Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41064/USCOURTS-ca5-03-41064-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Paul K. Howe
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined

that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent

except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.

R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

March 15, 2004

Charles R. Fulbruge III

Clerk

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

 

No. 03-41064

Summary Calendar

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

PAUL K. HOWE,

Defendant-Appellant.

--------------------

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Texas

USDC No. C-02-CR-281

--------------------

Before JOLLY, WIENER and PICKERING, Circuit Judges

PER CURIAM:*

Paul K. Howe appeals his conviction for being a felon in

possession of a firearm. He argues that the Government breached

the plea agreement when it (1) filed a brief informing the

district court that it could depart upward pursuant to U.S.S.G. 

§ 4A1.2, (2) produced witnesses as to his alleged criminal

conduct not resulting in a conviction, and (3) examined those

 Case: 03-41064 Document: 0051529108 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/15/2004
No. 03-41064

-2-

witnesses so as to support the presentence report’s

recommendation of an upward departure. 

We hold that the Government’s conduct was not violative of

its promise to recommend that Howe be sentenced at the lowest end

of the applicable guideline range. The district court was not

bound by that recommendation, see FED. R. CRIM. P. 11(c)(1)(B)

(2002), and in filing a legal brief and in complying with the

court’s order to present sentencing witnesses, the Government

was fulfilling its duty to insure that the sentencing court had

complete and accurate information concerning the defendant to

enable the imposition of an appropriate sentence. See United

States v. Block, 660 F.2d 1086, 1091 (5th Cir. 1981). 

The Government consistently recommended that Defendant be

sentenced at the lower end of the guildelines. Consequently, the

Government fulfilled its commitment to Defendant and did not

breach the plea agreement.

Howe has not borne his burden of establishing a breach of

the plea agreement, and, therefore, his conviction is affirmed. 

See United States v. Wilder, 15 F.3d 1292, 1295 (5th Cir. 1994). 

AFFIRMED.

 Case: 03-41064 Document: 0051529108 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/15/2004