### F I LE D U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E LEVE NTH CI RCUI T A pr i l 29, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN C L E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

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________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 3 - 0 0 4 4 5 - C R - T - 2 3 - E AJ U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s J O S E E U S E B I O V A L E N C I A - A G U I R R E , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( A p r i l 29, 2005) B efo re C A RN E S , M A R C U S an d G O D B O L D , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

J os e E us e bi o V a l e nc i a - A gui rr e r e c e i ve d a 135- m onth s e nt e nc e f orc oc a i ne tr a f f i c k i n g o n b o a r d a v e s s e l s u b j e c tt o th e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f th e Un i t e d S t a t e s . He appeal s hi s s ent ence base d o n the di stri ctcourt = s the di stri ctcourt = s app l i ca t i on of a b a s e o f f e n s e le v e l p r e m is e d o n a q u a n tity o f d ru g s , th r e e to n s , n o t s p e c if ic a lly char ged i n the i nd i ctm entt o w hi ch he pl ea ded g ui l ty, w as un l aw ful and v i ol at ed h is r ig h ts p u r s u a n t to B la k e ly v . W a s h in g to n , 5 4 2 U .S . ___ , 1 2 4 S .C t. 2 5 3 1 ( 2 0 0 4 ) . H e a l so cont ends thatthe di stri ctcourterre d b y f ai l i ng t o g ra nta dow nw ar d departure because he pl ay ed on l y am i no r r ol e i n the offens e. W e hol d that V al enci a- A gu i rr e m ustbe re se nt ence d b as ed on the di stri ctcourt = s m andat ory ap p li ca ti o n o f th e s en ten cin g g u id elin es . H o w ev erw e f in d V alen cia- A g u irre ’s m in o rr o le a r g u m e n t w ith o u t m e r it. V a le n c ia - A g u irr e ’s s e n te n c e w a s a r e s u lt o f h is p a r tic ip a tio n in a s c h e m e to tr a ns por tc oc a i ne f

r om C ol um bi a i nt o the U ni t e d S t a t e s us i ng a f i s hi ng boa t . T he v e s s e l, a w o lf

in s h e e p ’s s k in , w a s d e s ig n e d to ap p e a ra s th o u g h it w e r e e n g a g e d in of f s hor e f i s hi ng a c t i vi t i e s . V a l e nc i a - A gui rr e w a s r e c rui t e d a nd pa i d t o pl a y the r ol e of one of the f i s he r m a n. T he c oc a i ne w a s s e c r e t e d i n a c om pa r tm e ntbe l ow the ga l l e y . A l l di d notgo a s pl a nne d. V a l e nc i a - A gui rr e w a s appr e he nde d a l ong w i th the re stof the bo atcr ew by the U ni t ed S t at es C oastG uard i n i nt ernat i on al w a t e r s i n the E a s t e rn P a c i f i c O c e a n. H e c onc e de d i nvol ve m e nti n the s c he m e a nd3

wa s g i v e n a s e n t e n c e i n p a r tb a s e d o n th e a m o u n to f d ru g s f o u n d i n th e b o a t . He obj e c t e d t o hi s ba s e of

f e ns e l e ve l a r gui ng tha ti ts houl d be 32 ( 25 i nc l udi ng adj ustm ent s) i nst ea d o f 38 w i th a se nt enci ng ra ng e of 57 t o 7 1 m on ths. T he di stri ct co u rtfo u n d i t s h an d s t i ed . Itst at ed th atth e b ase l ev el w as A undoubt e dl y hi gh @ but thati tw ou l d adh er e s tri ct l y t o the gu i del i nes. T he courtno t ed i f the l aw changed

