Opinion ID: 774181
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Eight-Level Departure

Text: 10 Under U.S.S.G. sec. 2L1.2, the sentence of a defendant convicted of unlawfully entering or remaining in the United States can be increased if that defendant (1) previously was deported after a criminal conviction or (2) unlawfully re mained in the United States following a removal order. See U.S.S.G. sec. 2L1.2(b)(1). If the underlying conviction was for an aggravated felony, the increase is by sixteen levels. See U.S.S.G. sec. 2L1.2(b)(1)(A). Application Note 5, however, provides a mechanism whereby a district court can mitigate the severity of the sixteen-level increase in certain cases. A downward departure may be warranted, based on the seriousness of the aggravated felony at issue, if (A) the defendant has previously been convicted of only one felony offense; (B) such offense was not a crime of violence or firearms offense; and (C) the term of imprisonment imposed for such offense did not exceed one year. U.S.S.G. sec. 2L1.2, Application Note 5. 2 11 The parties disagree about the degree of discretion available to the sentencing court when faced with the sort of situation contemplated by Application Note 5. In the Government's view, a defendant can only receive a departure if all three conditions set forth in the note are met. Mr. Palomino-Rivera, however, argues that, even if he fails to satisfy each of the criteria in the application note, the district court nevertheless had discretion under Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81 (1996), to grant a downward departure based on its assessment of the seriousness of the predicate aggravated felony. Nothing in Note 5 forbids, he submits, an individualized consideration of factors such as the underlying facts of the prior offense or actual time served.
12 A sentencing court may depart and impose a sentence outside the range established by the applicable guidelines, if the court finds 'that there exists an aggravating or mitigating circumstance of a kind, or to a degree, not adequately taken into consideration by the Sentencing Commission in formulating the guidelines that should result in a sentence different from that described.' U.S.S.G. sec. 5K2.0 (quoting 18 U.S.C. sec. 3553(b)). Before such a departure is permitted, however, certain aspects of the case must be found unusual enough for it to fall outside the heartland of cases in the Guideline. Koon, 518 U.S. at 98. In the absence of a characteristic or circumstance that distinguishes a case as sufficiently atypical to warrant a sentence different from that called for under the guidelines, a sentence outside the guideline range is not authorized. U.S.S.G. sec. 5K2.0, commentary. Mr. Palomino-Rivera submits that he presents an atypical case that was not adequately considered by the Sentencing Commission (Commission). The district court agreed and, in granting the downward departure, explained that it did not think this kind of a borderline felony was adequately considered by the Commission. Sent. Tr. at 27. 13 We respectfully disagree with the district court and conclude that the Commission fully considered the issue. There can be no question that the Commission was aware that the blanket sixteen-level enhancement may work a disproportionately harsh sentence in cases in which the aggravated felony is relatively minor. Indeed, Application Note 5 specifically states that [a]ggravated felonies that trigger the [sixteen-level enhancement] vary widely. Nevertheless, the Commission limited the grounds of departure to the specific circumstances detailed in the note. Under these circumstances, we cannot say that a departure tied to the severity of the aggravated felony is a mitigating factor not taken into consideration by the Guidelines. 14 A downward departure would only be permissible if Mr. Palomino-Rivera's case fell outside the heartland of cases of unlawful reentry subsequent to an aggravated felony. See Koon, 518 U.S. at 98. In promulgating Application Note 5, the Commission defined the heartland of sec. 2L1.2 by exclusion; a downward departure from the sixteen-point enhancement is authorized only if the defendant satisfies all three criteria enumerated in Application Note 5. This conclusion mirrors that reached by other circuits on the identical issue. See United States v. Marquez-Gallegos, 217 F.3d 1267, 1270-71 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 121 S.Ct. 246 (2000); United States v. Yanez-Huerta, 207 F.3d 746, 750 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 121 S. Ct. 432 (2000); United States v. Tappin, 205 F.3d 536, 540-41 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 121 S. Ct. 260 (2000); see also United States v. McKenzie, 193 F.3d 740, 742 (3d Cir. 1999). 3 15 We find persuasive the reasoning of our colleagues in the Second Circuit in Tappin: 16 The Sentencing Commission stated explicitly that departure on the ground of seriousness of the predicate aggravated felony may be appropriate when a defendant meets all three enumerated criteria in [Application Note 5]. By necessary implication, therefore, the Sentencing Commission intended that all other cases . . . should be treated as within the heartland of illegal reentry cases under sec. 2L1.2(b)(1)(A), and that downward departure in such cases on the ground of seriousness of the predicate aggravated felony would be improper. 17 Tappin, 205 F.3d at 540-41. Any other interpretation would render the application note effectively meaningless. Id. at 541. We shall not second-guess the conscious policy choices of Congress and the Sentencing Commission, an activity in which we are not at liberty to engage. Marquez- Gallegos, 217 F.3d at 1271. 18 In sum, the Commission did take into account the varying severities of aggravated felonies when it promulgated Application Note 5. A defendant whose record does not satisfy all three criteria enumerated in the note therefore cannot be considered atypical and consequently outside the heartland of illegal reentry cases.
19 We now turn to the specific facts of Mr. Palomino-Rivera's case. According to the Government, Mr. Palomino-Rivera does not satisfy two of the three criteria set forth in Application Note 5; he has at least four prior felony convictions, and he received a prison term of three years on a theft by taking conviction in 1988 in Georgia. Mr. Palomino-Rivera argues (1) that the district court only found that he committed one prior aggravated felony, theft by taking and (2) it is questionable whether that offense itself constitutes an aggravated felony. 4 20 If Mr. Palomino-Rivera has been convicted of more than one aggravated felony, or if he did receive a prison term of more than a year for a single felony, he is ineligible for a downward departure pursuant to Application Note 5. 5 Upon examination of the record, however, we note that, although the district court assumed that Mr. Palomino- Rivera had been convicted of at least one aggravated felony, it never made an explicit finding to that effect. A sentencing court must clearly explain the reasons for the departure and make any necessary factual findings as required by the guidelines. United States v. Eiselt, 988 F.2d 677, 680 (7th Cir. 1993). Because the record is deficient in this regard, on remand, the district court must (1) make the required factual findings on the record and (2) resentence Mr. Palomino-Rivera in accordance with this opinion.