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

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ No. 1 5- 13 31

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 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.

Don ta Bo el te r
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 Ne br as ka - Lin co ln

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 16 , 20 15 Fi le d: Nov em

be r 30 , 20 15 [Pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , BEAM an d KELLY, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __ PER CURI AM.

Don ta B oe lt er ap pe al s th e 24 -m on th se nt en ce he rece iv ed fo ll owi ng th e
rev oc at io n of hi s su pe rv is ed rel eas e. Bo el te r co nt en ds th e se nt en ce is su bs ta nt iv el y
un reas on ab le be cau se it is gr eat er th an ne ces sa ry to ach ie ve th e pu rp os es of 18 U.S.C.§ 35 53 (a). Bec au se we co nc lu de Bo el te r’s se nt en ce was su bs ta nt iv el y reas on ab le , we

affi rm

. 1

On J an ua ry

29 , 20 10 , Bo el te r pl ed gu il ty to on e co un t o f ret al ia ti ng ag ai ns t a wit ne ss , in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 15 13 (b )(1 ). B o e l t e r ’s cal cu la te d Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s r an ge was 30 –3 7 m on th s. At hi s se nt en ci ng he ari ng on Sep te m be r 7, 20 11 , th e di st ric t co ur t va rie d do wnwar d an d se nt en ced Bo el te r to a te rm of ti m e 2

s erv ed , fo ll owe d by a 3- y ear te rm of su pe rv is ed rel eas e. Bo el te r be ga n hi s

3

su pe rv is ed rel eas e on Sep te m be r 7, 20 11

. His te rm of su pe rv is ed rel eas e was se t to

ex pi re o n S ep te m

be r 6, 2 01 4.

On May 14 , 20 14 , a pe ti ti on to rev ok e Bo el te r’s su pe rv is ed rel eas e was fil ed

. The pe ti ti on al le g e d B o e lt er ha d no t wor ke d si nc e Sep te m be r 20 13 , ha d te st ed pr es um pt iv el y po si ti ve fo r th e us e of m ari juan a on ei gh t occa si on s bet ween Aug us t 29 , 20 13 , an d Mar ch 26 , 20 14 , was fo un d at a res id en ce whe re an ot he r in di vi du al was ci te d fo r po ss es si on of m ari juan a an d dr ug pa rap he rn al ia , an d ha d fai le d to co m pl et e hi s 10 0 ho ur s of co m

m un it y se rv ic e. Dur in g a Decem be r 2, 20 14 , rev oc at io n of

su pe rv is ed rel eas e he ari ng , B oe lt er a d mitt ed to us in g m ari juan a on ei gh t oc cas io ns be twee n Aug us t 29 , 2 0 1 3 , a n d M arch 26 , 20 14

. The co ur t gr an te d Bo el te r’s or al

m ot io n t o c on ti nu e th e d is po si ti on he ari ng un ti l M arch 3, 2 01 5. 4

W e h av e juri sd ic ti on pu rs ua nt to 28 U.S.C. § 1 29 1. 1
The Hon or ab le Ri ch ard G. Kop f, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e Dis tri ct 2 of Neb ras ka , pr es id ed ov er Bo el te r’s Sep te m be r 7, 20 11 , se nt en ci ng he ari ng an d al l he ari ng s re ga rd in g re vo cat io n o f Bo el te r’s su pe rv is ed rel eas e.
Bo el te r was in cu st od y

for 47 da y s. 3
The reco rd is un cl ear a s t o wh y Bo el te r req ue st ed a co nt in ua nc e. 4

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-On Decem be r 7, 20 14 , Bo el te r was arre st ed in Kearn ey , Neb ras ka , an d ch arg ed wit h tre sp as si ng , di st ur

bi ng th e pe ace, an d po ss es si ng m ari juan a. A se co nd pe ti ti on to rev ok e su pe rv is ed rel eas e was fil ed on Decem be r 10 , 20 14

. The al le ge d vi ol at io ns in th is pe ti ti on in cl ud ed hi s Decem be r 7, 20 14 , arre st , a Nov em be r 19 , 20 14 , ci ta ti on fo r p o s s es si on of m ari

juan a an d ch il d ab us e/ ne gl ect , lying to hi s pr ob at io n of fic er ab ou t whe re he was res id in g, an d fai li ng to no ti fy hi s pr ob a t i on of fic er pr io r to

m ov in g t o a ne w res id en ce.

The Marc h 3, 20 15 , h eari ng was res ch ed ul ed fo r Ja nu ary 2 9, 20 15 . B ecau se th e s t a t e c ha rg es rem ai ne d pe nd in g, Bo el te r di d no t ad m it an y of th e vi ol at io ns al le ge d in th e se co nd pe ti ti on

. At th e co ur t’s req ue st , th e go ve rn m en t cal le d Bo el te r’s Pro ba ti on Offi cer, Mi ch el le McNa m ara, to te st ify ab ou t th e Decem be r 7 in ci de nt in Kearn ey

. On cro ss -ex am in at io n, McNa m ara al so co nf irmed Bo el te r su cces sf

ul ly

co m pl et ed co mm

u n i t y se rv ic e an d su bs ta nc e ab us e tre at m en t, bu t te st ifi ed Bo el te r
was un em

pl oyed fo r m

uc h o f th e p rev io us two -y ear p eri od

.

