No. 22-5204

Ramon Belducea-Mancinas v. United States

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2022-07-27
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP Experienced Counsel
Tags: career-offender circuit-conflict controlled-substance drug-trafficking federal-drug-conviction fifth-circuit plain-error sentencing-guidelines
Key Terms:
Environmental SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2022-09-28
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Is it obvious error to find a prior federal drug trafficking conviction is a 'controlled substance offense' under the Sentencing Guidelines when the substance trafficked is not, at the time of sentencing, categorically a federally controlled substance?

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTION PRESENTED FOR REVIEW Ramon Belducea-Mancinas was sentenced as a career offender based on pre-2018 federal convictions for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. In December 2018, Congress narrowed the definition of marijuana to exclude hemp. The Fifth Circuit already defined “controlled substance” in the Sentencing Guidelines as a substance controlled by the federal Controlled Substances Act. Yet, the court of appeals held the error was not plain because the court had not decided this precise question. Had Belducea been prosecuted in the Ninth Circuit, the error would have been deemed plain. The question presented is: Is it obvious error to find a prior federal drug trafficking conviction is a “controlled substance offense” under the Sentencing Guidelines when the substance trafficked is not, at the time of sentencing, categorically a federally controlled substance? ili No. — In the Supreme Court of the United States ROMAN BELDUCEA-MANCINAS, Petitioner, V. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT Petitioner Roman Belducea-Mancinas asks that a writ of certiorari issue to review the opinion and judgment entered by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on April 26, 2022.

Docket Entries

2022-10-03
Petition DENIED.
2022-08-11
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/28/2022.
2022-08-09
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2022-07-25
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due August 26, 2022)

Attorneys

Ramon Belducea-Mancinas
Kristin Michelle KimmelmanFederal Public Defender's Office, Petitioner
Kristin Michelle KimmelmanFederal Public Defender's Office, Petitioner
United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent