Opinion ID: 604622
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rios's Sentence

Text: 20 Rios's conviction on the conspiracy count carries with it a statutory mandatory minimum of ten years imprisonment. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A)(i). After finding that Rios was not a minor participant in the offense, the district court sentenced him to 121 months, which was the lower limit of the applicable guidelines range and one month above the statutory minimum. 21 Rios argues that his minimal role in the offense justifies: (1) a downward adjustment in his offense level under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2; (2) a departure from the applicable guidelines range under U.S.S.G. § 5K2.0; or (3) a departure below the statutory minimum. 22 In the absence of a motion by the government under U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1, a district court may not depart below a statutory mandatory minimum sentence. United States v. Arnold, slip op. at 14930 (9th Cir. Dec. 30, 1992); United States v. Sharp, 883 F.2d 829, 831 (9th Cir.1989). See U.S.S.G. § 5G1.1. 23 The district court found that Rios was not a minimal or minor participant. This finding is not clearly erroneous. See United States v. Peters, 962 F.2d 1410, 1414 (9th Cir.1992); Torres-Rodriguez, 930 F.2d at 1389; United States v. Takai, 941 F.2d 738, 742 (9th Cir.1991). Rios is not entitled to a downward adjustment under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2. 24 Nor is Rios entitled to a downward departure under § 5K2.0, which allows for the imposition of a sentence below the applicable guidelines range only where mitigating circumstances exist that were not adequately taken into consideration by the Sentencing Commission in formulating the guidelines. U.S.S.G. § 5K2.0. The Sentencing Commission gave due consideration to a defendant's minimal or minor role by enacting § 3B1.2. 25 AFFIRMED. United States v. Rios, No. 92-10263 United States v. Rios-Villa, No. 92-10272 United States v. Garcia, No. 92-10276 26 Wiggins, J., concurring separately. 27 I concur in the majority opinion because it correctly applies the law of our circuit. The reason I write separately is to express my disapproval of the discretionary decision of the prosecutor to accept a plea of guilty from Ricardo Rios and to sentence him to 18 months in prison. The other codefendants, who were evidently far less culpable than Ricardo Rios, were sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 10 years. I see no justice in this situation.