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[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
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No. 18-12729
Non-Argument Calendar
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D.C. Docket No. 0:18-cr-60005-WPD-1
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
DAVID ALEXANDER CAMPBELL,
Defendant-Appellant.
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Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Florida
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(March 8, 2019)
Before WILLIAM PRYOR, GRANT, and EDMONDSON, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM:
David Campbell appeals his 144-month sentence for his conviction of
importing cocaine. He challenges his designation as a career offender under the
Sentencing Guidelines and argues that his sentence is substantively unreasonable.
On his career-offender designation, Campbell argues that his prior conviction for
Florida robbery was improperly determined to be a predicate offense under the
Sentencing Guidelines career-offender provision; he acknowledges our binding
precedent is to the contrary. Campbell also asserts that he should have been
granted a greater downward variance because of his advanced age, the nonviolent
nature of his crime, and his relationship with his family. No reversible error has
been presented.
I.
We review de novo “whether a conviction qualifies as a crime of violence
under the Sentencing Guidelines.” United States v. Dixon, 874 F.3d 678, 680 (11th
Cir. 2017). Under the Guidelines, a defendant is considered a career offender
subject to an enhanced sentence if (1) he is at least 18 years old at the time of the
commission of the offense of conviction, (2) the offense of conviction is a felony
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crime of violence or controlled substance offense, and (3) he has at least two prior
felony convictions for a crime of violence or controlled substance offense.
U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1(a). The Guidelines define a crime of violence as a felony that
“has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force
against the person of another” or “is murder, voluntary manslaughter, kidnapping,
aggravated assault, a forcible sex offense, robbery, arson, extortion, or the use or
unlawful possession of a firearm described in 26 U.S.C. § 5845(a) or explosive
material as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 841(c).” U.S.S.G. § 4B1.2(a).
We have concluded that a conviction under Florida’s robbery statute, Fla.
Stat. § 812.13(1), qualifies as a crime of violence under both the “elements” clause
of the crime of violence definition and under the list of enumerated offenses.
United States v. Lockley, 632 F.3d 1238, 1244-45 (11th Cir. 2011) (concluding that
Florida’s robbery statute “is indeed generic” and also has as an element the use,
attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another).
In Stokeling, the Supreme Court held that Florida robbery qualifies as a
violent felony under the Armed Career Criminal Act’s (“ACCA”) elements clause
because “the term ‘physical force’ in ACCA encompasses the degree of force
necessary to commit common-law robbery [and] Florida robbery requires that
same degree of ‘force.’” Stokeling v. United States, 2019 U.S. LEXIS 725, *21,
139 S. Ct. 544 (2019). The definition of a “violent felony” under the ACCA is
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“virtually identical” to the definition of “crime of violence” under the Sentencing
Guidelines. United States v. Archer, 531 F.3d 1347, 1352 (11th Cir. 2008).
Under the prior precedent rule, we are bound by our prior decisions unless
and until they are overruled by the Supreme Court or our Court en banc. United
States v. Brown, 342 F.3d 1245, 1246 (11th Cir. 2003).
Here, Campbell’s arguments are squarely foreclosed by precedent.* Florida
robbery is a crime of violence under Lockley, as further confirmed in Stokeling,
and we are bound by this precedent. Accordingly, we affirm Campbell’s
designation as a career offender under the Sentencing Guidelines.
II.
We review the reasonableness of a sentence under the deferential
abuse-of-discretion standard of review, regardless of whether the sentence imposed
is within or outside the guideline range. Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51
(2007). We examine whether the sentence is substantively reasonable under the
totality of the circumstances and in the light of the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors.
United States v. Cubero, 754 F.3d 888, 892 (11th Cir. 2014). The party
*
To the extent that Campbell requested in his briefs that we delay ruling on his case until
issuance of the Supreme Court’s decision in Stokeling, that request is now moot, for
Stokeling has been issued.
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challenging the sentence has the burden to show that the sentence is unreasonable.
United States v. Tome, 611 F.3d 1371, 1378 (11th Cir. 2010).
The district court must impose a sentence “sufficient, but not greater than
necessary, to comply with the purposes” listed in § 3553(a)(2), including the need
to reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law, provide just
punishment for the offense, deter criminal conduct, protect the public from the
defendant’s future criminal conduct, provide the defendant with needed
educational or vocational training, medical care, or other correctional treatment,
and avoid unwarranted sentencing disparities. See 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2). The
court must also consider the history and characteristics of the defendant. Id.
§ 3553(a)(1).
The weight given to any specific § 3553(a) factor is up to the sound
discretion of the district court. United States v. Clay, 483 F.3d 739, 743 (11th Cir.
2007). A district court abuses its discretion when it (1) does not consider
significant, relevant factors, (2) gives an improper or irrelevant factor significant
weight, or (3) commits a clear error in judgment in balancing proper factors.
United States v. Irey, 612 F.3d 1160, 1189 (11th Cir. 2010) (en banc). We will
vacate a sentence “if, but only if, we are left with the definite and firm conviction
that the district court committed a clear error of judgment in weighing the
§ 3553(a) factors by arriving at a sentence that lies outside the range of reasonable
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sentences dictated by the facts of the case.” Id. at 1190 (quotation marks omitted).
A sentence within the guideline range is ordinarily expected to be reasonable,
United States v. Asante, 782 F.3d 639, 648 (11th Cir. 2015); and a sentence below
the statutory-maximum sentence is an indicator of a reasonable sentence, United
States v. Dougherty, 754 F.3d 1353, 1362 (11th Cir. 2014).
The district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing Campbell to 144
months’ imprisonment. The 44-month downward variance reflected the court’s
consideration of Campbell’s characteristics (including his age, low risk of
recidivism, and family relationship) and of the seriousness of his criminal history.
Campbell’s sentence is not outside the range of reasonable sentences; we
affirm.
AFFIRMED.
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