Opinion ID: 183845
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Reasonableness of the Defendant's Sentence

Text: Alternatively, the defendant argues that he is entitled to resentencing because (1) the district court inadequately explained his sentence, and (2) the district court never ruled on whether the coconspirator's lack of conviction could be considered under § 3553(a), which constitutes a failure to rule on a non-frivolous argument. These two arguments are related in that they both suggest that the district court made too little findings (or indeed none at all) when fashioning a proper sentence for the defendant. Although the defendant never articulated the legal theory under which these arguments entitle him to resentencing, we presume he intended to argue that his sentence is unreasonable, which we review for abuse of discretion. [1] Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338, 351, 127 S.Ct. 2456, 168 L.Ed.2d 203 (2007).
When reviewing a sentence for reasonableness, we must first ensure that the sentencing judge did not commit any significant procedural error, such as failing to calculate (or improperly calculating) the Guidelines range, treating the Guidelines as mandatory, failing to consider the § 3553(a) factors, selecting a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the chosen sentence. United States v. Jackson, 547 F.3d 786, 792 (7th Cir.2008) (quoting Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51, 128 S.Ct. 586, 169 L.Ed.2d 445 (2007)). Once we find that the sentence is procedurally sound, we then determine whether the defendant's sentence was substantively reasonable. Id. at 792. In this case, the defendant does not challenge the substantive reasonableness of his sentence, and we will therefore address only whether the district court followed proper sentencing procedures. The defendant argues that the district court committed procedural error during the sentencing hearing when it (1) refused to consider his coconspirator's lack of conviction under subparagraph (a)(6) and § 3553(a) generally, and (2) failed to adequately explain his sentence. Because we have already rejected the first argument (supra Part B), we turn directly to the defendant's second argument. At the time of sentencing, the judge is required to state in open court the reasons for its imposition of the particular sentence. 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c); Rita, 551 U.S. at 356, 127 S.Ct. 2456. The brevity or length of the judge's explanation depends on the circumstances of the case, but when a judge decides simply to apply the Guidelines to a particular case, doing so will not necessarily require lengthy explanation. Rita, 551 U.S. at 356, 127 S.Ct. 2456. By articulating reasons for the sentence, the sentencing court assures itself, the public, and reviewing courts that the sentencing process is a reasoned process. Id. at 358, 127 S.Ct. 2456. Contrary to the defendant's characterization of the sentencing hearing, even a cursory glance at the record reveals that the judge proffered many reasons for the defendant's sentence: In determining the sentence to impose, the court, of course, must take into account the sentencing factors. ... I have to take into account the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law, and the sentence must provide just punishment. The sentence must also provide a deterrent to crimes, not only to Mr. Scott but also to others. The public has to be protected from future crimes by this defendant, and hopefully the appropriate sentence will deter him in the future. ... Taking that into account, I have sat here and looked at the innumerable number of letters, of course, that have come in on his behalf, but I have also, the court has also received letters from some of the victims, and those victims' lives have been affected tremendously.. . . The letters that I've received from the family and friends and the certificates of the completion of courses that [the] defendant has taken while he's [been] incarcerated indicate to this court that Mr. Scott has taken, fortunately, some meaningful steps towards realizing what he did was wrong, and that hopefully has begun to aid in his rehabilitation so that once he is released from incarceration he will not engage in this conduct again. The court simply, however, cannot impose a sentence on you, Mr. Scott, based solely on all the favorable thoughts that were contained in all those letters. ... In listening to everything I've heard this morning and reading all of the submissions, it's clear that the offense is extremely serious. Mr. Scott, you bilked hundreds of thousands of dollars from innocent investors who trusted you. They entrusted their money in you. Unfortunately, your fraud was not just one single, simple act, but you had two schemes. ... ... The interesting thing about this and the sad thing about this whole situation is that this scheme was very thoughtfully put together and carried out. As I understand it, letters were sent to thousands upon thousands of individuals soliciting investments in these two fraudulent schemes. False representations were made, and false promises were made. Transcript of Sentencing Hearing, 46-47, United States v. Scott, (2010) (No. 09 CR 548). The judge explicitly acknowledged the importance of the defendant's repentance, family support, and scholastic achievements, but she then explained why the defendant's fraudulent schemes were too serious to warrant a departure from the advisory Guideline range. See United States v. Williams, 425 F.3d 478 (7th Cir. 2005). We find this explanation adequate because it explained why the defendant was sentenced within the Guideline range, albeit at the lowest possible end. To the extent that the defendant faults the district court for failing to rule on every § 3553(a) factor, it was not required to do so. See United States v. Cutler, 259 Fed. Appx. 883, 888 (7th Cir.2008). Instead, as required, the record as a whole indicates that the judge heard and considered all the arguments. Id. ; Transcript of Sentencing Hearing, at 46-60 (The judge stated that she had heard it all.); Cutler, 259 Fed. Appx. at 888. We therefore affirm the district court on this issue, finding no procedural error.
When a defendant makes a non-frivolous argument for imposing a sentence below the Guideline range, the sentencing court will usually explain why it has rejected that argument. Rita, 551 U.S. at 357, 127 S.Ct. 2456. See also United States v. Kilgore, 591 F.3d 890, 893 (7th Cir.2010) (stating that [i]n determining a reasonable sentence, the district court need not comprehensively discuss all of the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors, but must explain its decision and address non-frivolous sentencing arguments) (citing United States v. Villegas-Miranda, 579 F.3d 798, 801 (7th Cir.2009)); United States v. Cunningham, 429 F.3d, 673 (7th Cir.2005). According to the defendant, he is entitled to resentencing because the district court failed to rule on a non-frivolous argument when it refused to rule on whether it could consider the coconspirator's lack of conviction under § 3553(a). We disagree. At best, the transcript of the sentencing hearing reveals that Scott merely alluded to § 3553(a), often bouncing between specific references to subparagraph (a)(6) and general references to § 3553(a) with no apparent distinction. [2] In response to the defendant's cluttered arguments, the district court judge assured counsel that she had heard it all, made some explicit holdings, and explained the defendant's sentence. Transcript of Sentencing Hearing, at 46-47, 60. This was sufficient. The extent to which the court failed to make a more explicit holding under § 3553(a), as the defendant apparently desired, is a direct result of the defendant's failure to more clearly place his argument before the district court. While the district court might have been required to issue a more explicit ruling on this issue had Scott more expressly raised it, Scott's veiled references to § 3553(a) did not obligate the district court to address this issue more directly. Cf. Gall, 552 U.S. at 54, 128 S.Ct. 586 (explaining that where a party fails to raise an issue, the judge is under no obligation to raise the issue itself and then issue a ruling). Accordingly, we find that although the defendant's argument was not frivolous, the district court sufficiently addressed the defendant's argument. We therefore affirm the district court, finding that the court adequately ruled on the defendant's non-frivolous arguments and that the defendant's sentence was reasonable.