Opinion ID: 77991
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Carter's Sentence

Text: Carter challenges his life sentence on the conspiracy count and the 60-year sentences on the substantive counts as unreasonable. Review of the reasonableness of the length of a sentence is undertaken in light of the facts and circumstances of the Defendant's case, as they relate to the sentencing considerations of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). United States v. Williams, 456 F.3d 1353, 1363 (11th Cir.2006). A remand for resentencing due to the unreasonableness of a sentence occurs only if we are left with the definite and firm conviction that the district court committed a clear error of judgment in weighing the § 3553(a) factors by arriving at a sentence that lies outside the range of reasonable sentences dictated by the facts of the case. Id. (citations omitted). Carter advances the argument that if the trial court had used the drugs associated with each substantive offense conviction for Count Fifteen (two morphine tablets on February 18, 2003) and Count Twenty-Four (.08 grams of cocaine base on January 6, 2005), rather than considering drugs associated with conduct extrinsic to the incidents (i.e., conduct associated with the conspiracy), the base offense levels for each would have been substantially lower (excluding the firearm enhancement). On Count Fifteen, the guideline range would have been 12 months and on Count Twenty-Four, 12 to 16 months. The trial court's decision to impose the maximum statutory imprisonment of 60 years on each consequently cannot be considered as reasonable, argues Carter. Because Carter did not raise this issue below, we review for plain error. See United States v. Bennett, 472 F.3d 825, 831 (11th Cir.2006) (objections to sentencing calculation issues raised for first time on appeal are reviewed for plain error). The standard requires that there be error, the error be plain, and the error affect a substantial right. Id. Here there is no error, as the trial court properly grouped Carter's offenses together under the Guidelines. The offense levels for the convictions for possessing with intent to distribute drugs and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute drugs are determined by looking to the quantity of the substances involved. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c). The base offense levels for the three offenses of conviction are determined by looking at section 2D1.1, and U.S.S.G. § 3D1.2 provides that such offenses are to be grouped together. See U.S.S.G. § 3D1.2, App. A. Moreover, the relevant conduct for the conspiracy with intent to distribute morphine and cocaine base was part of the same course of conduct as the convictions for possession with intent to distribute morphine and cocaine base, as the substantive offenses were committed during the time period covered by the conspiracy. Thus, the district court properly grouped the offenses together and considered the conspiracy conduct relevant to the substantive offense conduct to determine Carter's total offense level. See U.S.S.G. § 1B1.3(a)(2) and comment (n.9B). The district court stated it considered the section 3553(a) factors, and in light of the facts and circumstances surrounding the offenses of conviction, as the trial court articulated at sentencing, Carter has not satisfied his burden of demonstrating that his sentences on the substantive offenses are unreasonable. Given our prior analysis pertaining to the life sentence mandated on Count One by 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A), that sentence, too, is reasonable.