United States v. Stevenson
2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 3570
| 6th Cir. | 2012Background
- Flowers and Stevenson committed state-sex-offense registrations before SORNA; both later traveled interstate and failed to update registrations.
- In 2009 each was indicted for interstate travel and failure to update registrations under 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a).
- District court dismissed indictments, relying on Cain to hold SORNA not retroactive; government appealed.
- Earlier panels (Cain, Utesch) addressed retroactivity and APA concerns with interim/SMART rules.
- This appeal consolidates Flowers and Stevenson to determine retroactivity status and validity of SMART guidelines.
- Court reviews applicability of SORNA de novo and assesses whether SMART guidelines constitute a valid retroactive rule.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether SORNA retroactively applies to pre-enactment offenders. | United States (U.S.) | Flowers/Stevenson | SORNA retroactive as of August 1, 2008; indictments valid. |
| Whether SMART guidelines are a valid retroactive rule. | U.S. | Flowers/Stevenson | SMART guidelines are valid; establish retroactivity. |
| Whether §16912(b) authorizes retroactivity rules via substantive rulemaking. | U.S. | Flowers/Stevenson | Authority supports substantive retroactivity rulemaking under §16912(b); guidelines valid. |
Key Cases Cited
- United States v. Utesch, 596 F.3d 302 (6th Cir.2010) (SORNA retroactive via final SMART guidelines; APA notice proper)
- United States v. Cain, 583 F.3d 408 (6th Cir.2009) (Interim Rule invalid under APA; retroactivity not self-executing)
- Reynolds v. United States, U.S. , 132 S. Ct. 975 (Supreme Court 2012) (addressed retroactivity of SORNA; not self-executing)
- United States v. Trent, 654 F.3d 574 (6th Cir.2011) (reaffirmed August 1, 2008 retroactivity stance; not binding on earlier facts)
- United States v. Valverde, 628 F.3d 1159 (9th Cir.2010) (uses August 1, 2008 retroactivity date in similar context)
- United States v. Dietrich, 409 Fed.Appx. 993 (9th Cir.2011) (unpublished; retroactivity discussion same era)
- United States v. Gould, 568 F.3d 459 (4th Cir.2009) (Interim Rule validity debate in same era)
- United States v. Johnson, 632 F.3d 912 (5th Cir.2011) (harmless-error view on interim rule; retroactivity analysis context)