Opinion ID: 714872
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The district court's discretion to enhance Defendant's

Text: 17 sentence over the government's objections. 18 Defendant believes that the district court violated separation of powers principles by refusing to honor the government's stipulations regarding the drug quantity and credibility of McGowan and Stickman. Specifically, Defendant argues that the commentary to U.S.S.G. § 6B1.2--the guideline providing that the court may accept a plea agreement dismissing one or more charges when the court determines that the remaining charges adequately reflect the seriousness of the actual offense--states that the guideline does not authorize judges to intrude upon the charging discretion of the prosecutor. U.S.S.G. § 6B1.2 (commentary). 19 In the present case, however, Judge Brett did approve the prosecutor's charge of Count 5 and therefore did not intrude on any executive function. Instead, the judge declined to follow the government's recommendation concerning sentencing. The determination of a convicted offender's sentence is a matter within the discretion of the sentencing judge. U.S. v. Robertson, 45 F.3d 1423, 1437 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 116 S.Ct. 133, 133 L.Ed.2d 81 (1995). See also Charles Alan Wright, 3 Federal Practice and Procedure: Criminal 2d § 526 at 88-89 (stating Trial judges have few more important, or difficult, functions than that of sentencing. It is for the judge alone to discharge this weighty responsibility.). Therefore, the prosecution's role in sentencing is strictly advisory. Robertson, 45 F.3d at 1437. The district court may decline to follow a sentence recommendation when it finds the stipulated facts do not accurately reflect all relevant conduct bearing upon the guideline range. U.S. v. Easterling, 921 F.2d 1073, 1079 (10th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 500 U.S. 937, 111 S.Ct. 2066, 114 L.Ed.2d 470 (1991). See also U.S.S.G. § 6B1.4(d) (stating that the sentencing court is not bound by the parties' factual stipulations but may, with the aid of the presentence report, determine the facts relevant to sentencing). 20 Judge Brett acted within his discretion by investigating issues raised in the Presentence Report which conflicted with the government's stipulations. The judge had an obligation under the guidelines and Tenth Circuit precedent to consider whether the stipulated facts accurately reflected all conduct relevant to a proper sentence. 6 When the government refused to cooperate in the judge's efforts to confirm the Presentence Report, the court called and examined witnesses to verify the accuracy of the report. The court was not under any duty to accept the government's stipulation that the relevant conduct involved less than 100 grams of cocaine or that McGowan and Stickman were untrustworthy. 7 21