Musone v. United States
Musone v. United States
Opinion of the Court
The district court issued a certificate of appealability to Mr. Musone limited to the question of whether he received effective assistance of counsel at his sentencing. The claim of ineffective assistance rests solely on defense counsel’s failure to raise a double jeopardy argument. Mr. Musone contends that because his sentence under the United States Sentencing Guidelines was determined with reference to the guidelines for arson, the imposition of the statutory enhancement .for use-of-fire in the commission of a felony, under 18 U.S.C. § 844(h), constitutes multiple punishment for the same offense, a result not intended by Congress.
Mr. Musone was convicted on six counts, including one of conspiracy to commit arson and mail fraud. The federal appellate courts that have addressed the issue agree that conspiracy to commit arson is not the same offense as use-of-fire in the commission of a felony. Under the Guidelines, Mr. Musone’s sentence on the arson-related group of charges was properly based on the offense level of the substantive offense
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Steven MUSONE v. UNITED STATES
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published