Opinion ID: 582662
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Justification for departing in Streit's case

Text: 53 The Sentencing Commission specifically considered the possibility that in certain situations category VI might not adequately reflect a defendant's prior criminality and recidivist tendencies. The Commission stated that 54 there may, on occasion, be a case of an egregious, serious criminal record in which even the guideline range for a Category VI criminal history is not adequate to reflect the seriousness of the defendant's criminal history. In such a case, a decision above the guideline range for a defendant with a Category VI criminal history may be warranted. 55 U.S.S.G. § 4A1.3 (emphasis added). See United States v. Singleton, 917 F.2d at 413 (affirming an upward departure from category VI). 56 Streit has a long and violent criminal history. His record reveals nine major criminal episodes, for which he has been convicted of some 17 different offenses. He was first sentenced in 1978 to five years in prison for armed robbery. He served that sentence concurrently with sentences for auto theft, two counts of second degree burglary, and one count of receiving stolen property. Streit received three criminal history points for this sentence. PSR at 7-8; U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1(a). In 1983, Streit was convicted of first degree murder and attempted robbery. Streit was subsequently convicted of kidnaping, burglary, auto theft, three counts of robbery, and three counts of armed criminal action. All of these convictions were consolidated into a single ten-year term of confinement, for which Streit also received just three criminal history points under the guidelines. PSR at 8-9. Streit committed the instant offenses while on parole and while charges were pending against him in Missouri for armed robbery and assault. PSR at 9-10. 57 The district court adopted the findings of the presentence report and explained its reasons for departing as follows: 58 THE COURT: With respect to the criminal history category, the Court makes an upward adjustment from criminal history category six to a criminal history Roman numeral IX, it being the judgment of the Court that the upward adjustments are appropriate to account for all of the relevant conduct, including the adequacy or inadequacy, as I would characterize it, of the criminal history points that were given or afforded, previously, considering the fact that the defendant had a number of violent--convictions for violent crimes, but received consolidated sentences. 59 S.T. 80. The district judge properly concluded that Streit's criminal record was sufficiently egregious to justify an upward departure pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 4A1.3.