiry should end at this point. Because the statute criminalizes conduct that extends beyond what is considered a violent felony under ACCA, it is not categorically a violent felony and a conviction under its terms cannot serve as a predicate offense. See Mathis , 136 S.Ct. at 2256.
If by contrast, the statute is definitively found to be divisible, I would look to the Shepard documents, particularly to the charging documents from the state court. Though these documents indicate that Mr. Beazer was convicted for carjacking, they do not indicate which variation of carjacking he was convicted for. Instead, they only list the generic offense. This is insufficient to show that Mr. Beazer was convicted of the violent form of carjacking (assuming one exists), and therefore means that this conviction cannot serve as an ACCA predicate offense. See Faust ,
3. Conclusion
Neither the conviction for carjacking nor the conviction for armed robbery may serve as an ACCA predicate offense.
D. Recalculation of ACCA Predicates
While Mr. Beazer has two ACCA predicates - one arising from his February 11, 2013 conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and the other, his August 20, 2007 ADW conviction - the record before me in light of the recent transformation of ACCA case law effected by Johnson II does not support finding a third. Because the government has not demonstrated Mr. Beazer has the requisite three predicate offenses to qualify as an armed career criminal under ACCA, he must be resentenced.
IV. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the petition for a writ of habeas corpus, and the motion to vacate and correct Mr. Beazer's sentence, [Dkt. No. 58], under
In addition, the defendant was also convicted on August 20, 2007 of disorderly conduct. There has never been a contention in this case that this offense can be an ACCA predicate.
Mr. Beazer has two prior convictions for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon ("ABDW"): one from the Norfolk Superior Court on June 26, 2007, [PSR ¶ 32], and one from the New Bedford District Court on August 20, 2007. [PSR ¶ 34]. His June 2007 conviction also included convictions for Simple Assault and Battery, Carjacking, and Armed Robbery, [PSR ¶ 32], while the August 20, 2007 convictions included a conviction for Simple Assault. [PSR ¶ 34].
The PSR did not explicitly classify Mr. Beazer's conviction for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon ("ADW") as a predicate offense, [PSR ¶ 40], but rather reports that the conviction for ADW and his August 20, 2007 conviction for ABDW were treated as a single sentence because there were not separated by an intervening arrest, and because Mr. Beazer was sentenced to both offenses on the same day. [PSR ¶¶ 33, 34].
This conviction was not originally included in the PSR as expressly one of Mr. Beazer's predicate offenses, [PSR ¶ 40], but was treated as part of the same sentence as his August 2007 conviction for ABDW. [PSR ¶¶ 33-34]. Given the confusion that the developing case law in this area has generated and the ambiguity created by the aggregation of designated armed career criminal predicates in the PSR, I decline to treat the current argument by the government that the August 20, 2007 ADW conviction is a valid predicate as subject to a waiver or forfeiture. I will accordingly address it on the merits.
M.G.L. c. 265 § 13A criminalizes, and sets the statutory punishment for, simple assault without defining its elements.
ADW is defined in M.G.L. c. 265 § 15B.
Importantly for my purposes here, the Massachusetts rule regarding the amount of force required to effectuate a robbery differs from both federal law and the law of various states, including Florida, which require the force used to be "sufficient to overcome a victim's resistance." See Stokeling v. United States , --- U.S. ----,
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court held that armed robbery, specifically in Florida, but more generally in states where robbery requires proof of "resistance by the victim that is overcome by the physical force of the offender," is a crime of violence under the force clause of ACCA.
Second, the law of Massachusetts differs from the federal law of robbery, as defined by the Hobbs Act,
However, the First Circuit's holdings with respect to these two federal offenses rest on a reading of the two statutes to require "a threat of the kind of force described in Johnson I , that is "violent force ... capable of causing physical pain or injury." Garcia-Ortiz ,
In so holding, the First Circuit took the same position as several of its sister circuits. See e.g., United States v. Hill ,
As with federal robbery, federal carjacking is defined differently from Massachusetts carjacking, and qualifies as a predicate offense under ACCA.
Federal carjacking requires that the defendant take a motor vehicle "from the person or presence of another by force and violence or by intimidation."
Federal carjacking is thus distinguishable from Massachusetts carjacking, which does not require the intent "to cause death or serious bodily harm." Like its federal counterpart, Massachusetts carjacking also incorporates, and is informed by, the state's definition of "robbery." Because Massachusetts robbery is not categorically a crime of violence, at least some forms of Massachusetts carjacking are also not crimes of violence.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Hasaan BEAZER v. UNITED STATES
- Status
- Published