Opinion ID: 715653
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Weight of the Cocaine Base

Text: 36 Hill argues that the district court committed clear error by finding that the cocaine at issue weighed 20.8 grams. When the government's chemist initially weighed the cocaine base relating to count one, it weighed 20.8 grams. Subsequently, at the request of Hill's attorney, another chemist reweighed the same cocaine base and found it weighed 18.6 grams. The chemist who performed the second weighing testified at the sentencing hearing that 0.8 grams of the cocaine base had been removed as a sample for testing purposes and that the atmospheric conditions in the laboratory where the cocaine base was stored likely caused it to decrease in weight. 37 The government bears the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, the weight of any drugs for sentencing purposes. United States v. Clemons, 999 F.2d 154, 156 (6th Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 704, 126 L.Ed.2d 671 (1994). On review, a district court's factual findings regarding the amount of drugs for which a defendant will be held accountable must stand unless it is clearly erroneous. United States v. Brannon, 7 F.3d at 520. A district court must err on the side of caution when choosing between a number of plausible estimates of drug quantity. United States v. Walton, 908 F.2d 1289, 1302 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 906, 111 S.Ct. 273, 112 L.Ed.2d 229 (1990), and cert. denied, 498 U.S. 989, 111 S.Ct. 530, 112 L.Ed.2d 541 (1990), and cert. denied, 498 U.S. 990, 111 S.Ct. 532, 112 L.Ed.2d 542 (1990). Nonetheless, we hold that the district court did not clearly err by using the weight obtained from the first weighing of the cocaine base since it would be reasonable to conclude, based on the chemist's explanation of the discrepancy, that the initial weighing is likely to be more accurate. 38 H. Constitutionality of the Distinction Between Cocaine Base and Powder Cocaine for Sentencing Purposes under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b) 39 Hill challenges the constitutionality of the sentencing regime under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b), which provides that an offense involving one gram of cocaine base carries the same penalty as an offense involving one hundred grams of cocaine powder. He claims that the one hundred to one ratio violates the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the Fifth Amendment guarantee of equal protection because it disproportionately discriminates on the basis of race. We review de novo a defendant's challenge to his or her sentence on constitutional grounds. United States v. Lloyd, 10 F.3d 1197, 1220 (6th Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1569, 128 L.Ed.2d 213 (1994), and cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 2172, 128 L.Ed.2d 893 (1994), and cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 219, 130 L.Ed.2d 147 (1994). 40 Hill's constitutional challenge is barred by controlling Sixth Circuit precedent. 6 This circuit has repeatedly found that the challenged provision of section 841(b) does not violate equal protection guarantees under the Fifth Amendment. E.g., United States v. Lloyd, 10 F.3d at 1220; United States v. Reece, 994 F.2d 277, 278-79 (6th Cir.1993) (per curiam); United States v. Tinker, 985 F.2d 241, 242 (6th Cir.1992) (per curiam), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 1040, 113 S.Ct. 1872, 123 L.Ed.2d 491 (1993); United States v. Williams, 962 F.2d 1218, 1227 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 892, 113 S.Ct. 264, 121 L.Ed.2d 194 (1992). Furthermore, the Sixth Circuit has consistently rejected Eighth Amendment challenges to section 841(b). United States v. Avant, 907 F.2d 623, 626-27 (6th Cir.1990); United States v. Levy, 904 F.2d 1026, 1033 (6th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1091, 111 S.Ct. 974, 112 L.Ed.2d 1060 (1991). Thus, in view of our binding precedent, we must reject Hill's challenge to the constitutionality of the harsher penalties imposed for offenses involving cocaine base compared to those involving powder cocaine. 7