Opinion ID: 783228
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Denial of Motion for Downward Departure

Text: 35 In his final point on appeal, Collins argues that the district court erred in denying his motion for downward departure under United States Sentencing Guidelines § 5K2.0 and § 4A1.3. Collins asserts that the district court mistakenly believed that it did not have the power to depart due to the application of the career offender statute and 21 U.S.C. § 841 (1999), and that the district court indicated that Collins's criminal history was overstated. Collins addresses various prior offenses used to calculate his criminal history and argues that these should have only placed him in Criminal History Category V instead of Category VI. 36 Because the government did not file a motion for a downward departure from the statutory mandatory minimum sentence, the district court properly determined that it had no authority to depart. See 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e) (2000); United States v. Johnson, 988 F.2d 859, 860 (8th Cir.1993); United States v. Hawley, 984 F.2d 252, 254 (8th Cir.1993). The law is firmly established that a district court lacks authority to sentence below the statutory minimum if the pertinent provisions in 21 U.S.C. § 841(b) apply and the government has lawfully declined to move for a downward departure under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(e). See United States v. Rodriguez-Morales, 958 F.2d 1441, 1442-47 (8th Cir.1992). 37 In this case, whether the mandatory life sentence under § 841(b)(1)(A)(viii) applies depends on whether 500 or more grams of methamphetamine were involved in Collins's offense. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(b). The jury convicted Collins of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine, a fact the sentencing court was permitted to adopt because the same court presided over the trial in the case. See Wiggins, 104 F.3d at 178 (sentencing court that sat as trial court is not required to hold an evidentiary hearing to resolve factual objections, and may instead base its findings of fact on the trial record). And, finally, because Collins was previously convicted of at least two other drug felonies, § 841(b)(1)(A) makes a life sentence mandatory. Collins's argument that the district court erred when it believed it could not depart from the Guidelines is unavailing-the district court could not depart from the mandatory life sentence required under § 841(b) unless the government made a motion otherwise. 38 We affirm the district court.