Opinion ID: 2977898
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: B. District Court Sentencing

Text: On October 27, 2007, the district court sentenced Brinda. During the sentencing proceedings, the district court accepted a plea agreement reached by Brinda and the Government. In the plea agreement, Brinda pleaded guilty to Count Two of the indictment (knowing receipt of child pornography) and the Government agreed to move for the dismissal of all remaining counts. Before the sentencing date, Brinda had undergone a psychosexual risk assessment (the “assessment”) to help the district court determine the danger and risk to others that Brinda’s criminal activity may have posed. The assessment noted that Brinda suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder and schizoid personality disorder. Further, the assessment indicated that “[p]ersoanlity disorders are not very likely to respond to the psychotherapy.” While the assessment concluded that “treatment may be helpful,” the prognosis was “guarded.” In addressing the type of treatment necessary, the assessment concluded that -3- [b]ecause of [his] mental health, personality structure, and substance abuse problem[s], Mr. Brinda should avail himself of a program that will address all three [issues]. If Mr. Brinda does not [enter] . . . a comprehensive treatment program to address all three [issues], he will be [at] a greater risk of re-offense. (emphasis added). The combination of Brinda’s “high dynamic risk score” and personality disorder “suggest[ed] that a very aggressive sex offender treatment program [wa]s called for.” (emphasis added). The Presentence Investigation Report (“PSR”) calculated that the guidelines range for Brinda’s offense was a term of 60 to 71 months of imprisonment. The PSR also indicated that the statutorily-authorized term of supervised release was any term of years or life. (citing 18 U.S.C. § 3583(k)). Brinda did not object to the guidelines calculation. Rather, acknowledging that lifetime supervised release was within the guidelines range, he raised several arguments against lifetime supervised release. First, Brinda said that the quantity of photographs involved in the offense was relatively small in comparison to other child pornography cases. Second, Brinda’s attorney complained that the assessment was based on a 15 to 20 minute meeting, and that parts of the assessment were contradicted by Brinda’s life experience. Brinda’s attorney, however, declined the district court’s invitation to move for a continuance to make written observations about the assessment or submit a countervailing assessment. Third, Brinda’s attorney noted that his offense conduct was not particularly egregious relative to other child sex abuse cases. In considering these arguments on lifetime supervision, the district court noted that this was “clearly a difficult issue.” The court then said that it would take what it considered “the prudent course,” and sentenced Brinda to a prison term of 60 months and a supervised release term of life. -4- The district court noted that Brinda could later apply for changes to the terms of his supervision. This sentence reflected the lowest possible term of imprisonment (the statutory minimum) but also reflected the highest possible term of supervised release available within the guidelines range. On appeal, Brinda makes only one narrow argument: the district court’s imposition of lifetime supervised release “was unreasonable and created [a] disparity in sentencing between himself and other similarly situated defendants.” Brinda Br. at 11.