# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 8 -2 9 50

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Un i t ed St at es o f Am eri ca

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i n t i

f f - Ap pel l ee

v

.

J u s t i n Sco t t Carro l l

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Def

en da n t - Ap pel l an t

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Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e Eas t ern Di s t ri ct o f Ark an s as - Li t t l e Ro ck

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Su b m i tt ed : J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 1 9
Fi l ed : J ul y 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 [Un pu b l is h ed ]

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Befo re LOKEN, KELLY, an d ERICKSON, Ci rcu i t J ud g es

.

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PER CURIAM

.

J u s t in Sco t t Carro l l p l ead ed g u i l t y t o o n e co u n t o f b ei n g a fel o n in p o s s es s i o n

o f a fi rearm , i n v i o l at io n o f 18 U.S.C. § § 92 2 (g )(1 ) an d 9 2 4 (a)(2 ). At s en t en ci n g , t h ed i s t ri ct co u rt 1 cal cu l at ed an ad v i s o ry ran g e u n d e r t h e Un i ted St at es Sen t en ci n g

Gu i del in es o f 4 6 t o 5 7 m o n th s o f i m p r i s o n m e nt

. Carro l l req ues t ed a do wn ward

v ari an ce b as ed o n s ev eral m i t i g at i n g fact o rs , i n cl u d in g t h at h e was on l y 2 2 y ears o ld

an d t h at h is cu rren t o ffen s e i n v o l v ed n o v i o l en ce. Th e d i s t ri ct co u rt n o t ed t h at

d es p it e h i s y ou n g ag e, Carro l l h ad “ al read y ach i ev ed a cat eg o ry V cri m i n al hi s t o ry ,”

i n cl u d i n g p r ev i o u s co n vi ct i o n s fo r v io l en t cri m es an d cri m es i nv o l v i n g g u n s

. It

i m p o s ed a 6 6 -m o n t h t erm o f i m p ri s o n m en t

. C a r r o l l ap p eal s , ch al len g i n g t h e

s u b s t an t i ve reas o n ab len es s o f t h e s en t en ce.

W e rev i ew th e s u bs t an t i v e reas o n ab l en es s of a sen t e n c e f o r an ab u s e o f

d i s cret i o n

. Un i t ed St at es v

. M cKi n zi e, 5 57 F.3 d 9 3 1

, 9 3 3 (8 t h Ci r. 20 0 9 ). “ [A] n
ab u se o f d i s cret i o n o cc u r s i f t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt (1 ) fai l s to co ns i d er a rel ev an t fact o r

t h a t s h ou l d h av e recei v ed s i g n i fi can t wei g h t; (2 ) g i v es s ig n i fi can t wei g h t t o an

i m p ro p er o r i rrel ev an t fact o r; o r (3 ) co n s i d ers o n l y t h e ap p ro p ri at e fact o rs b u t in

wei g h i ng t h o s e fact o rs co m m i t s a cl ear erro r o f ju d g m en t.” Id

. (cl ean ed up ). W h ere,

as h ere, th e s en t en ce i m

p os ed “ i s o ut s i d e t he G u i d el i n es ran g e, t h e co u rt m ay

. . .

co n si d er t h e ex ten t o f t h e dev i at i o n , b u t m u s t gi v e d u e d eferen ce to t h e d i s t ri ct co urt ’ s
d eci s i o n t h at t h e [1 8 U .S.C.] § 3 5 5 3 (a) fact o rs , o n a wh o le, ju s t i fy t h e ex t en t o f t h e

v ari an ce.” Un i t ed St at es v

. M o ral ez, 8 0 8 F.3 d 3 6 2

, 3 6 8 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 5 ) (cl ean ed u p ).

Carro l l h as n o t s h o wn t h at t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt ab u s ed it s d i s cret io n

. Carro l l

arg u es t h at t h e d i s tri ct co u rt ab us ed i t s d i s cret i o n b y p l aci n g to o m u ch wei g h t o n h i s
cri m i n al h i s t o ry , w h ich h ad al read y b een t ak en in t o acco u n t wh en cal cu lat i n g h i s

Gu i del in es ran g e. Bu t “ a co u rt m ay co n s i der a d efen d an t ’ s cri m in al h i s t o ry ev en i f

t h at h is t o ry i s in cl u d ed i n t h e d efen d an t ’ s cri m i n al h i s t o ry cat eg o ry .” Un it ed St at es

v

. Barret t

, 5 5 2 F.3 d 7 2 4

, 7 2 7 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 09 ). An d h ere, t h e d i st ri ct co u rt fo cu s ed o n

as p ect s o f Carro ll ’ s cri m in al h i st o ry t h at were no t acco u n t ed fo r i n t h e cal cu l at i o n o f

1 Th e Ho n o r a b l e Jam es M

. M o o d y , J r., Un i t ed St at es Di st ri ct Ju d ge fo r t h e Eas t ern Di s t ri ct o f Ark an s as

.

-2

-h i s Gu i d el i n es cri m i n al h is t o ry s co re: t h e fact t h at h e h ad am as s ed sev eral fact u al l y

s i m i l ar fel o n y co n v i ct i on s wi t h i n a rel at i v el y s h o rt p eri o d o f t im e an d at a y o u n g ag e.

W e s ee n o ab u s e o f d i s cret io n i n h o w t h e d i st ri ct co urt co n s i d ered an d wei g h ed t h e

s en t en ci n g fact o rs i n t h i s cas e.

Th e d i st ri ct co u rt ’ s ju d g m en t i s affi rm ed

.

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