A that = s a m e r e c om put a t i on w hi c h c a n be done pr oba bl y by the tw o of y ou [ the gove rnm e nta nd V a l e nc i a - A gui rr e ] by s t i pul a t i on, a nd w e c a n a m e nd the j udgm e nt ata l at erdat e or w hat ever . @ V al enci a- A ug ui rr e app ea l ed. In l i gh tof U ni t ed S t at es v. B oo ker, 54 3 U . S . ___, 12 5 S . C t . 73 8 (20 05 ) the di stri ctcourtm ustre se nt ence V a le n c ia - A u g u irr e . B e c a us e V a l e nc i a - A gui rr e t i m e l y r a i s e d hi s c ons t i tut i ona l obj e c t i on i n the di s tr i c tc our t , thi s C our tr e vi e w s the c ons t i tut i ona l i s s ue de novo, butw i l l not r e v e r s e f o rh a r m le s s e rr o r . U n ite d S ta te s v . A n d e r s o n , 2 8 9 F .3 d 1 3 2 1 , 1 3 2 6 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2002) . T he gove rnm e ntha s the bur de n of s how i ng tha tthi s e rr ordi d not c ontr i but e t o the s e nt e nc e obt a i ne d. U ni t e d S t a t e s v. P a z , ___ F . 3d. ___, 2005 W L 75 78 75 (11t h C i r. A pr. 5, 20 05 ). W e r ec ent l y hel d thatthe di stri ctcourtcom m i tt ed a B ooke re rr orby appl y i ng the gui de l i ne s a s m a nda t ory . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. S he l t on, 40 0 F . 3d 13 25 (11t h C i r. 20 05 ). B as ed on the di stri ctcourt = s c om m ent s a t s e nt e nc i ng di s appr ovi ng of the s e ve r i ty of

the s e nt e nc e butc onc e di ng tha tthe4

gui de l i ne s di c t a t e d the ha r s h r e s ul t , w e he l d tha tthe e rr ora f f e c t e d the de f

e nda nt = s s u b s ta n tia l r ig h ts . I d . a t 1 3 3 2 - 3 3 . A lth o u g h S h e lto n is a p la in - e rr o rc a s e , A [ t ] he appr opr i a t e r e vi e w unde rthe ha r m l e s s e rr orr e vi e w s t a nda r d m i rr or s the pl a i n e rr or r e vi e w s t a nda r d r e ga r di ng pr e j udi c e t o s ubs t a nt i a l r i ght s , e xc e pttha tthe bur de n of pe r s ua s i on s hi f

t s : the gove rnm e ntm us ts how the abs e nc e of pr e j udi c e t o the de f e nda nt = s su b st an t i al ri g h t s. @ U n ite d S ta te s v . F e rn , 1 5 5 F .3 d 1 3 1 8 , 1 3 2 7 ( 1 1 th C ir. 1 9 9 8 ). In li g h t o f th e d istrict co u rt’s co m m en ts re g ar d in g V alen cia- A g u irre ’s se nt ence and m andat ory gui del i nes r egi m e w e f i nd B oo ker e rr or i n V al enci aA gu i rr e’ s s ent ence . T he go vernm enthas not(a nd ca nn ot ) s ho w thatthi s e rr or w as harm l es s. A cc ordi ng l y w e vac at e V al enci a- A gu i rr e = s s e nt e nc e a nd r e m a nd f or re se nt enci ng consi st entw i th B oo ker. V al enci a- A gu i rr e = s m in o r - r o le r e d u c tio n a r g u m e n t is a n o th e rs to ry . W e have A re peat edl y hel d thata di stri ctcourt = s de t e r m i na t i on of a de f e nda nt = s r o le in the offens e i s afi nd i ng of fa ctt o b e r evi ew ed on l y f or cl ea r e rr or. @ U ni t e d S t a t e s v. R odr i gue z D e V a r on, 175 F . 3d 930, 937 ( 11th C i r . 1999) . T he pr opone ntof the dow nw a r d a dj us tm e nta l w a y s be a r s the bur de n of pr ovi ng the m i t i ga t i ng r ol e i n the of f e ns e by a pr e ponde r a nc e of the e vi de nc e . I d. a t939. I n de t e r m i ni ng the de f e nda nt = s r o le , th e d e c is io n f a lls w ith in th e s o u n d d is c r e tio n o f th e d is tr ic t c o u r t:

