# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 4- 20 60

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Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Ry an Devi n R av en sb or g

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Dis tri ct of M in ne so ta - St. Pa ul

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Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 10 , 20 14 Fil ed : J an ua ry

14 , 20 15

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Befo re MUR PHY, MELLOY, an d B ENTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

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MURP HY, Circ ui t J ud ge

.

Ry an Rav en sb or g pl ed gu il ty to as sa ul t re s u l t i n g in se rio us bo di ly in jury in

vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 1 1 3 ( a )(6 ). The di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced Rav en sb or g to 41 1

The Hon or ab le Mi ch ael J. Dav is , C hi ef Ju dg e, Uni te d St at es D i s t r i ct Co ur t 1
fo r th e Dis tri ct of M in ne so ta

.m on th s im pr is on m en t. Rav en sb or g ap pe al s, ch al le ng in g th e su bs ta nt iv e

reas on ab le ne ss of h is sen te nc e. W e affi rm

.

Rav en sb or g is an en ro ll ed m em be r of th e Red Lak e Ban d of Ch ip pe wa In di an s

an d a li fel on g res id en t of th e res erv at io n. Acco rd in g to th e pr es en te nc e in ve st ig at io n

rep or t, Rav en sb or g ha d hi s fir st in ci de nt wit h th e cri m in al la w whe n he was arre st ed

fo r m is de m ean or ro bb ery ab ou t a y ear aft er hi s fat he r di ed fro m can cer in Ju ne 20 12

. He ha s al so ha d a hi st or y of d ep res si on an d m en ta l i ll ne ss

.

O n t h e e ve ni ng of May 25

, 20 13

, Rav en sb or g at te nd ed a pa rty at hi s si st er' s ho m e on th e Red Lak e res erv at io n. Earl y th e ne xt m or ni ng of fic ers res po nd ed to an in ci de nt rep or t fro m th e ho m e. W it ne ss es rep or te d th at Rav en sb or g had hi t an ot he r

m an in th e he ad wit h a pi ece of woo d. The vi ct im su ffer ed a de pr es se d sk ul l frac tu re wit h in tra cere br al he m or rh ag e, frac tu re frag m en ts
, an d in tra cran ia l art eri al bl eed in g.
He was fir st ta ke n to th e Red Lak e Hos pi ta l an d la te r ai rli fte d to th e San fo rd Med ic al

Cen te r in Farg o, Nor th Dak ot a fo r em erg en cy su rg ery. His res id ua l in juri es in cl ud ed

a lo ss of co or di n a t i o n an d fin e m ot or sk il ls whi ch req ui red co nt in ui ng ph y si cal

th erap y

. Age nt s fro m th e Fed e r a l B u r e a u of In ve st ig at io n as si st ed th e Red Lak e

po li ce wi th an in ve st ig at io n i nt o t he May 25 i nc id en t.

Rav en sb or g was arres te d in Ju ly 20 13 an d su bs eq ue nt ly ad m it te d th at he ha d

hi t th e vi ct im wit h a pi ece of woo d. Rav en sb or g was in di ct ed an d pl ed gu il ty to

as sa ul t res ul ti ng in se rio us bo di ly in jury, in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 11 3( a)(6 ). The

di st ric t co ur t gr an te d hi m rel eas e pr io r to hi s se nt en ci ng

. The te rm s of Rav en sb or g's

rel eas e sp eci fie d th at he m us t co m pl y wit h su pe rv is io n fro m pr et ria l se rv ic es , refr ai n fro m us in g il le ga l co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc es , an d rep or t al l co nt act wit h la w en fo rcem en t.

Rav en sb or g vi ol at ed th e te rm s of hi s rel eas e by te st in g po si ti ve fo r m ari juan a on two

se pa rat e oc cas io ns

. He was al so arre st ed by th e Red Lak e po li ce fo r al le ge d as sa ul t

an d th e st al ki ng of hi s gi rlf rie nd

. As a res ul t th e di st ric t co ur t rev ok ed Rav en sb or g's

rel eas e.

-2

-The di st ric t co ur t he ld Rav en sb or g's se nt en ci ng he ari ng on Apr il 29

, 20 14

. His

pl ea ag reem en t an d t h e p r es en te nc e in ve st ig at io n rep or t ha d bo th cal cu la te d a

gu id el in e ran ge of 33 to 41 m on th s im pr is on m en t. The co ur t acce pt ed th at gu id el in e

ran ge ba se d on Rav en sb or g's of fen se le ve l of 20 an d cri m in al hi s t o r y c at eg or y I.

Rav en sb or g su bm it te d a writ te n se nt en ci ng m em or an du m an d arg ue d at th e he ari ng fo r a do wnwar d va ria nc e ba se d on hi s di ffi cu lt pe rs on al ci rcu m st an ces

. The di st ric t

co ur t se nt en ced hi m to a gu id el in e te rm of 41 m on th s im pr is on m en t, ha vi ng fo un d a do wnwar d va ria nc e un warra nt ed be cau se of th e se rio us ne ss of th e of fen se an d

Rav en sb or g's po or be ha vi or on su pe rv is ed rel eas e. R a ve ns bo rg ap pe al s th e

su bs ta nt iv e rea so na bl en es s o f th e d is tri ct co ur t's sen te nc e.

W e rev ie w th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of a se nt en ce un de r a de fere nt ia l

ab us e of di sc ret io n st an da rd

. Uni te d St at es v. Feem st er, 57 2 F.3 d 45 5, 46 1 (8 th Ci r.
20 09 ) (en ba nc ). A "s en te nc e whi ch fal ls wit hi n th e gu id el in e ran ge is pr es um ed to
be reas on ab le

, an d di st ric t co ur ts are al lo wed a wid e la ti tu de to weig h th e § 35 53 (a)

fact or s in each cas e an d as si gn so m e fact or s gr eat er weig ht th an ot he rs in de te rm in in g

an ap pr op ria te se nt en ce." Uni te d St at es v. Cal la way , 76 2 F.3 d 75 4, 76 0 (8 th C i r.
20 14 ) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s om it te d)

. Here, th e di st ric t co ur t care fu ll y ex am in ed

e a c h o f th e 35 53 (a) fact or s an d he ard bo th writ te n an d or al arg um en t fro m th e de fen da nt be fo re i m

po si ng a gu id el in e se nt en ce.

Rav en sb or g a r g u es th at th e se nt en ci ng co ur t sh ou ld ha ve gi ve n m or e weig ht

to m it ig at in g fact or s, bu t a co ur t m ay "g iv e so m e fact or s le ss weig ht th an a de fen da nt

pr efer s or m or e to ot he r fact or s bu t th at al on e do es no t jus ti fy rev ers al .” Uni te d

St at es v. And ers on , 61 8 F.3 d 87 3, 88 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). The di st ric t co ur t co nc lu de d

th at Rav en sb or g's di ffi cu lt pe rs on al ci rcu m st an ces di d no t ou twei gh th e se rio us ne ss of th e o ffen se an d h is pre tri al rel eas e v io la ti on s.

W e co nc lu de on t h e b a s is of th is reco rd th at th is is no t a cas e to "re ve rs e a di st ric t co ur t s en te nc e—wh et he r wit hi n, ab ov e, or be lo w t he ap pl ic ab le Gui de li ne s

-3

-ran ge —as su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le ." Feem st er, 57 2 F.3 d at 46 4. W e affi rm th e

jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t.

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