Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-89-02293/USCOURTS-ca10-89-02293-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
John Dominic Concha
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

Plaintiff-Appellee, 

Unitedp 1 LED 

Scates Coun of A peals 

T emh Ci:ruir P 

MAY 6 - 1991 

&OBERT L. HOE(KE 

Clerk R 

v. 

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No. 89-2293 

(D.C. No. 89-08JC-0l) 

(Dist. N.M.) 

JOHN DOMINIC CONCHA, 

Defendant-Appellant. 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before LOGAN and SEYMOUR, Circuit Judges, and SPARR,** District 

Judge. 

John Concha pled guilty to one count charging violations of 

18 u.s.c. SS 1153, 1112(a) (1988) (voluntary manslaughter), and 

one count charging violations of 18 u.s.c. SS 1153, 1113(a) (1988) 

(attempt to commit murder). Concha was sentenced to 108 months on 

each count, the sentences to run concurrently. On appeal, Concha 

contends that the district court erred in denying his motion to 

depart downward. We dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. 

*This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not 

be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except 

for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of the case, 

res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 

**Honorable Daniel B. Sparr, United States District Judge for the 

District of Colorado, sitting by designation. 

Appellate Case: 89-2293 Document: 010110106484 Date Filed: 05/06/1991 Page: 1 
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t 

This court has held generally that "when a sentence is within 

the guideline range and is not imposed in violation of law, or as 

a result of an incorrect application of the guidelines, then the 

district court's refusal to exercise its discretion to depart 

downward from the guideline range is not appealable." United 

States v. Davis, 900 F.2d 1524, 1530 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 

111 s. Ct. 1555 (1990) (footnotes omitted). However, we left open 

the question whether a discretionary refusal to depart downward is 

ever reviewable. See id. at 1530 n.6. In United States v. 

Garcia, 919 F.2d 1478, 1480-81 (10th Cir. 1990), we discussed and 

agreed with the Second Circuit's analysis of the issue in United 

States v. Colon, 884 F.2d 1550 (2d Cir.), cert denied, 110 S. Ct. 

553 (1989), and indicated that "very narrow exceptions (exist] to 

the general rule that sentences falling within the Guidelines are 

not appealable." Id. at 1481. Because we have jurisdiction to 

determine our own jurisdiction, we may consider whether Concha has 

brought himself within these exceptions. 

Concha alleges that the refusal to depart here is reviewable 

because the district court did not properly weigh essentially 

undisputed facts concerning the defendant, the nature of the 

crime, and the deceased victim's contribution to the event. This 

assertion simply does not meet the requirements of the narrow 

exceptions recognized in Garcia. See id. at 1481-82. 

Accordingly, we dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. 

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Appellate Case: 89-2293 Document: 010110106484 Date Filed: 05/06/1991 Page: 2 
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DISMISSED. 

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Entered for the Court 

Stephanie K. Seymour 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 89-2293 Document: 010110106484 Date Filed: 05/06/1991 Page: 3