United States v. McMillan

UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,  Plaintiff-Appellee, v.  No. 00-4473 JERRY ROGER MCMILLAN, Defendant-Appellant.  Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, at Charlotte. Robert D. Potter, Senior District Judge. (CR-88-179-P) Submitted: November 30, 2000 Decided: December 27, 2000 Before LUTTIG, TRAXLER, and KING, Circuit Judges. Affirmed in part and vacated and remanded in part by unpublished per curiam opinion. COUNSEL Mark P. Foster, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina, for Appellant. Brian L. Whisler, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Char- lotte, North Carolina, for Appellee. Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See Local Rule 36(c). 2 UNITED STATES v. MCMILLAN OPINION PER CURIAM: Jerry Roger McMillan appeals the district court’s judgment impos- ing a twenty-four month sentence for his violation of the terms of his supervised release. McMillan suggests that the district court errone- ously concluded that it lacked the discretion to impose a sentence concurrent with McMillan’s pending term of imprisonment for his state conviction. See USSG § 7B1.3(f), p.s. Although § 7B1.3(f) dic- tates that any term of imprisonment imposed upon revocation of supervised release be consecutive to any sentence the defendant is serving, the Chapter 7 policy statements are not binding on the district court. See United States v. Davis, 53 F.3d 638, 641-42 (4th Cir. 1995). As a result, contrary to the district court’s statements at sen- tencing, the court was not bound to impose a consecutive sentence, but could have in its discretion ordered a concurrent sentence under the appropriate circumstances. See Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81, 92-95 (1996). The district court’s failure to recognize its own power to depart downward renders the error reviewable on appeal. See United States v. Bayerle, 898 F.2d 28, 31 (4th Cir. 1990). Accordingly, we vacate McMillan’s sentence only and remand for reconsideration of the sentence in light of the district court’s discre- tion and the factors governing the possibility of a downward depar- ture. See Koon, 518 U.S. at 95. The district court’s judgment is affirmed in all other respects. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process. AFFIRMED IN PART AND VACATED AND REMANDED IN PART