United States v. Christopher Graham

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS JUN 24 2021 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 20-30237 Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 3:12-cr-00178-MO-1 v. MEMORANDUM* CHRISTOPHER ADIN GRAHAM, Defendant-Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Oregon Michael W. Mosman, District Judge, Presiding Submitted June 21, 2021** Before: SILVERMAN, WATFORD, and BENNETT, Circuit Judges. Christopher Adin Graham appeals from the district court’s order denying his motion for compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i). We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we vacate and remand. After the district court’s decision denying relief and the parties’ briefing on * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). appeal, this court held that the current version of U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 is not binding as applied to § 3582(c)(1)(A) motions brought by prisoners. See United States v. Aruda, 993 F.3d 797, 802 (9th Cir. 2021) (“The Sentencing Commission’s statements in U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 may inform a district court’s discretion for § 3582(c)(1)(A) motions filed by a defendant, but they are not binding.”). Because the district court provided no explanation for its decision to deny Graham’s motion, we cannot determine whether it relied on U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 in denying relief. Therefore, we vacate and remand so that the district court can reassess Graham’s motion for compassionate release under the standard set forth in Aruda. See id. We offer no views as to the merits of Graham’s § 3582(c)(1)(A) motion, and we need not reach his remaining arguments on appeal. VACATED and REMANDED. 2 20-30237