N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
UNITED STATES OF AM ER IC A,

Pla i ntiff-Appe lle e , v. FEDER IC O M AR T INEZ,

De fe nda n t-Appe l la

nt. No. 21-30073

D.C . No. 3:13-c r-00299-B R -2
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ore gon Anna J. B rown, Distric t Judge , Pre s iding Subm itte d

Nove m b e r 10, 2021 ** Portla nd, Ore gon B e fore : GR

AB E R and C H R ISTEN, C irc uit Judge s, a nd W U, *** Distric t Judge
. 

# F IL ED NOV 18 2021 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a )(2).

* * * The Honora

ble Ge orge H. W

u, Unite d Stat e s Distric t Judge for the C e ntra l Distric t of C a lifornia , sitting by de signa tion.Fe de ric o M artine z a ppe a ls the distric t c ourt’ s orde r de ny ing his mo tion for
c om pa ssiona te re le a se pursua

nt to 18 U.S.C . § 3582(c )(1)(A)(i). W e have jurisdic tion pursua

n t to 28 U.S.C . § 1291, a

nd we a ffirm

the distric t

c ourt’ s ruling. 1. M artine z argue s the distric t c ourt e rre d by re l y ing e xc lusive ly

on the polic y sta te m e nts in U.S.S.G. § 1B 1.13 to de ny his m otion for c om pa ssiona te
re le a se . The Guide line s’ polic y sta te m e nts “ m ay

inform a distric t c ourt’ s disc re tion for § 3582(c )(1)(A) m otions file d by a de fe nda nt, [so long a s] the y

[are not tre ate d] a s binding.” Se e Unite d State s v . Aruda , 993 F.3d 797, 802 (9th C ir. 2021). The distric t c ourt e xpla ine d in its re c onside ra tion orde r that it
c onside re d § 1B 1.13 a s “ a dvisory rathe r tha

n m andatory ” in de ny i ng M artine z ’ s m otion. Thus, the

distric t c ourt did not a

pply the wrong le ga l sta

nda rd. 2. M artine z argue s the distric t c ourt a b use d its disc re tion by

c onc luding tha

t he did not pre s e nt e xtra ordina ry and c o m pe lling re a s ons wa

rranting c om

pa ssiona te
re le a se . First, M artine za sse rts the distric t c ourt ignore d the gove rnm e nt’ s c onc e ssion tha

t obe sity qua lifie s a s a

n e xtra ordina

ry and c om pe lling re a son. B ut the c ourt wa s not obliga

te d to a c c e pt tha

t c onc e ssion, nor did a

ny c onc e s sion by the g ove rnm e nt e q

uat e to a stipula tion tha t M a rtine z ’ s m o tion be grante d. Se c ond, M artine za sse rts the distric t c ourt e rre d by c onc luding y ounge r inm ate s a re not a t a suffic i e ntly

high risk for c ontra c ting C OVID-19 e ve n if the y are obe se . The c ourt
2a c knowle dge d M artine z ’ s obe sity inc re a se d his risk but a

lso re c ogniz e d tha

t y ounge r individuals a

re ge ne ra lly

at a lowe r risk. B o th sta

te m e n t s a re supporte d by C DC guide line s. Se e C E N T E R S F O R D I S E A S E C O N T R O L A N D P R E V E N T I O N , Pe ople
w ith C e rtain Me d

ic al C onditions , https://www.c dc .gov/c orona virus/2019-nc o v/ne e d-e xtra -pre c a utions/pe o p le -withm e dic a l -c onditions.htm

l. Fina lly , M artine z a sse rts the distric t c ourt disre ga rde d that the de aths in his fa

m ily due to C OVID-19 e sta

b lishe d he is pre dispose d

to

“ se ve re C OVID-19 illne ss.” The e vide nc e M artine z subm itte d did not
c onc lusive ly

e sta blish a ge ne tic pre disposition nor re quire the c ourt to gra nt his
m otion. All told, the

distric t c ourt’ s c onc lusion tha t M artine z did not pre se nt
e xtra ordina

ry and c om p e lling c irc um sta

nc e s wa rranting c om

pa ssiona te re le a se wa s not illogic a l or im

pla usible , a nd it wa s supporte d by the re c ord. Se e Unite d State s
v . Robe rtson , 895 F.3d 1206, 1213 (9th C ir. 2018) (e xpla ining a distric t c ourt
a buse s its disc re t ion only i f its de c i sion a pplie s the wrong le g a l sta nda rd or is illogic a l, im

pla usible , or without support in the re c ord). AFFIRM E D.

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