United States v. Joseph Robert Zoran
2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 13439
| 8th Cir. | 2012Background
- Zoran pled guilty to possessing child pornography and later pled guilty to failure to appear; total sentence: 37 months' imprisonment and two concurrent 3-year terms of supervised release.
- First revocation (2009) led to 19 months' imprisonment (18 on pornography, 1 on FTA) and 35 months' supervised release (35 on FTA, 18 on pornography).
- Second revocation (2011) led to 24 months' imprisonment (6 on pornography, 18 on FTA) and 18 months' supervised release on the FTA count only.
- Zoran appealed arguing (1) 18-month SR exceeds § 3583(h) maximum and (2) district court abused its discretion by imposing maximum SR with imprisonment.
- The district court imposed 18 months' SR on the FTA count post-revocation; court considered § 3583(b)(2), § 3583(e)(3), and § 3583(h) in determining the SR term.
- The Eighth Circuit vacated the SR portion and remanded to reduce the SR to 17 months.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does § 3583(h) bar any postrevocation SR or cap it at a reduced term? | Zoran (Zoran) argues SR exceeds the statutory maximum. | Zoran asserts the amended § 3583(h) does not permit excess SR. | Amended § 3583(h) applies; SR not barred outright. |
| How is 'any term of imprisonment' calculated for § 3583(h)? | Aggregation across revocations of same offense yields a larger deduction. | Aggregation limited to same underlying offense; does not aggregate across offenses. | Aggregation across postrevocation terms for the same underlying offense governs; maximum SR is 17 months. |
Key Cases Cited
- Brings Plenty, 188 F.3d 1051 (8th Cir. 1999) (defines 'any term of imprisonment' for § 3583(h) under pre-2003 version)
- Maxwell, 285 F.3d 336 (4th Cir. 2002) (aggregates postrevocation terms for the same underlying offense)
- Vera, 542 F.3d 457 (5th Cir. 2008) (recognizes amended § 3583(h) and textual limits on aggregation)
- Johnson v. United States, 529 U.S. 694 (2000) (postrevocation penalties attributed to the original conviction)
