Case Name: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Arturo VILLA-LOPEZ, Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2008-01-18
Citations: 264 F. App'x 608
Docket Number: No. 05-10456
Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Arturo VILLA-LOPEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 264
Pages: 608–609

Head Matter:
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Arturo VILLA-LOPEZ, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 05-10456.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
Submitted Jan. 14, 2008 .
Filed Jan. 18, 2008.
George Ferko, Esq., USTU-Office of the U.S. Attorney, Evo A. DeConeini, U.S. Courthouse, Tucson, AZ, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Hortencia Delgadillo, Esq., Tucson, AZ, for Defendant-Appellant.
Before: HALL, O’SCANNLAIN, and PAEZ, Circuit Judges.
The panel unanimously finds this case suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R.App. P. 34(a)(2).

Opinion:
MEMORANDUM
Arturo Villa-Lopez appeals from the district court's judgment imposing a 30-month sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1),. (b)(l)(B)(vii), and 846, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(l)(B)(vii). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we vacate and remand for resentencing.
Villa-Lopez contends that the district court erred at sentencing because it concluded that, if it applied the safety valve, then it must impose a sentence within the Guidelines range and deny any downward variance based on the aberrant nature of Villa-Lopez's offense. We conclude that the record indicates that the district court misunderstood its discretion here. Following United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005), when a defendant qualifies for the safety valve, the district court is statutorily required to apply the Guidelines in an advisory manner along with the other factors contained in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). See 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f); United States v. Cardenas-Juarez, 469 F.3d 1331 (9th Cir.2006).
VACATED and REMANDED for re-sentencing.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.