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 by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). 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. J O S E L U I S M E R A Z , a . k. a . S a m ue l C ruz R i v as, a. k . a. A b el S al azar, Jr. , a. k . a. Jo se L ui s Z al di var- M er az , D e f

e n d a n t - A p p e lla n t. N o. 12- 10436 D. C . No . 2 : 1 2 - c r - 0 0 8 8 8 - NV W 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

A r i z ona N e i l V . W a ke , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d J une 18, 2013 ** B efo re: T A L L M A N , M . S M IT H , an dH U R W IT Z , C i rcu i tJu d g es. Jose L ui s M er az appeal s f rom the di stri ctcourt ’ s j ud gm entand chal l enges the 12- m onth s e nt e nc e i m pos e d f ol l ow i ng hi s gui l ty - pl e ac onvi c t i on f orr e e ntryof ar e m ove d a l i e n, i n vi ol a t i on of 8 U . S . C . § 1326. W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on unde r28



# FI LED JU N 24 2013 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS12- 10436 2 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 , a n dw e a f f i rm. M e r a z c o n te n d s th a t th e g o v e rn m e n t b r e a c h e dth e p le aa g r e e m e n t w h e n it a r gue d i n f

a vorof as e nt e nc e a tthe hi gh e nd of the G ui de l i ne s r a nge t o w hi c h the pa rt i e s ha d s t i pul a t e d. B e c aus e the di s tr i c tc ourtr e j e c t e d the pl e aa gr e e m e nt , the g o v e rn m e n t w a s n o t b o u n db yth e a g r e e m e n t. See U ni ted States v. Kuchi nski , 469 F . 3d 853, 857- 58 ( 9th C i r . 2006) . I n a nye ve nt , the r e w a s no br e a c h be c aus e the go vernm entdi d n otatt em ptt o i nfl uence the di stri ctcourt“ t o i m po se a har sher s e n te n c e th a n th e o n e to w h ic h th e g o v e rn m e n t a g r e e din th e p le aa g r e e m e n t to re com m end. ” U

ni ted States v. A l len , 4 3 4 F .3 d1 1 6 6 , 1 1 7 5 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) . M e r a z a ls o c o n te n d s th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt p r o c e d u r a llye rr e db yf a ilin g to e xpl a i n a de qua t e l ythe s e nt e nc e i n l i ghtof M e r a z ’ s s pe c i f

i c a r gum e nt s ba s e d on the 1 8 U .S .C . § 3 5 5 3 ( a ) s e n te n c in g f a c to r s . W e r e v ie w f

o rp la in e rr o r , se e U

ni ted State s v . V

ale nc i a- B arr agan , 6 0 8 F .3 d1 1 0 3 , 1 1 0 8 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) , a n df in dn o n e . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt s u f

f ic ie n tlye x p la in e dth e s e n te n c e . Se e U n ite d S ta tes v . Ca r ty , 5 2 0 F .3 d9 8 4 , 9 9 2 - 9 3 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 8 ) ( e n b a n c ) . M o r e o v e r , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n in im p o s in g M e r a z ’s s e n te n c e . See G al l v. U ni ted States , 5 5 2 U .S . 3 8 , 5 1 ( 2 0 0 7 ) .12- 10436 3 F i na l l y , M e r a z c ont e nds tha thi s s e nt e nc e i s s ubs t a nt i ve l yunr e a s onabl e . T he d is tr ic t c o u rt d idn o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n in im p o s in g M e r a z ’s s e n te n c e . See G al l v. U ni ted States , 5 5 2 U .S . 3 8 , 5 1 ( 2 0 0 7 ) . T h e s e n te n c e is s u b s tan tiv e lyr e a s o n ab le in l i ghtof the 18 U . S . C . § 3553( a ) s e nt e nc i ng f a c t or s a nd the t ot a l i tyof the c ir c u m s ta n c e s , in c lu d in g M e r a z ’s c r im in a l h is to ry . Se e i d. AF F I RME D.