Opinion ID: 795972
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sergio Ramirez-Gomez's Sentence

Text: 16 A district court applying the U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1 obstruction of justice enhancement for perjury must review the evidence and make a finding, by a preponderance of the evidence, 3 that the defendant gave false testimony concerning a material matter with the willful intent to provide false testimony, rather than as a result of confusion, mistake, or faulty memory. United States v. Ziesman, 409 F.3d 941, 956 (8th Cir.2005). A district court must conduct an independent evaluation and determine whether the defendant committed perjury. United States v. Garcia-Gonon, 433 F.3d 587, 592 (8th Cir. 2006). This determination is sufficient if the court makes a finding of obstruction of, or impediment to, justice that encompasses all of the factual predicates for a finding of perjury. Id. (internal quotations omitted). Whether Ramirez-Gomez committed perjury and in doing so obstructed justice is a factual finding, and we will reverse the district court's imposition of a sentencing enhancement only upon a showing of clear error. Id. 17 Ramirez-Gomez concedes that his testimony at Guel-Contreras's trial was not the result of confusion, but he argues that his contradictory statements to law enforcement officers were the result of confusion. He contends that on the night of his arrest his statement to law enforcement that Guel-Contreras was serving as a paid lookout for the drug deal was the result of confusing questioning by two different officers in both English and Spanish. He argues that his testimony at Guel-Contreras's trial denying his nephew's involvement in the drug deal was the accurate version of the events and not perjurious. 18 The district court is free to believe all, some, or none of the witness's testimony. United States v. Portillo, 458 F.3d 828, 829 (8th Cir.2006). Given the district court's superior position from which to judge credibility by having observed the testimony of both Agent Cantrell and Ramirez-Gomez, we believe that the district court did not clearly err in finding that Ramirez-Gomez committed perjury. The district court also made sufficient findings to support the obstruction of justice enhancement under § 3C1.1, which we therefore affirm. 19 Ramirez-Gomez also challenges the district court's refusal to reduce his guideline range for acceptance of responsibility. The commentary to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 expressly provides that the reduction is not warranted where a defendant is assessed an enhancement for obstruction of justice pursuant to § 3C1.1, except in extraordinary cases. U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 app. n. 4. We do not consider this to be an extraordinary case within the meaning of the commentary. Therefore, in light of our determination that the district court did not clearly err by giving the § 3C1.1 enhancement for obstruction of justice, we affirm the district court's denial of the § 3E1.1 reduction.