Opinion ID: 717523
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Qualification for the Safety Valve Provision

Text: 34 The district court's interpretation and application of the sentencing guidelines are reviewed de novo. United States v. Blaize, 959 F.2d 850, 851 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 504 U.S. 978, 112 S.Ct. 2954, 119 L.Ed.2d 576 (1992). Factual findings made by the district court are reviewed for clear error. Id. [T]he determination of the sentencing judge is entitled to great deference and should not be disturbed on review unless without foundation. United States v. Innie, 7 F.3d 840, 848 (9th Cir.1993) (in context of applying U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1 regarding acceptance of responsibility), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1567, 128 L.Ed.2d 212 (1994). 35 The district court found that Ajugwo had not been as forthcoming as she could have been and therefore failed to meet her burden of establishing that she qualified for the safety valve provision. Ajugwo argues that the court's finding was erroneous because it was necessarily based upon her proffered statements, which, according to Ajugwo, were improperly before the court. Ajugwo argues that the district court should not have known what [she] told the government and could not therefore have properly found that proffered information to be untrue or otherwise lacking. Ajugwo's argument is not persuasive. 36 Although there is no legislative comment or circuit authority addressing the burden of proof under § 5C1.2, we have placed the burden on the defendant to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that she should receive a sentence reduction under the guidelines based upon some mitigating factor. United States v. Barnes, 993 F.2d 680, 683 (9th Cir.1993) (placing the burden of proof at sentencing on the party seeking to adjust the offense level), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 96, 130 L.Ed.2d 46 (1994); United States v. Uzelac, 921 F.2d 204, 205 (9th Cir.1990) (holding that defendant seeking reduced sentence has burden to prove the mitigating factor in § 2K2.1(b)(1)); see also, Arrington, 73 F.3d at 148 (Thus, to qualify for relief under § 3553(f) [§ 5C1.2], a defendant must demonstrate to the court that he has made a good faith attempt to cooperate with the authorities.). 37 Ajugwo had the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that she qualified for the safety valve provision. In her December 7, 1994, sentencing memorandum, Ajugwo asserted that she had provided the Government with complete, truthful information. However, her bare assertion that she had provided all relevant information to the Government because she had at least two meetings with the government, is hardly a preponderance of the evidence. In determining whether Ajugwo had been truthful and completely forthcoming with information concerning the offense, the district court could consider information learned from other sources which indicated that Ajugwo had been less than forthcoming. 38 Next, Ajugwo argues that the Government bears the burden of proving the justification for a mandatory minimum sentence in excess of that required by the sentencing guidelines. Ajugwo pled guilty to count one of the superseding indictment which was the violation of 21 U.S.C. § 963(a)(2). The violation of 21 U.S.C. § 963(a)(2) carries with it a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. Because Ajugwo was the party seeking the downward departure from the mandatory minimum sentence under the safety valve provision, she had the burden of proving that she met each of the five criteria. 39 In light of the circumstances, the district court's determination that Ajugwo failed to show that she met each of the five criteria was proper.