Opinion ID: 2979989
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Issues Raised by Alejandro Domenech

Text: Like his brother, Alejandro Domenech challenges the reasonableness of his lengthy prison term and his $7,380 fine as excessive. In our view, the district judge properly imposed the sentence after careful consideration of the § 3553(a) sentencing factors, with a specific emphasis upon defendant’s prior criminal history. Defendant also contends that the court improperly punished him for indicating he would challenge the conviction on appeal for ineffective assistance of counsel. Throughout the course of the trial, defendant repeatedly complained about his counsel. At sentencing, the district judge raised the issue. Later, defendant stated that he wanted to appeal due to ineffective counsel. In crafting the sentence, the judge noted that defendant lacked remorse about the nature of his actions and continued to blame others. While defendant argues on appeal that the judge improperly considered his statements about ineffective counsel in determining that he failed to take responsibility for his actions, he did not raise this objection below. In sum, we find that the district court properly considered the various statutory and guidelines factors in crafting Alejandro Domenech’s sentence.