Case o' The Week: Breach to the Third -- Manzo II, Breach, IAC, and "Law of the Case"

How many times does the Ninth have to say that the government needs to keep its promises and stand by its deals?

Three, so far, in 2012 (and its only April!)

United States v. Jose Manzo, (Manzo II) 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 6838 (Apr. 5, 2012), decision available here.

Players: Big win by ED WA AFPD Matthew Campbell. Decision by Judge Gould.

Facts: Manzo was charged with possession of precursors to manufacture meth, and with distribution of meth. Id. at *2. He went to trial on the manufacturing case and was found guilty; sentencing was continued pending resolution of the distribution case. Id.

Manzo then pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in the distribution case. Id. In the agreement the government agreed to offense level (OL) 34, and to a three-level reduction for acceptance. Id. at *2-*3.


Sentencing came, and Probation went south: the PSR grouped the two offenses, converted the precursor and meth to the marijuana equivalency as directed by the guidelines, added the marijuana amounts, and came up with offense level 38. Id. at *3. The PSR also refused to give Manzo acceptance, because he had gone to trial on the manufacturing case. Id.

At sentencing, the government abandoned the OL 34 recommendation and endorsed OL 38, and didn’t recommend the acceptance reduction. Id. at *5.

Defense counsel didn’t argue breach. Id.

Manzo – who expected no more than 14 years with his deal – got hammered with 24 at sentencing. Id. In a mem dispo (“Manzo I”) the Ninth upheld the sentence on direct appeal, under plain error review. Id. at *6.

Issue(s):

1. IAC: “Manzo argues that his counsel gave him ineffective assistance of counsel.” Id. at *8.

2. Breach: “Manzo contends that the government breached its plea agreement with respect to the distribution sentence by merely agreeing before the district court that in light of the grouping, a base offense level of 38 was a correct calculation without recommending a base offense level of 34, per the agreement’s terms, and by not recommending a downward departure for Manzo’s acceptance of responsibility.” Id. at *11.

Held:

1. IAC: “We agree with Manzo that his counsel’s failure to anticipate that the offenses would be grouped for sentencing purposes and then advise Mazo to move to withdraw his agreement was constitutionally deficient.” Id. at *9.

2. Breach: “[T]he government had agreed that a base offense level of 34 would apply to Manzo’s sentence and promised to recommend a 3-level downward departure upon Manzo’s acceptance of responsibility. At the sentencing hearing, however, the government did neither and so breached the express terms of the plea agreement.” Id. at *13.

Of Note: The second time was a charm, for Manzo.

  The present case was decided on habeas review. Three years ago, on direct appeal, a different three-judge panel of the Ninth held that the government didn’t breach. See Manzo I, 337 Fed. Appx. 643 (9th Cir. June 1, 2009) (mem.) (Per curiam, Judges Canby, Thompson and Callahan).

In this week’s habeas “Manzo II,” Judge Gould acknowledges the earlier mem dispo, but explains that his panel isn’t bound by that decision – quoting authority that explains that the “law of the case” doctrine doesn’t apply when “the first decision was clearly erroneous.” Manzo II, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 6838 at *13 & n.3 (citation omitted).

For appellate folks, footnote three is the most intriguing corner of this interesting case: a welcome tool to distinguish a “conclusory sentence” in a previous panel’s “summary disposition.” Id. at *13-*15 & n.3.

How to Use: “Don’t breach” seems a recent Ninth theme. See recent blogs on breach here. Judge Gould explains – yet again – what the government is to do when its plea agreement contains incorrect guideline calculations. Id. at *16. Turns out it isn’t that hard, to keep a promise: an AUSA is to acknowledge the correct guidelines, but argue for lower guidelines reflected in the negotiated deal. Id. 

With three big Ninth breach decisions in the last four months, there’s certainly plenty of guidance on how to handle the situation . . . .

For Further Reading: Judge Gould, author of Manzo II, replaced Judge Beezer when he went senior in 1996. We’re sad to report that Judge Beezer passed away last week. For a review of some notable criminal-law decisions by Judge Beezer – including the original Carty case – see blog entries here.

 Image of "Breach" from http://www.moviewallpaper.net/wpp/Ryan_Phillippe_in_Breach_Wallpaper_2_1024.jpg

Steven Kalar, Senior Litigator N.D. Cal. FPD. Website at www.ndcalfpd.org

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