T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y f i nds thi s c a s e s ui t abl e f

orde c i s i on w i thout ** o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2).

T he H onor abl e B a rry T e d M os kow i t z , U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge f or ** * the S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof C a l i f orni a , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T UN I T E D S T AT E S OF AME R I C A, P l ai nt i ff

- A pp el l ee , v. W A LLA CE J O H N BEA R, D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 09- 30022 D . C . N o. 4: 08 -c r- 00 06 4-S E H -1 ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe D i s tr i c tof

M ont a na S a m E . H a ddon, D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d N ove m be r2, 2009 ** P ort l a nd, O r e gon B ef ore: F IS H E R and P A E Z , C i rc ui tJudg es , and M O S K O W IT Z , D i stri ctJudg e. *** W a lla c e J o h n B e a r( “B e a r ” ) ap p e a ls alif e s e n te n c e im p o s e d f

o llo w in g h is g u ilty p le ato s e c o n d d e g r e e m u r d e rin v io la tio n o f 1 8 U .S .C . § § 1 1 1 1 a n d 1 1 5 3 ( a ) .



# FI LED NO V 25 2009 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

We h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n p u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U. S . C . § 1 2 9 1 a n d 1 8 U. S . C . § 3 7 4 2 , a n d we a f f irm . B e a ra r gue s tha ti n r e que s t i ng the di s tr i c tc ourtt o i m pos e al i f e s e nt e nc e , the go vernm entbrea ched the part i es ’ w ri tt en pl eaagre em ent . W e di sa gree . In the pl eaagre em ent , B ear and the go vernm entagre ed that“ [t ] he U ni t ed S t a t e s a nd the D e f

e nda ntr e s e rve a l l r i ght , w i thoutc ondi t i on, t o m a ke a ny appr opr i a t e s e nt e nc i ng r e c om m e nda t i on. ” B e c aus e the t e rm s of the pl e aa gr e e m e nt w er e unam bi gu ou s and i m po se d n o l i m i t at i on on the go vernm ent ’ s s ent ence re com m endat i on , the go vernm entdi d n otbrea ch the pl eaagre em entw hen i tar gu ed for al i fe se nt ence . W e a l s o r e

j e c tB e a r ’ s a r gum e nttha tthe gove rnm e nt ’ s s e nt e nc i ng r e c om m e nda t i on r e nde r e d i t s pr om i s e t o r e que s taS e nt e nc i ng G ui de l i ne s poi nt r e duc t i on i l l us ory . B e f

or e i m pos i ng s e nt e nc e , the di s tr i c tc ourt , a s r e qui r e d, ca l cul at ed the appl i cabl e S ent enci ng G ui del i nes r ange, w hi ch i ncl ud ed do w nw ar d a dj us tm e nt s f

orB e a r ’ s a c c e pt a nc e of r e s pons i bi l i ty a nd e a r l y pl e aa s r e que s t e d by th e g o v e rn m e n t. See U n ite d S ta te s v . C a r ty , 52 0 F . 3d 98 4, 99 1 (9th C i r. 20 08 ) ( en b a n c ) ( n o tin g th a t th e s ta rtin g p o in t f o rd e te rm in in g a n ap p r o p r ia te s e n te n c e is to c a lc u la te th e ap p lic ab le S e n te n c in g G u id e lin e r a n g e ) .3

F i na l l y , B e a ra r gue s tha thi s l i f e s e nt e nc e i s unr e a s onabl e . A s e nt e nc i ng ju d g e is in as u p e r io rp o s itio n to m a k e f a c tu a l d e te rm in a tio n s a n d e v a lu a te th e ir im p o rt u n d e r1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) , U ni te d State s v . O v e r ton , 573 F . 3d 679, 700 ( 9th C i r . 2009) ( quot i ng U ni ted Stat es v. Chere r , 51 3 F . 3d 11 50 , 11 60 (9th C i r. 20 08 )) , and o nl y aprocedural l y e rr on eous or subst ant i vel y unrea sonabl e s ent ence w ill b e s e t a s id e . Se e C a r ty , 5 2 0 F .3 d a t 9 9 3 . H e r e , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt a d e q u a te ly c ons i de r e d the s e nt e nc i ng f a c t or s i n 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) a nd e xpl a i ne d i t s r e a s ons f o rim p o s in g th e s ta tu to ry m a x im u m s e n te n c e o f lif e in p r is o n . I

d. T he di stri ct courtdi d n otabuse i t s di sc re t i on , and the se nt ence i s notun re as on abl e. Se e i d. ; G al l v. U ni ted Stat es , 55 2 U . S . 38 , 51 (200 7). AF F I RME D.