# 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 -1 6 77

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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

.

So y Fran k li n

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 he No rt h ern Di s t ri ct o f Io wa - Ced ar Rap i d s

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Su b m i t ted : M arch 1 1 , 2 0 1 9
Fi led : J u n e 1 1, 2 0 19 [Un pu b l is h ed ]

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Befo re SHEPHERD, ARNOLD, an d ERICKSON, Ci rcu i t J u dg es

.

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PER CURIAM

.

So y Fran k l i n p l ed g u i lt y t o o ne co u nt o f d i s t ri b u t i o n o f co cai n e b as e wi t h i n a

p r o t ect ed l o cat i o n (wi th in 1

, 0 0 0 feet o f a g rad e s ch o o l ) aft er a p ri o r fel o ny

co n vi ct i o n , i n v i o lat i o n o f 2 1 U

. S

. C. § § 8 4 1 (a)(1 ) an d (b )(1 )(C), 85 1

, an d 8 6 0 (a).Th e d i st ri ct co u rt 1 s en t en ced Fran klin to 188 m on t h s i m p ri s on m en t. Fran k l i n ap p eal s ,

as s ert i n g t h at h i s s en ten ce i s s u b s t an t i vel y u nreas o n ab l e. Hav i n g ju ri s di ct io n u n d er

2 8 U.S.C. § 1 2 9 1

, we affi rm

.

At s en t en ci ng , Fran k li n m o v ed fo r a d o wn ward v ari an ce bel o w th e 1 8 8 t o 2 3 5

m o nt h s G u i d el i n es s en t en ci n g ran g e, arg u i ng m i t ig at in g fact o rs wh i ch i n cl u d ed t h e

fo l l o w i n g : th at h i s s t at u s as an arm ed c a r e e r cri m i n al was b as ed o n a 20 -y ear-o ld

ag g rav at ed b at t ery co n v i ct i o n f o r co n d u ct t h at o ccu rred wh en h e w as 1 7 y ears o ld

t h at h ad i n v o l v ed s el f-d efen s e an d o n a s m al l -q u an t i t y d ru g co n v ict i o n ; t h at h e h ad

co m m i t t ed n o vi o l en t cri m e s i n ce h i s ag g rav at ed b at tery co n v ict i o n ; an d t h at h e h ad

s u ffered a d i ffi cu l t u p b ri n g i ng

. Th e d is tri ct co u rt d en ied Fran k li n ’s req u es t an d

s en t en ced h i m t o 1 8 8 m o n th s i m p ri so n m en t

, a s en t en ce a t t h e b o t t o m o f t h e

Gu i del in es ran g e.

Fran k l i n as sert s t h at hi s s en t en ce i s s u b st an t i v el y u n reas o n ab l e, arg u i n g t h at

t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt fai led t o t ak e i n t o co n s i d erat i o n t h e p art i cu l ar fact o rs s et fo rt h ab o ve.

“ W e rev i ew th e s ub s t an t i v e reas o n ab len es s o f a s en t en ce un d er a d eferen t i al

ab u se-o f-d is cret io n s tan d ard

. . . . A s en t en ce wi t h in t h e Gu i d el in es ran g e i s acco rd ed

a p res u m pt i o n o f su b s t an t iv e reas o n ab l en es s o n ap p eal .” Un i t ed St at es v

. St

. Cl ai re,

8 3 1 F.3 d 1 0 3 9

, 10 4 3 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 6) (i n tern al q u ot at i o n m ark s o m it ted ). A d i s t r i c t

co u rt h as “ wi d e l at it ud e” t o wei g h t h e 1 8 U.S.C. § 35 5 3 (a) fact o rs an d t o “ as s i g n

s o m e fact o rs g reat er wei g h t th an ot h ers ,” Un i t ed St at es v

. Bo el t er, 80 6 F.3 d 1 1 3 4,

1 1 3 6 (8 t h Ci r. 2 01 5 ) (p er cu ri am ) (i n t ern al q u ot at io n m ark s o m i t t ed )

, an d t h e
d et erm i n at i o n th at t h e di s tri ct co u rt was “ aware o f t h e rel ev an t

. . . fact o rs

. . . can b e

i n ferred fro m th e reco rd .” Un i t ed St at es v

. Yo u n g , 64 0 F.3 d 8 4 6

, 8 4 8 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 1 )
(p er cu ri am ).

1 Th e Ho no rab l e Li n d a R. Read e, Un i t ed St at es D i s t ri ct Ju d ge fo r t h e No rt h ern Di s t ri ct o f Io wa.

-2

-Al t h ou g h th e d i s t ri ct co u rt d i d n o t ex p l i ci t l y m en t i o n Fran k li n ’ s ag e at t h e t i m e

o f h is ag g rav at ed bat t ery co nv i ct i o n, o r t h at i t was ov er 2 0 y ears ag o an d Fran k l i n h ad

n o o t h er co n v i ct i o n s fo r v i o l en t cri m es , Fran k l i n’ s co u n s el d i rect l y ad d res s ed t h es e

fact ors d u ri n g t h e s en t en ci n g h e a ri n g as p art o f Fran k l i n’ s arg u m en t seek i n g a
d o wn ward v ari an ce. W e t h u s p res u m e t hat t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt ap p ro p ri at el y co n s i d ered

t h es e fact o rs

. See, e.g

. , Un i t ed St at es v

. Keat i n g , 5 7 9 F.3 d 8 9 1

, 8 9 3 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 9 )
(“ [W ] h ere t h e d is t ri ct co u rt h eard arg u m en t fro m co u n sel ab ou t sp eci f i c § 3 5 5 3 (a)

fact ors , we m ay

p res u m e t h at t h e co u rt co ns i d ered t h o s e fact ors .”).

Th e d is t ri ct co u rt al s o n o t ed t h e fact o rs i t fo u n d t o b e ag g rav at i n g , i n cl u d i n g

F r a n k l i n ’ s cri m i n al h i s t ory , wh i ch t h e d i s tri ct co u rt b el iev ed m ad e h i m a reci d i v i s t

wh o h ad n o t t ak en ad v an t ag e o f t h e m an y o p p o rt u ni t i es t o t u rn h is l i fe a r o u n d.

Ack no wl ed g i n g t h es e fact o rs , an d s tat i n g t hat i t had co n si d ered al l § 3 5 5 3 (a) fact o rs ,
t h e d i s t r i ct co u rt d et erm i ned a s en t en ce at t h e b o t to m o f t h e G u i d el i n es ran g e was

ap p ro p ri at e. Fran k l i n ’ s arg um en t o n ap peal am o u n t s t o no m o re th an a d i sag reem en t

wi t h h ow t h e d i s t ri ct co urt wei g h ed t h e m it i g at i ng an d ag g r a v a t i n g fact ors

. As t h e
d i s t ri ct co u rt h as wi d e l at i t u de i n co n s i d eri n g t h i s b a l an ce, we fi n d n o erro r i n t h e
d i s t ri ct co u rt ’ s d eci s i o n t o affo rd t h e ag g rav at i n g fact o rs m o re w ei g h t t h an Fran k l i n ’ s

m i t i gat in g fact o rs

. See Un i t ed St at es v

. Ry s er, 8 8 3 F.3 d 1 0 1 8

, 1 0 2 2 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 8 ).

Th e d i s t ri ct co u rt di d n o t ab us e i ts d i s cret i on i n i m p o si ng Fran k l i n ’ s sen t en ce.

Acco rd in g ly , we affi rm

.

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