# 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 7- 33 40

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

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Bu ck Ott o Whi te , als o k no wn as Tim ot hy Jos ep h Ho ffm an

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 Dis tri ct of M in ne so ta - St. Pa ul

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Su bm it te d: Octo be r 15 , 20 18 Fi le d: Decem

be r 12 , 20 18 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re SM ITH, Chi ef J ud ge , LOKE N and GRUENDER, Circu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

A jury co nv ic te d Bu ck Ott o W hi te of two co un ts of be in g a fel on in po ss es si on of fir earm s an d am m

un it io n, in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 92 2( g) (1 ), an d two co un ts of

po ss es si ng st ol en fir earm s and am m un it io n, in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 92 2( j). Thedi st ric t co ur t de te rm in ed th at W hi te qu al ifi ed as an arm ed care e r c r im in al
, se e 18 1
U

. S

. C

. 9 2 4( e), an d W hi te ’s ad vi so ry se nt en ci ng gu id el in es ran ge was 32 4 to 40 5

m on th s. The di st ric t co ur t v ari ed do wnwar d a nd se nt en ced hi m co nc ur ren tl y on al l fo ur c o u n t s t o a to ta l te rm of 30 0 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t an d 5 y ears ’ su pe rv is ed rel eas e. W hi te lat er m ov ed to va cat e hi s se nt en ce un de r 28 U.S.C. § 2 25 5, ar gu in g th at he di d no t qu al ify as an arm ed care er cri m in al

. The di st ric t c o u r t g r a n t ed th e

m ot io n an d va cat ed W hi te ’s or ig in al se nt en ce. W hi te ’s rev is ed gu id el in es ran ge was 12 0 to 15 0 mo n th s’ im

pr is on m en t. Upo n res en te nc in g, th e di st ric t co ur t va rie d

up ward an d im

po se d a to ta l se nt en ce of 21 0 m on th s’ im pr is on m en t. Thi s con si st ed of co nc ur ren t se nt en ces of 12 0 m on th s fo r Co un ts 1 an d 3 an d co nc ur ren t se nt en ces of 90 m on th s fo r C o u nt s 2 an d 4, wit h th e two co nc ur ren t se nt en ces to be se rv ed

co ns ecu ti ve ly. W hi te no w ap pe al s, arg ui ng th at th e rev is ed se nt en ce is su bs ta nt iv el y

un reas on ab le

.

W e rev ie w th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of a se nt en ce un de r th e de fere nt ia l ab us e-o f-d is cret io n st an da rd

. Gal l v. Uni te d St at es , 55 2 U.S. 38
, 5 1 ( 2 0 0 7 )

. “ A di st ric t co ur t ab us es it s d is cret io n wh en it (1) fai ls to co ns id er a re le va nt 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 ng th os e fact or s co m

m it s a cl ear erro r of

jud gm en t.” Uni te d St at es v. Bor ro meo , 65 7 F.3 d 75 4,
75 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 ). Bec au se W hi te ’s 2 1 0 -m on th se nt en ce ex ceed ed hi s

reco m m en de d gu id el in es ran ge , we m ay no t app ly a pr es um pt io n of reas on ab le ne ss
to th e se nt en ce, se e Gal l
, 55 2 U.S. at 51
, bu t it is an “ un us ua l case whe n we rev ers e

a di st ric t co ur t se nt en ce

. . . as su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab l e , ” Uni te d St at es v. Feems te r , 57 2 F .3d 45 5, 4 64 (8t h C ir. 2 00 9)

.

The Hon or ab le Jo an N. Eric ks en , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e Dis tri ct 1 of Mi nn es ot a.

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-W hi te arg ue s th at th e co ur t ab us ed it s di sc ret io n by im po si ng co ns ecu ti ve

se nt en ces at res en te nc in g whe n it or ig in al ly im po se d co nc ur ren t se nt en ces

. He no te s th at th e on l y d iff

eren ce be twee n th e two se nt en ci ng he ari ng s was th at he no lo ng er
q u al ifi ed as an arm ed care er cri m in al an d cl ai m s th at th e di st ric t co ur t “ ob vi ou s l y

so ug ht to ge t as cl os e as it fel t it co ul d ge t to an ACCA-l ik e se nt en ce

. . . by us in g th e
ta ct ic of co ns ecu ti ve se nt en ces .” Bu t th e se nt en ci ng reco r d m ak es cl ear th at th e di st ric t co ur t ad eq ua te ly ex pl ai ne d th e ba si s fo r W hi te ’s rev is ed se nt en ce. The co ur t ob se rv ed th at it in it ia ll y va rie d d o w n w ard an d im po se d a 30 0- m on th se nt en ce be cau se it th ou gh t th at W hi te ’s or ig in al gu id el in es ran ge was to o hi gh

. The se sa m e

co ns id erat io ns le d to th e co nc lu si on th at W hi te ’s rev is ed gu i d e l i n e s r an ge was to o lo w. As th e co ur t s t a t e d
, “ So jus t as th e gu id el in es be fo re were to o hi gh
, th e
gu id el in es

. . . do n’t real ly ta ke in to acco un t th e fu ll cri m in al hi st or y th at y ou ha ve .”

W hi te fu rth er arg ue s th at th e fact s of hi s cas e do no t warra nt a to ta l pu ni sh m en t of 21 0 m on th s’ i m

pr is on m en t. He m ai nt ai ns th at he is no t “ a pr ed at or y of fen de r, a vi ol en t of

fen de r, or a ga ng m em

be r” bu t si m

pl y “ a l i f e

- lo ng m et ha m

ph et am in e ad di ct .” Bu t th e se nt en ce refl ect ed W hi te ’s lo ng hi st or y of reci di vi sm

. As th e co ur t
st at ed , “ As pe op le ge t to be ov er th e ag e of 35 , th ey do n’t co m

m it cri m es an y m or e. It’s n ot real ly true in y ou r cas e. It just go es ba ck —i t’s very sa d, you k no w, th e st art of y ou r ex pe rie nc e in t h e cri m in al co ur ts an d it jus t ne ve r real ly qu it s.” Fo r th is

reas o n , t he co ur t th ou gh t W hi te po se d “ a da ng er to th e co m m un it y .” W hi te ’s

ex te ns iv e cri m in al hi st or y in cl ud es co nv ic ti on s fo r tying up an d ro bb in g th ree vi ct im s
at gu np oi nt an d fo r st rik in g a po li ce of fic er in th e he ad wit h a cl os ed fis t. Dur in g th is

cas e, m or eo ve r, W hi te ab sc on de d fro m pr et ria l su pe rv is io n an d le d po li ce on a hi gh

sp eed ch as e on sn ow- co ve red ro ad s th ro ug h a de ns el y po pu la te d area

. W e se e no ba si s fo r fin di ng th e se nt en ce un reas on ab le an d co nc lu de th at th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t ab us e it s d is cret io n.

Fo r al l t he se reas on s, we af fir m W hi te ’s sen te nc e.

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