United States v. Anthony Terry
692 F. App'x 318
| 8th Cir. | 2017Background
- Anthony Terry pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to receive child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2).
- The district court applied a five-level distribution enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(3)(B) when calculating the Guidelines and sentenced Terry to concurrent 180-month terms.
- The court imposed multiple long-term special supervised-release conditions restricting contact with minors, Internet/electronic device use, social-networking accounts, and permitting third-party disclosure of his criminal history to potential employers.
- Terry had waived his appellate rights in the plea agreement, but argued the waiver should not bar review because enforcing the waiver here would be a miscarriage of justice.
- Terry also stipulated in the plea agreement to the facts supporting the distribution enhancement and the agreed Guidelines calculations.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enforceability of appeal waiver as to supervised-release conditions | Waiver unenforceable because imposing these conditions (and lack of individualized assessment) would be a miscarriage of justice | Waiver bars challenge; district court acted within its broad § 3583(d) discretion and relied on plea-agreement facts | Waiver enforces; appeal barred. Andis controls—no miscarriage of justice. |
| Validity of distribution enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(3)(B) | Enhancement unsupported by record; Terry lacked intent to distribute | Terry stipulated to the enhancement and agreed the plea facts supported the Guidelines; explicit waiver of challenge | Challenge barred by plea stipulation and waiver; enhancement stands. |
Key Cases Cited
- United States v. Andis, 333 F.3d 886 (8th Cir. 2003) (appeal waiver enforcement upheld; supervised-release conditions reviewed under broad district court discretion)
- United States v. Nguyen, 46 F.3d 781 (8th Cir. 1995) (a defendant who voluntarily accepts a specific sentence by plea may not appeal that punishment)
