2007 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 11-5-2007 

# U SA v . R io s P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 06-3839

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2007 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion
" U SA v . R ios " (2007). 2007 D e cisio n s . P ape r 267. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007/267

### 1 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N o. 06- 3839 and 06- 3841 UNI T E D S T AT E S OF AM E RI CA ,

v . RA M O N CO N TR ER A S RI O S,

A ppel l anti n N o. 06- 3839 UNI T E D S T AT E S OF AM E RI CA ,

v . RA M O N CO N TR ER ES R I O S, a/k/ a G i l ber t o R i os R am on C on t rer as R i os,

A ppel l anti n N o. 06- 3841

O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e M id d le D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C r i m i nal N o. 05- cr - 00316 and 06- m c- 00131) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H on. Y vet t e K ane, C hi ef D i s t r i ctJ udge Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

O ct ober26, 2007J ur i s di ct i on w as t r ans ferr ed fr om the D i s t r i ctof U t ah t o t he M i ddl e D i s t r i ctof 1 P e n n s y lv a n ia o n th e v io la tio n o f s u p e rv is e d re le a s e c h a rg e .



### 2 B E FO R E : FI SH E R , ST A PL E T O N and C O W E N , C i r cui tJ udges

( Fi l ed: N ovember5, 2007) OP I NI ON C O W E N , C i r cui tJ udge.

R amon C ont r er as R i os appea l s fr om hi s cr i m i nal s ent ence s . H e cont ends t hathi s s ent ence s w er e unr eas onabl e and thattheycons t i tut e cruel and unus ual p u n is h m e n t. W e w ill a f f ir m . I. R i os w as s ent ence d bythe U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tforthe D i s t r i ctof U t ah to si xty(60) m on t hs i m pri sonm ent t o b e foll ow ed b yfi ve y ears of sup ervi sed rel ease forpos s es s i on w i t h i nt entt o di s t r i but e coc ai ne as w el l as ai di ng and abe t t i ng. H e w as depor t ed t o M exi co. B efor e hi s fi ve- y earper i od of s upervi s ed r el eas e expi r ed, R i os returned to t he U nit ed S t at es.

A ft erhi s r eentr yi nt o the U ni t ed St at es , R i os w as arr es t ed fordr i vi ng under t he i nfl uence of al cohol ( “D U I ”) i n G ett y s bur g, Penns y l vani a. Subse quent l y , he w as char ged w i t h vi ol at i ng t he t erm s of hi s s upervi s ed r el eas e fr om the U t ah convi ct i on and 1
u n l a wf u l r e e n t r yi n t o t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s b ya d e p o r t e d a l i e n i n v i o l a t i o n o f 8 U. S . C.

### 3

§ 1 3 2 6 . A f

t e rp l e a d i n g g u i l t y t o t h e s e c h a r g e s , th e D i s t r i c tC o u r ts e n t e n c e d R i o s t o f i f tys e v e n ( 5 7 ) m o n t h s i m p r i s o n m e n to n th e i l l e g a l r e e n t r y c h a r g e , t o b e f o l l o w e d b y a c o n se c u tiv e six (6 ) m o n th se n ten c e o n th e v io latio n o f su p e rv ise d re lea se c h a rg e . T h is
a p p e a l f o llo w e d . II. W e hav e j uri sdi ct i on t o revi ew R i os’ s entences for unreasonab l eness pur s uantt o 18 U . S. C . § 3742( a) ( 1) . I n r evi ew i ng a s ent ence , w e mustdet erm i ne w hether the s en tenc e is reas o n ab le un d er U n it ed S tat es v . B o o k er, 54 3 U . S . 2 2 0 (20 0 5 ). In d e t e r mi n i n g wh e t h e rt h e Di s t r i c tCo u r ta c t e d r e a s o n a b l yi n i mp o s i n g a s e n t e n c e , “ we m us tfi r s tbe s at i s fi ed the courtexer ci s ed i t s di s cr et i on bycons i der i ng the r el evant[18 U . S . C . § 3 5 5 3 (a)] fa ctors.” U n it ed S tat es v . C o o p er, 43 7 F . 3 d 3 2 4 , 3 2 9 (3d C ir . 2006) ( ci t i ng U ni t ed St at es v. C unni ngham, 429 F. 3d 673, 679 ( 7th C i r . 2005) ) . “The
r ecor d m us tdemonstr at e the tr i al cour tgave meani ngful cons i der at i on t o t he § 3553( a) fac t or s , ” w hi ch i ncl ude the r ange s ugges t ed bythe advi s orys ent enci ng gui del i nes . See id. at3 2 9 -30 (cit ati o n s o m itted). H o w ev er, th e c o u rtn ee d n o t “discu ss a d ef en d an t’ s cl ear l ynonm er i t or i ous ar gum ent s , orot herw i s e ‘ di s cus s and make fi ndi ngs as t o eac h of th e § 3 5 5 3 (a ) f

