United States v. Rugg

[NOT FOR PUBLICATION NOT TO BE CITED AS PRECEDENT] United States Court of Appeals For the First Circuit No. 98-1712 UNITED STATES, Appellee, v. E. EARLE RUGG, JR., Defendant, Appellant. APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS [Hon. Nathaniel M. Gorton, U.S. District Judge] Before Torruella, Chief Judge, Selya and Boudin, Circuit Judges. Jack W. Pirozzolo, Foley, Hoag & Eliot LLP on brief for appellant. Donald K. Stern, United States Attorney, and Jennifer Zacks, Assistant U.S. Attorney, on Motion for Summary Disposition, for appellee. July 9, 1999 Per Curiam. Upon careful review of the record, defendant's brief, and the government's motion for summary disposition, we conclude that argument would not be helpful. See 1st Cir. Loc. R. 27.1. There is no merit in defendant's argument that, in setting the amount of restitution, the district court failed to consider his ability to pay. The presentence investigation report adequately detailed defendant's finances, and the district court was not required to make further express findings on the subject. See United States v. Licausi, 167 F.3d 36, 52-53 (1st Cir. 1999). And contrary to defendant's argument, the judgment, fairly read as a whole and in context, did not require immediate payment of the full amount of restitution. See United States v. Merric, 166 F.3d 406, 408 (1st Cir. 1999). However, the "schedule of payments" included in the written judgment was not without ambiguity, as it referred both to immediate payment and to an undetermined schedule for later payment. On remand, the time or schedule for repayment should be clarified. See 18 U.S.C. 3663(f) (1994); U.S.S.G. 5E1.1 background ("The restitution order should specify the manner in which . . . payment is to be made.") (former version, Appendix C, amendment 571); United States v. Timilty, 148 F.3d 1, 6 (1st Cir. 1998); United States v. Lilly, 80 F.3d 24, 29 (1st Cir. 1996); see also 18 U.S.C. 3664(f)(2). We do not address the ex post facto question here, because the result would be the same under either version of the restitution statutes. See Licausi, 167 F.3d at 52 n.4. That portion of the judgment regarding the schedule for payment of restitution is vacated, and the cause is remanded to the district court for further proceedings to clarify the time or schedule for repayment. The judgment is affirmed in all other respects. The government's motion for summary disposition is granted in part and denied in part accordingly.