# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 4- 34 09

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Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

llll llll llll llll llll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Tim ot hy Rus h

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa - Ced ar Ra pi ds

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Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 16 , 20 15 Fil ed : J an ua ry

22 , 20 16 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re SM ITH, BYE, and BENTON, Circu it Ju dg es

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PER CURI AM.

Tim ot h y L. Ru sh pl ed gu il ty to on e co un t of po ss es si ng a fir earm an d

am m un it io n whi le an un la wfu l u s e r of a co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc e, an d on e co un t of

po ss es si ng a fir earm an d am m un it io n as a fel on , i n v i o la ti on of 18 U.S.C. §§
92 2( g) (3 ), 92 2( g) (1 ), an d 92 4( a)(2 ). The di st ric t co ur t se nt en ced Ru sh to 60 m on th s’ 1

The Hon or ab le Lin da R. Rea de
, Ch ie f Ju dg e, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r 1 th e Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa

.im

pr is on m en t. Ru sh ap pe al s hi s s en te nc e. Hav in g juri sd ic ti on un de r 28 U.S.C. §
12 91 , th is co ur t af

fir m s.

Ru sh was an un la wfu l us er of m ari juan a whe n of

fic ers pa tt ed hi m do wn an d

se iz ed fro m hi s wais t a Bere tt a pi st ol (wh ic h he ad m it te d st eal in g)

. Thre e y ears la te r, of fic ers res po nd ed to a rep or t of a m an wit h a gu n. Ru sh m at ch ed th e de sc rip ti on an d fle d whe n of

fic ers ap pr oa c h e d hi m

. Ru nn in g away, he th rew do wn a .38 0 pi st ol (wh ic h he adm it te d t ak in g wi th ou t t he own er’s co ns en t). Th e d is tri ct co ur t gran te d

an up ward de pa rtu re, in cre a si ng th e Gui de li ne ran ge fro m 37 -4 6 m on th s to 57 -7 1

m on th s. The co ur t se nt en ced Ru sh to co nc ur ren t 60 -m on th se nt en ces fo r each co un t.

Ru sh as se rts no pr oc ed ur al erro r. S e e G a l l v

. Uni te d St at es , 5 52 U.S. 3 8, 51 (2 00 7) (th e ap pe ll at e co ur t “ m us t fir st en s u r e t h a t th e di st ric t co ur t co m m it te d no si gn ifi can t pr oc ed ur al erro r”). Thi s co ur t rev ie ws “ th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of th e se nt e nc e [] un de r an ab us e-o f-d is cret io n st an da rd .” Id

. An ab us e of di sc ret io n ha pp en s if a di st ric t co ur t “ (1 ) fai ls to co ns id er a rel ev an t fact or th at sh ou ld ha ve

rece iv ed si gn ifi can t weig ht ; (2 ) gi ve s si gn ifi can t weig ht to an im pr op er or irr el ev an t fact or ; or (3 ) co ns id ers on ly th e ap pr op ria te fact or s bu t in weig hi n g t h o s e f act or s

co m m it s a cl ea r erro r of jud gm en t.” Uni te d St at es v. Feems te r , 57 2 F.3 d 45 5, 46 1 (8 th Cir . 20 09 ) (en ba nc ) (i nt ern al qu ot at io ns om it te d)

.

Ru sh pr im ari ly at ta ck s th e up ward de pa rtu re. The Gov ern m en t co un te rs th at

an y de pa r t u r e erro r is ha rm le ss be cau se th e di st ric t co ur t sa id it wou ld im po se th e

sa m e se nt en ce as a va ria nc e un de r 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a). Ru sh in vo ke s Uni te d St at es

v. Dav is , 69 0 F.3 d 91 2, 92 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ), va ca te d
, 13 3 S.Ct

. 28 52 (2 01 3) (v acat in g in li gh t of All eyn e v. Uni te d St at es , 13 3 S.Ct

. 21 51
, 21 55 (2 01 3) ), af f'd
, 73 6 F.3 d 78 3,
78 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ). In Dav is , th e di st ric t co ur t fai le d to ret ro act iv el y ap pl y th e Fai r Sen te nc in g Act. Dav is , 69 0 F.3 d at 92 8. Thi s co ur t in it ia ll y fo un d th at erro r ha rm le ss be cau se “ Dav is al so fai ls to p o i n t to an y th in g su gg es ti ng th e di st ric t co ur t wou ld im po se a di ffer en t se nt en ce o n r e m an d.” Id

. at 92 9. On rem an d fro m th e Su pr em e Co ur t, th is co ur t ag ai n affi rm ed th e se nt en ce. D a v i s , 7 3 6 F.3 d at 78 5. Thi s co ur t

-2

-fo un d ha rm le ss an y All eyn e erro r be cau se th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t ba se th e se nt en ce

on th e m an da to ry

m in im um an d c lo se ly anal y zed th e se ct io n 3 55 3( a) fa ct or s. Id

.

Si m il arl y he re, an y erro r in de pa rti ng un de r th e Gui de li ne s was ha rm le ss

. Se e Uni te d St at es v. Gra nd on , 71 4 F.3 d 10 93
, 10 98 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (“ Bec au s e we

co nc lu de th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t ab us e it s su bs ta nt ia l di sc ret io n in va ry in g up ward

to 13 2 m on th s im

pr is on m en t, an y erro r in al te rn at iv el y im po si ng an up ward de pa rtu re

wou ld be ha rm le ss be cau se th e di st ric t co ur t wou ld ha ve im po se d th e sa m e se nt en ce ab se n t th e erro r.”) (in te rn al qu ot at io ns om it te d)

. The di st ric t co ur t “ care fu ll y

co ns id er[e d] each an d ev ery [s ect io n 35 53 (a)] fac t o r ” an d va rie d ba se d on Ru sh ’s

se rio us cri m in al h is to ry , th e li ke li ho od of reci di vi sm , an d th e da ng er to th e

co m m un it y

. The co ur t ci te d “ le ni en t tre at m en t by th e st at e co ur ts ” th at fa i le d to ch an ge Ru sh ’s be ha v i o r , Ru sh ’s “ co m pl et e di sr es pe ct fo r th e la ws an d fo r th e in di vi du al s who en fo rce th e la ws,” an d Ru sh ’s “ us ua l th in g” of ru nn in g fro m po li ce. The co ur t em

ph as iz ed Ru sh ’s hi st o r y of po ss es si ng st ol en an d de face d fir earm s— in cl ud in g a sa wed -o ff sh ot gu n— as well as hi s 14 cri m in al of fen se s as an ad ul t. The di st ric t co ur t c o n s id ered th e na tu re an d ci rcu m st an ces of th e of fen se , hi gh li gh ti ng th e p os se ss io n of at leas t on e st ol en fir earm

. The di st ric t cou rt d id no t ab us e it s di sc ret io n in va ry in g up ward by fo ur te en m ont hs fro m th e or ig in al Gui de li ne

ran ge of 37 -4 6 m on th s. Se e Uni te d St at es v. Bri dg es , 56 9 F.3 d 37 4, 37 9 (8 th Ci r. 2 0 0 9 ) ( “ The di st ric t co ur t ha s wid e la ti tu de to weig h th e § 35 53 (a) fact or s in eac h

cas e an d as si gn so m e fact or s gr eat er weig ht th an ot he rs in de te rm in in g an ap pr op ria te

se nt en ce.”)

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The jud gm en t i s af

fir m ed

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