296
Opinion of the Court
Court of Appeals read this language to bar a juvenile term longer than the sentence a court could have imposed on a similarly situated adult after applying the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Under the Guidelines, involuntary manslaughter caused by recklessness has a base offense level of 14. United States Sentencing Commission, Guidelines Manual § 2A1.4(a)(2) (Nov. 1991). The court found, and the Government agrees, see Brief for United States 22, n. 5, that because R. L. C. had the lowest possible criminal history level, Category I, the Guidelines would yield a sentencing range of 15-21 months for a similarly situated adult. The Court of Appeals therefore concluded that the maximum period of detention to which R. L. C. could be sentenced was 21 months.
The Government sought no stay of mandate from the Court of Appeals, and on remand the District Court imposed detention for 18 months. Although R. L. C. has now served this time, his failure to complete the 3-year detention originally imposed and the possibility that the remainder of it could be imposed saves the case from mootness. See United States v. Villamonte-Marquez, 462 U. S. 579, 581, n. 2 (1983). We granted the Government's petition for certiorari, 501 U. S. 1230 (1991), to resolve the conflict between the Eighth Circuit's holding in this case and the Ninth Circuit's position, adopted in United States v. Marco L., 868 F. 2d 1121,
"(A) the date when the juvenile becomes twenty-one years old; or "(B) the maximum term of imprisonment that would be authorized if the juvenile had been tried and convicted as an adult; or
"(2) in the case of a juvenile who is between eighteen and twenty-one years old—
"(A) who if convicted as an adult would be convicted of a Class A, B, or C felony, beyond five years; or
"(B) in any other case beyond the lesser of— "(i) three years; or "(ii) the maximum term of imprisonment that would be authorized if the juvenile had been tried and convicted as an adult."
Page: Index Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 NextLast modified: October 4, 2007