Opinion ID: 3010525
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: Baird's first contention on appeal is that the district 9 court improperly departed upward from the Guideline range based on conduct underlying counts to which Baird did not plead guilty and which were dismissed by reason of the plea agreement.2 As we have noted, the point is still somewhat controversial; four circuits allow consideration of dismissed counts, and two others do not. See infra, part II, section B. Our analysis of this contention, therefore, requires close scrutiny of a number of provisions in the Sentencing Guidelines. We undertake such scrutiny in light of Koon v. United States, U.S. , 116 S. Ct. 2035 (1996), which teaches that appellate review of a district court's decision to depart from the Guidelines is essentially subject to an abuse of discretion standard. See id. at 2046-48. Any legal error in applying the Guidelines would constitute such an abuse. See id. at 2047-48.