a c to rs if th e re c o rd m a k e s c lea r th e c o u rt to o k th e f a c to rs in to a c c o u n t in
sen tenc ing . ’” U n it ed S tat es v . B u n g ar, 47 8 F . 3 d 5 4 0 , 5 4 3 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 7 )(qu o ti n g C o o p er, 437 F. 3d at329) . A ddi t i onal l y , t he part ychal l engi ng the s ent ence has the bur den of p rov ing that itis un rea so n ab le. S ee C o o p er, 43 7 F . 3 d at 33 2 (cit ati o n o m itted).R io s a p p a re n tlyre e n ter e d th e U n ited S tate s a f ter f in d in g o u t th a t th e m o th e r o f h is 2 chi l d had pas s ed aw ay . A ft erherm other ’ s death, the chi l d’ s m at ernal gr andpar ent s t ook ca re o f R ios’ d au g h ter. 

### 4

R i os ar gues t hathi s fi fty - s even mont h s ent ence w as unr eas onabl e i n l i ghtof t he fa ct s s ur r oundi ng hi s r eentr yi nt o t he U ni t ed St at es . W i t h r es pectt o t hi s s ent ence , t he 2 D i s t r i ctC our ts t at ed,

I th ink u n d er a ll o f th e c ir cu m stan ce s, the d ef en d an t’ s backgr ound, hi s r eas ons forr eentr y , the conduc ti n w hi ch he en g ag ed u p o n ree n try , all o f th ese thing s su g g est t o the C o u rt that the g u ideline ra n g e [ fifty -sev en to se v en ty -on e m o n ths], w hi l e appr opr i at e, i s one thatcan be us ed t o s erve al l of the in ter e sts , the p e n a l in ter e sts , the n e e d to p u n ish th e d e f e n d a n t, t o det eranyfutur e i l l egal conduct , byadj us t i ng i ts o t hatthe defe ndanti s s ent ence d atthe verybot t om of thi s gui del i ne r ange. U nl i ke a l otof peopl e w ho engage i n i l l egal r eentr y , he does n o t ap p e a r to h a v e b e e n m o tiv a ted b yre tu rn in g to e n g a g e in d ru g tra f f ick in g o r so m e o th e r illeg a l co n d u c t. I th in k h is r eas ons w er e under s t andabl e and good, butobvi ous l y , as he ad m it s, h e v iolated th e law . S o w e d o n ee d to d eter h is fu ture ill e g a l co n d u c t an d f

u tu re ill e g a l atte m p ts to re e n ter , b u t I th in k th e 5 7 m o n th s c e rt a in c a n a c c o m p lis h th a t g o a l. ( A pp. 29- 30) . T he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s s t at ement s adequa t el yr efl ecti t s r eas oni ng for im p o sin g th e f

if ty -se v e n m o n th se n ten c e . R io s f a ils to sa tisf

yh is b u rd e n th a t th is
s e n te n c e w a s u n re a s o n a b le .

R i os al s o as s er t s t hatt he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s s i x- m ont h s ent ence on t he vi ol at i on of s upervi s ed r el eas e cha r ge w as unr eas onabl e. H e ar gues thatthe D i s t r i ct C o u r t , a ta m i n i m u m , s h o u l d h a v e o r d e r e d th i s s e n t e n c e t o ru n c o n c u r r e n tw i t h h i s f i f ty-W e al s o r ej ectR i os ’ ar gum entt hathi s s ent ence s cons t i tut ed cruel and unus ual 3 p u n is h m e n t. 

### 5 s even mont h s ent ence . I n i m pos i ng t hi s cons ecut i ve s ent ence , the D i s t r i ctC our tnot ed that itw as tak ing into a cc o u n t th e S ec ti o n 3 5 5 3 fa ctors. U lt im ately , the D istri ct C o u rt det erm i ned thatR i os s houl d s erve s om e puni s hm entforthe vi ol at i on of s upervi s ed
r el eas e i n l i ghtof the D U I , i ndepende ntof hi s i l l egal r eentr y . R i os agai n fai l s t o s at i s fy hi s bur den thatt hi s s ent ence w as unr eas onabl e. 3 III . T he j udgm ent s of the D i s t r i ctC our tent er ed on A ugus t9, 2006, w i l l be aff i r m ed.