Kessee

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

HAROLD KESSEE,  No. 07-56153 Petitioner-Appellee, D.C. No. v.  CV-06-03740-PSG KATHY MENDOZA-POWERS, Warden, (MLG) Respondent-Appellant.  OPINION

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California Philip S. Gutierrez, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted May 4, 2009—Pasadena, California

Filed June 23, 2009

Before: John T. Noonan, Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain, and Susan P. Graber, Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Graber

7519 7520 KESSEE v. MENDOZA-POWERS

COUNSEL

Rama R. Maline, Deputy Attorney General of the State of California, Los Angeles, California, for the respondent- appellant. KESSEE v. MENDOZA-POWERS 7521 Johanna S. Schiavoni, Latham & Watkins LLP, San Diego, California, for the petitioner-appellee.

OPINION

GRABER, Circuit Judge:

What is the scope of the “prior conviction” exception to the general rule that a sentencing judge may not make factual findings that increase the statutory maximum criminal pen- alty? The Supreme Court has not yet…