Opinion ID: 4582865
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cooperation with Government

Text: Mr. Lawless also contends the district court erred by failing to consider his cooperation with the government as a mitigating factor. We are not persuaded. The court considered both Mr. Lawless’s argument regarding his substantial assistance to the government and the government’s counter argument that his assistance proved too selfserving to be useful. The court did not err when it agreed with the government that Mr. Lawless’s cooperation was not a mitigating factor because “[s]ubstantial weight should be given to the government’s evaluation of the extent of the defendant’s assistance.” U.S.S.G § 5K1.1 app. n. 3. The court explicitly deferred to the government’s assessment and ruled against Mr. Lawless. Rec., vol. V at 76-77. In so doing, the district court did not procedurally err. 7