Opinion ID: 203972
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Pomales

Text: Pomales' BOL was 38 based on the amount of drugs the court assigned to him, U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1 (2005), and he received a two-level increase for possession of firearms while part of the drug conspiracy, id. § 2D1.1(b)(1), as well as a three-level adjustment for managing or supervising a criminal activity with at least five participants, id. § 3B1.1(b). The resulting total offense level of 43 combined with a criminal history category of I to yield a sentencing range of 360 months to life. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment. Pomales argues that he should have received a two-level reduction in his base offense level for acceptance of responsibility. Although Pomales denied responsibility for his criminal actions in his pre-sentencing interview, at sentencing he reversed course and expressed remorse for those actions. Review is again for clear error. United States v. Garrasteguy, 559 F.3d 34, 38 (1st Cir.2009) (denial of downward adjustment for acceptance of responsibility reviewed for clear error). The district court's denial of the requested reduction was not erroneous. [D]efendants who proceed to trial and put the government to its proof normally do not qualify for any reduction for acceptance of responsibility. Id.; see also U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 application note 2 (In rare situations a defendant may clearly demonstrate an acceptance of responsibility for his criminal conduct even though he exercises his constitutional right to a trial.). Here, the district judge understood that he had the capacity to grant Pomales an acceptance of responsibility reduction despite his decision to proceed to trial. Nevertheless, the judge concluded that Pomales' extensive criminal activity along with the statements he made at his pre-sentencing interview outweighed his expression of contrition at sentencing. See United States v. Deppe, 509 F.3d 54, 60 (1st Cir.2007) (Acceptance of responsibility entails more than merely mouthing the vocabulary of contrition.). We discern no error in this conclusion. Pomales also says that, because the court sentenced him to life imprisonment based on his crack cocaine dealings, he is entitled to a resentencing based on the crack cocaine amendment to the guidelines. In 2007, the United States Sentencing Commission lowered the offense levels associated with crack cocaine offenses, see U.S.S.G.App. C, Amend. 706 (2007), and subsequently issued a declaration of retroactivity with respect to those lowered offense levels. United States v. Ayala-Pizarro, 551 F.3d 84 (1st Cir.2008). The remedy for defendants who believe they are entitled to resentencing based on the retroactive amendment is to file a motion with the district court seeking relief. See United States v. Chandler, 534 F.3d 45, 51 (1st Cir.2008). We thus dismiss this claim by Pomales without prejudice. [17]