# 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- 18 76

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Ro be rt J ack so n

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

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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 11 , 20 14 Fi le d: Nov em

be r 18 , 20 14 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , BEAM an d GRUENDER, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

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PER CURI AM.

Ro be rt Ja ck so n, a vi ol en t se x of fen de r an d se lf- de sc rib ed “ pi m p,” pl ed gu il ty
to on e co un t of tra ns po rti ng two m in or fem al es —o ne fif te en an d th e ot he r si xt een —wi th in te nt to en ga ge in cri m in al se xu al act iv it y in vi ol at io n o f 1 8 U .S.C. § 2423 (a). Cal cu la ti ng an ad vi so ry Uni te d St at es Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s (Gu id el in es)

ran ge of 36 0 m on th s to li fe im pr is on m en t (le ve l 43
, cat eg or y III) an d “ car e f u l l yco ns id er[i ng ] each an d ev ery fact or un de r 18 [U.S.C. §] 35 53 (a),” th e di st ric t co ur t 1

se nt en ced Ja ck so n to li fe in pr is on

. Ja ck so n ap pe al s th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of hi s se nt en ce, arg ui ng th e di st ric t co ur t “ m ech an ic al ly” ap pl ie d th e Gui de li ne s “wi t h o u t a care fu l an al y si s of th e fact s an d ci rcu m st an ces un iq ue to th is cas e” a n d im po se d a se nt en ce “ gr eat ly in ex ces s of a se nt en ce th at is ‘suf fic ie nt , bu t no t gr eat er th an ne ces sa ry [,]’ to ach ie ve th e pu rp os es of se nt en ci ng .” ( Q u o t i n g 18 U.S.C. 2 § 3 55 3( a)).

W e rev ie w th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of Ja ck so n’s sen te nc e fo r ab us e of di sc ret io n. See Gall v. Uni te d St at es , 55 2 U.S. 38
, 51 (2 00 7)

. Our rev ie w “ ‘is na rro w

a n d de fere nt ia l’” an d “ ‘it wil l be th e un us ua l cas e whe n we rev ers e a di st ric t c o u r t

se nt en ce— whe th er wit hi n, ab ov e, or be lo w th e ap pl ic ab le Gui de li ne s ran ge —as

su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le .’ ” Uni te d St at es v. Feem st er, 57 2 F.3 d 45 5, 46 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ) (en ba nc ) (q uo ti ng Uni te d St at es v. Gard el li ni
, 54 5 F.3 d 10 89
, 10 90 (D.C. Ci r. 20 08 )). “ The di st ric t co ur t h as wid e la ti tu de to weig h t he § 3 55 3( a) fa ct or s in each

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.” Uni te d St at es v. Bri dg es , 56 9 F.3 d 37 4, 37 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ). Bec a u s e Ja ck so n’s li fe “ se nt en ce is wit hi n th e Gui de li ne s ran ge ,” we “ ap pl y a pr es um pt io n of

reas on ab le ne ss .” Gall , 55 2 U.S. at 51

.

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

.
In pa ss in g, Ja ck so n al so co nt en ds th e ap pl ic ab le “ gu id el in es are n o l o ng er 2 ba se d on em

pi ric a l r e s earc h an d reas on ab le se nt en ci ng ” an d res ul t fro m “ Co ng res s in te rfer in g wit h th e ro le of th e Uni te d St a te s Sen te nc in g Co m m is si on an d th e Ju di ci a r y.” J ack so n’s cat eg or ic al ch al le ng e to th e Gui de li ne s on po li cy gr ou nd s is

“ ‘not pr op erl y m ad e to th is co ur t’ be cau se on ap pe al we are ‘ li m it ed to de te rm in in g th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of a sp eci fic se nt en ce where th e ad vi so ry gu id el in es
ran ge was de te rm in ed ’ in acco rd an ce wit h th e gu id el in es .” Uni te d St at es v. Pap pa s, 71 5 F.3 d 22 5, 22 9 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (q uo ti ng Uni te d St at es v. Sh ul er, 59 8 F.3 d 44 4, 44 8 (8 th Cir . 20 10 )).

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-J a c k s on fai ls to ov erco m e th at pr es um pt io n. See, e.g ., Uni te d St at es v. Lee,
55 3 F.3 d 59 8, 60 2 (8 th C i r

. 2 0 0 9 )

. Hav in g care fu ll y rev ie wed th e to ta li ty of th e ci rcu m st an ces e v i d en t in th e se nt en ci ng reco rd
, we co nc lu de th e di st ric t co ur t th or ou gh ly co ns id ered th e § 35 53 (a) fact or s as ap pl ie d to Ja ck so n an d im po se d a

r eas on ab le se nt en ce gi ve n th e vi ol en t an d de sp ic ab le ci rcu m st an ces of th is c a s e

. Not wit hs ta nd in g Ja ck so n’s as se rti on to th e co nt rary, th e se nt en ci ng tra ns cri pt rev eal s th e di st ric t co ur t m ad e “ an in di vi du al iz ed as se ss m en t ba se d on th e fact s pr es en te d,” du ly weig he d th e rel ev an t fact or s, an d “ ad eq ua te ly ex pl ai n[ ed ] th e ch os en se nt en ce.” Gall
, 55 2 U.S. at 50 -5 1. Ja ck so n’s “ li fe s en te nc e is do ub tl es s se ve re, bu t it is no t

su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le .” Uni te d St at es v. Hof fm an , 70 7 F.3 d 92 9, 93 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ). Ja ck so n “ co mm i t t e d a he in ou s cri m e wor th y of th e se nt en ce im po se d.” Uni te d S ta te s v . Fran ik , 68 7 F .3d 98 8, 9 91 (8t h C ir. 2 01 2)

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Bec au se th e di st ric t co ur t d id no t ab us e it s su bs ta nt ia l di sc ret io n, we affi rm

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