Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03321/USCOURTS-ca8-05-03321-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Ricky Lee Mennen
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Linda R. Reade, United States District Judge for the Northern

District of Iowa. 

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 05-3321

___________

United States of America, *

*

Plaintiff - Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the Northern

* District of Iowa. 

Ricky Lee Mennen, *

* [UNPUBLISHED] 

Defendant - Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: March 13, 2006

Filed: March 16, 2006

___________

Before MURPHY, BOWMAN, and BENTON, Circuit Judges. 

___________

PER CURIAM. 

Ricky Lee Mennen pled guilty to manufacturing and attempting to manufacture

methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. He

was subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 60 months, and the district

court1

 sentenced him to 87 months imprisonment. Mennen appeals, alleging that the

court erred by denying a downward departure based on extraordinary physical

condition and imposing an unreasonable sentence. We affirm.

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The plea agreement left the offense level open but indicated that Mennen

appeared to qualify for a reduction for acceptance of responsibility barring a change

in circumstances. The parties agreed that neither would seek a further adjustment or

departure because none was warranted. Before sentencing Mennen moved for a

sentence below the guideline range based on 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), citing his medical

and psychological condition. The government's sentencing memorandum opposed

such a departure. At sentencing the district court set Mennen's base offense level at

26 and his criminal history category at IV, granted him a 3 level reduction for

acceptance of responsibility, and computed the guideline range at 70 to 87 months.

The court stated that it was aware that it could depart but found that the factors

Mennen cited - alcoholism, substance abuse, and health concerns including diabetes -

did not take his case out of the heartland and declined to depart. After discussing the

§ 3553(a) factors, the court imposed a sentence of 87 months. 

Mennen asserts that the court erred by not recognizing its authority to depart,

by failing to make a finding about whether his physical condition was extraordinary,

and by imposing an unreasonable sentence. Under the sentencing guidelines physical

condition is not "ordinarily relevant" on a decision whether to depart downward. See

U.S.S.G. § 5H1.4. Moreover, such a departure is not appropriate for drug or alcohol

dependence or abuse. Here the district court explicitly recognized its authority to

depart, and its discretionary decision not to depart is unreviewable. See United States

v. Gonzales-Lopez, 335 F.3d 793, 799-800 (8th Cir. 2005). Mennen contends that the

district court "inappropriately weighed the 3553(a) factors in a clear error of

judgment" and that it failed to consider his "uncontrollable" diabetes, his substance

abuse problem, and the possibility he could die while incarcerated. He notes that his

record placed him at the bottom of criminal history category IV and that the amount

of drugs involved was near the bottom of the quantity range for his base offense level.

The government points out that the court discussed the ability of the Bureau of Prisons

to address Mennen's health problems and that he received a reduction for acceptance

of responsibility even though he had violated the conditions of pretrial release. 

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Mennen's sentence was within the guideline range and is thus presumptively

reasonable, see United States v. Lincoln, 413 F.3d 716, 717 (8th Cir. 2005), and the

court discussed the § 3553(a) factors. It specifically noted Mennen's age (forty three),

his substantial criminal history and failure to comply during pretrial supervision, and

his serious medical problems. It also commented that Mennen's health "will likely

improve while he's in the Bureau of Prisons because he won't be tempted to selfmedicate with alcohol or marijuana or methamphetamine." 

After reviewing the record, we conclude the district court did not err in its

findings or abuse its discretion in sentencing Mennen and that his sentence is not

unreasonable. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment. 

______________________________

Appellate Case: 05-3321 Page: 3 Date Filed: 03/16/2006 Entry ID: 2021334