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

ff - App el le e

v.

Edd ie Lou is Dent on

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 Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa , W at erl oo

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Apri l 1 5, 2 01 6 Fil ed : M ay

3, 2 01 6

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re RI LEY, Chi ef J ud ge , W OLLMAN and MURPHY, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

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MURP HY, Circ ui t J ud ge

.

Edd ie Den to n was se rv in g a se nt en ce of 32 4 m on th s in pr is on aft er a jury

co nv ic te d h im

of c on sp ira cy

to di st rib ut e co nt ro ll ed su bs ta nc es . The d is tri ct co ur t 1 red uc ed hi s s en te nc e to 29 4 m on th s aft er a n a m e n d m e n t t o t h e s e n t e n c i n g g u i d e l i n e s

The Hon or ab l e Li nd a R. Rea de , Ch ie f Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e 1 Nor th ern Dis tri ct of I owa

.l o w e re d t

h e a d v i s o ry g u i d e l i n e ra

n ge ap pli c a

b l e t o h i s o f

f e n s e o f c o n v i c t i o n

. Den to n ap pe al s, an d we a ffi rm

.

In 20 03 a jury co nv ic te d D e n t o n of on e co un t of co ns pi racy to di st rib ut e

co cai ne , co cai ne ba se , an d m ari juan a. See 21 U.S.C. §§ 84 1, 84 6, an d 86 0. He was

se nt en ced to li fe in pr is on

. Afte r Am en dm en ts 70 6 an d 71 5 to th e se nt en ci ng gu id el in es lo wered th e gu id el in e ran ge ap pl ic ab le to hi s of fen se , th e di s t r i ct co ur t red uc ed Den to n's se ntenc e to 32 4 m on th s, th e bo tt om of th e am en de d gu id el in e ran ge

. See 18 U.S.C. § 35 82 (c)( 2)

. Late r a f t e r Am en dm en t 78 2 was en act ed an d fu rth er lo wered th e ad vi so ry gu id el in e ran ge ap pl ic ab le to Den to n's of fen se , th e di st ric t co ur t ag ai n red uc ed hi s se nt en ce t o 2 9 4 mon th s in th e m id dl e of th e am en de d gu id el in e

ran ge

. Den to n ap pe al s, arg ui ng th at he sh ou ld ha ve rece iv ed th e m ax im um red uc ti on

av ai la bl e.

W e rev ie w th e di st ric t co ur t's se nt en ce red uc ti on un de r § 35 82 (c)( 2) un de r an ab us e of di sc ret io n st an da rd

. Uni te d St at es v. Bu rrel l, 62 2 F.3 d 96 1, 96 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). A di st ric t co ur t ab us es it s di sc ret io n whe n "i t fai ls to co ns id er a rel ev an t an d si gn ifi can t fact or , gi ve s s i g n i f i c an t weig ht to an irr el ev an t or im pr op er fact or , or

co ns id ers th e ap pr op ria te fact or s bu t co m m it s a cl ear erro r of jud gm en t in weig hi ng th os e fact or s." Uni te d St at es v. Mi ne r, 54 4 F.3 d 93 0, 93 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ). In d e c i di ng whe th er to red uc e a se nt en ce un de r § 35 82 (c)( 2) , a di st ric t co ur t m u s t

co ns id er th e fact or s in 18 U.S.C. § 35 53 (a), as well as th e "n at ur e an d se rio us ne ss of th e d an ge r to an y

pe rs on or t he co m

m un it y th at m ay be po se d by a red uc ti on ... and it m ay co ns id er po st -s en te nc in g co nd uc t of th e de fe nd an t." Bu rrel l, 62 2 F.3 d at 96 3– 64 (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d)

.

Den to n arg ue s th at th e di st ric t co ur t ab us ed it s di sc ret io n by de cl in in g to gr an t hi m th e m ax im

um r e d uc ti on av ai la bl e as it ha d pr ev io us ly. He co nt en ds th at th is sh ows th e co ur t weig he d th e rel ev an t fact or s di ffer en tl y th an it ha d be fo re. W e reject th is arg um en t. The co ur t's co nc lu si on th at a 29 4 m on th se nt en ce was ap pr op ria te is

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-no t in co ns is te nt wit h i ts pri or de ci si on . Dent on als o a rg ue s th at whi le red uc in g hi s

se nt en ce, th e di st ric t co ur t fai le d t o a c c ou nt fo r hi s ad va nc ed ag e an d po or he al th

. The reco rd sh ows , ho wev er, th at th e di st ric t co ur t ex pr es sl y co ns id ered Den to n's ag e, he al th , an d all ot he r rel ev an t fact or s in it s de ci si on

. W e th eref or e affi rm th e di st ric t

co ur t's ord er.

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