Opinion ID: 496185
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Amen's Sentence

Text: 38 Amen pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin and two substantive counts of possession and distribution. He was sentenced to concurrent twenty-year terms on each count to run consecutively to a nine-year term previously imposed on him for conspiracy and distribution of heroin in the earlier incident involving Abbamonte and others. Amen argues that imposition of the maximum sentence of twenty years was arbitrary and capricious in light of his guilty plea and his status as a lesser member of the conspiracy. He also argues that it was excessive to make his twenty-year terms consecutive to his previous nine-year term which he claims arose out of the same factual conspiracy. Both of these claims are meritless. Indeed the Government is correct that the court omitted to impose an additional three-year special parole term in violation of 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841(b)(1)(B). 39 Amen's only real objection is to Judge Carter's statement that: I suppose that it's unfortunate that all of you are before a judge who finds the plague that narcotics has caused to people and families and neighbors intolerable. While this statement clearly indicates Judge Carter's predisposition to sentence narcotics offenders heavily, the statute gives him this latitude. Moreover, he made the statement in the context of determining the weight to be given the personal remorse expressed by the defendants who, after all, were engaged in large-scale heroin purchases and sales over a long period of time. The case is thus distinguishable from United States v. Wardlaw, 576 F.2d 932, 936-38 (1st Cir.1978), where a judge imposed a large sentence on a first-time drug carrier primarily because of its presumed effect on large-scale drug smugglers. 40 As to the imposition of consecutive sentences, this case does not contain the extraordinary set of circumstances necessary to demonstrate that consecutive sentences are cruel and unusual. See United States v. Golomb, 754 F.2d 86, 90 (2d Cir.1985). Although Amen's prior conviction also involved business with Abbamonte, the time periods and membership of the two conspiracies as charged in the indictment were distinct.