All of Bo el te r’s al le ge d vi ol at io ns were Grad e C v io la ti on s. With a cri m in al hi st o r y cat eg or y I, Bo el te r’s Sen te nc in g Gui de li ne s ran ge was 3– 9 m on th s. The

max i m um pr is on te rm an d m ax im um te rm of su pe rv is ed rel eas e th at co ul d b e rei m po se d were each 60 m on th s. Th e p ro ba ti on off ic e rec om m en de d a se nt en ce of 24 m on th s im

pr is on m en t wit h no su pe rv is io n to fo ll ow. Bo el te r req ue st ed a se nt en ce of on e y ear an d a da y , wit h no su pe rv is io n to fo ll ow. The di st ric t co ur t in it ia ll y st at ed it was in cl in ed to se nt en ce Bo el te r to a pr is on te r m of 30 m on th s, bu t ul ti m at el y
se nt en ced Bo el te r to a pr is on t e r m o f 24 m on th s wit h no su pe rv is io n to fo ll ow. 5 Bo el te r ti m el y

ap pe al ed

.

The jud gm en t no te s th at “ [a]ll eg at io ns 1 , 3 , a n d 4 of th e [fi rs t] P et it io n [8 8] 5

an d t he 2n d P et it io n [1 00 ] are d is m is se d o n t he m ot io n o f th e Uni te d S ta te s.”
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-W e rev ie w th e su bs ta nt iv e reas on ab le ne ss of a di st ri c t co ur t’s se nt en ce on

rev oc at io n of su pe rv is ed rel eas e un de r “ the sa m e reaso na bl en es s st an da rd th at ap pl ie s to in it ia l se nt en ci ng pr oc eed in gs .” Uni te d St at es v. Gro wde n, 66 3 F.3 d 98 2, 98 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 ) (q uo ta ti on om it te d)

. A se nt en c e i s s ub st an ti ve ly un reas on ab le “ if th e di st ric t co ur t 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 , 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 co ns id ers on ly th e ap pr op ria te fact or s bu t co m m it s a cl ear e r r o r of jud gm en t in weig hi ng th os e fact or s.” Uni te d St at es v. Loz oya, 62 3 F.3 d 62 4, 62 6 (8 th C ir. 20 10 ) (q uo ta ti on
om it te d)

. “ 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 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.” Un it ed Sta te s v . Bri dg es , 56 9 F .3d 37 4, 3 79 (8t h C ir. 2 00 9)

.

Bo el t e r c o nc ed es th e di st ric t co ur t co ns id ered th e ap pr op ria te se nt en ci ng fact or s bu t co nt en ds th e co ur t m ad e a cl ear erro r in jud g men t in weig hi ng th em

. Bo el te r arg ue s th e di st ric t co ur t ga ve to o m uc h weig ht to th e un pr ov ed al le ga ti on s in th e se co nd pe ti ti on

. Bo el te r as se rts th e co ur t sh ou ld ha ve pl aced gr eat er em ph as is on th e po si ti ve st rid es he ha d m ad e in th e pr io r two y ears , su ch as co m pl et in g su bs ta nc e ab us e tr eat m en t an d h is co m m un it y ser vi ce h ou rs

.

Alt ho ug h Bo el te r’s se nt en ce was gr eat er th an t he ad vi so ry Gui de li ne s ran ge
an d th e se n t e nc e he pr op os ed , we co nc lu de it was no t su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le

. The di st ric t co ur t ga ve ap pr op ria te co ns id erat io n to th e 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a) fact or s,
ex pl ai ni ng th e up ward va ria nc e was ba se d on “ th e s e r i o u s n es s of th e of fen se ” an d th e ne ed “ to pr om ot e res pe ct fo r th e la w, to pr ov id e fo r jus t pu ni sh m en t, an d to affo rd de te rren ce.” Th e co ur t con si de red th e ap pl ic ab le Gui de li ne s and sp eci fic al ly not ed th at Bo el te r ha d rece iv ed a do wnwar d de pa rtu re to a se nt en ce of ti m e se rv ed at hi s
or ig in al se nt en ci ng

. See USSG §7 B1 .4, co m m en t (n .4) (“ W he re th e or ig in al se nt en ce
was th e res ul t of a do w n w a r d d e p a r t u re

. . . th at res ul te d in a se nt en ce be lo w th e gu id el in e ran ge ap pl ic ab le to th e de fen da nt ’s un de rlyin g co nd uc t, an up ward de pa rtu re m ay

be warra nt ed .”). W e co nc lu de th e di st ric t cou rt act ed well wit hi n it s

-4

-br oa d di sc ret io n i n d e t e rm in in g th at a 24 -m on th te rm of im pr is on m en t wit h no
su pe rv is io n t o fo ll ow was ap pr op ria te

.

Acco rd in gl y , we affi rm

th e jud gm en t an d s en te nc e o f th e d is tri ct co ur t.

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