A a tri al court = s c hoi c e be tw e e n > tw o p erm i ss i bl e vi ew s of the evi dence = i s the very e s s e n c e o f

th e c l e a re rr o rs t a n d a r d o f r e v i e w. @ I d. a t945.5

A di s tr i c tc our tm us tde c r e a s e the de f e nda nt = s of

f e ns e l e ve l by tw o A i f

the d e f e n d a n t w a s a m in o rp a r tic ip a n t. @ U .S .S .G . ' 3 B 1 .2 ( b ) . A m in o rp a r tic ip a n t is on e A w ho i s l e s s c ul pa bl e tha n m os tothe rpa r t i c i pa nt s , butw hos e r ol e c oul d notbe d e s c r ib e d a s m in im a l. @ I d . a t c o m m e n t. n .3 . T w o le g a l p r in c ip le s g o v e rn th is in q u iry . D e V a r o n , 1 7 5 F .3 d a t 9 3 4 . F ir s t, A the di s tr i c tc our tm us tm e a s ur e the defe nd ant ' s r ol e a gai nst[hi s] re l evantcond uct , thati s, the cond uctfor w hi ch [he] h a s b e e n h e ld a c c o u n tab le u n d e rU .S .S .G . ' 1B 1. 3. @ I d. I n de t e r m i ni ng a de f e nda nt = s c on du cti n the offens e, the A a m o u n t o f d ru g s is a r e le v a n t f

a c to ra n d . . . un der s om e c i rc um st ance s i tm ay be di sposi t i ve. @ I d . a t 9 4 3 . M o r e o v e r , A a defe nd ant ' s s t atus as a drug cou ri erdo es no tal t erthe pri nci pl e thatthe di stri ct c o u r t m u s t a s s e s s th e d e f e n d a n t's r o le in lig h t o f

th e r e le v a n t c o n d u c t a ttr ib u te d to [h im ]. @ I d . a t9 4 2 . A A couri erst atus i n and of i t se l f i s notdi sposi t i ve of w hether a de f e nda nti s e nt i t l e d t o orpr e c l ude d f r om r e c e i vi ng a dow nw a r d a dj us tm e ntf or [hi s] rol e i n the offens e. @ I d . S e c o n d , A w he r e the r e c or d e vi de nc e i s s uf f i c i e nt , the di stri ctcourtm ay al so m ea sure the defendant ' s c on du ctagai nstthatof ot her p a r tic ip a n ts @ i n the c r i m e . I d. a t934. T he di s tr i c tc our t ' s de c i s i on t o de ny V a l e nc i a - A gui rr e a m i nor - r ol e r e duc t i on i s s uppor t e d by the r e c or d, e ve n i f , a s he a s s e r t s , he ha d no know l e dge of the structure of the ent erpri se or of ot hers = a c t i v i t i e s . Un d e rth e f i r s tp r o n g o f

th e De V ar on t es tV al enci a- A gu i rr e = s r e l e va ntc onduc ta r os e outof hi s ow n a c t i vi t i e s a nd6

hi s c r i m i na l a gr e e m e ntt o tr a ns f e ra nd tr a ns por tthr e e t ons of c oc a i ne , a n a m ountof drug s l ar ge enou gh t o b e di sposi t i ve of V al enci a- A gu i rr e = s pl a y i ng m or e tha n a m i no r r ol e i n the offens e. U nd erthe se cond pron g o f the D e V ar on t es t , w hen com pari ng V al enci a- A gu i rr e = s r ol e t o the rol e of other part i ci pant s i n the offens e, hi s pa r t i c i pa t i ng a s a c r e w m e m be ri n the tr a ns f e ra nd tr a ns por tof

thr e e t ons of c o c a in e a n d h is r e c e ip t o f p a y m e n t f

o rh is s e r v ic e s s h o w s th a t h e is e q u a lly c u lp a b le to th e o th e rp a r tic ip a n ts . V A C A T E D A N D R E M A N D E D , i n p art, A F F IR M E D , i n p art.