Opinion ID: 429180
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the court's basis for sentencing

Text: 60 Before attacking the prickly legal issue of whether and in what manner the court could properly consider the government's representations concerning Lemon's involvement with the Black Hebrews, we should first determine whether the court relied to any significant extent on this information in imposing sentence. This task is made more difficult by the court's failure to provide any explanation for its decision at the time of sentencing. We must thus attempt to reconstruct the court's reasoning from a variety of sources. We conclude from our inquiry that, although the sentencing judge does not appear to have relied on the specific allegation that the defendant was a member of the Black Hebrews, he does appear to have given substantial weight to the government's representations in support of that allegation. In other words, he appears to have relied on information about the defendant's alleged associations with the Black Hebrews. 61 Although the court did not provide an explanation for imposing the sentence, he did make the following comments and recommendations relative to parole on Form A.O. 235, entitled Report on Sentenced Offender by United States District Judge, 26 completed on the date of the hearing, October 28, 1982. 62 Although this conviction represents this defendant's first, so far as is known, I am of the opinion that when Mr. Lemon left his employment at WHUR in 1980, he had already determined to become a professional criminal. His lack of candor with the probation officer, and his unwillingness to co-operate with the U.S. Attorney's Office in its investigation of an organization known as the Black Hebrews, whether or not he is a member of it, casts considerable doubt on the genuiness [sic] of any expressions of remorse or protestations of reform. Given his intelligence and education I believe him to be a danger to the community from which I conclude he should be isolated. I think his potential for rehabilitation and his deterrability are mimimal at this point in his life. 63 The government now takes the position that this report demonstrates that the evidence of appellant's membership in the Black Hebrews was a minor, even negligible, factor in the judge's determination as to what sentence to impose. 27 Before reviewing this document, which was only made available to counsel after oral argument, the government agreed with counsel for the defense that the judge had relied on evidence of the defendant's membership in the Black Hebrews as a factor in sentencing. 28 64 We do not view the judge's comments and recommendations relative to parole on Form A.O. 235 as the equivalent of an explanation for the sentence imposed. First, the form does not call for a statement of reasons for the sentence imposed; it is intended for the use of the Parole Commission and prison officials in future dealings with the defendant. While the form might be interpreted as requesting an explanation of the decision to impose any sentence involving incarceration as opposed to immediate probation, it does not call for any explanation of the length of the imprisonment. Furthermore, Form A.O. 235 does not elicit the judge's conclusions with respect to particular matters the accuracy or propriety of which were contested by the defendant before sentencing. 29 The judge's response here bears out these observations. The statement is very brief and fails to address either the sufficiency of the evidence concerning defendant's membership in the Black Hebrews or the propriety in any event of considering this evidence; yet these issues were the main subjects of dispute between the government and the defendant in sentencing proceedings. Thus, while it is reasonable to assume that the considerations identified by the judge on Form A.O. 235 as relevant to parole were also prominent in his sentencing decision, we cannot assume that those considerations were the exclusive basis for the decision. 65 Looking first to the judge's comments and recommendations, it appears that the judge concluded that the defendant (1) had already determined to become a professional criminal in 1980; (2) had displayed a lack of candor with the probation office; and (3) had been unwilling to cooperate with the government in its investigation of the Black Hebrews. These factors led the judge to conclude further that the defendant's potential for rehabilitation and his deterrability are minimal at this point in his life. 66 (1) The judge's stated belief that the defendant had already determined to become a professional criminal when he left his job at WHUR in 1980 does not echo any such conclusion expressed in the presentence report, which merely described the period during which Lemon left his employment as one of relative instability. 30 Yet the only significant information presented to the sentencing judge outside of the presentence report that might have led him to this conclusion was the defendant's alleged involvement with the Black Hebrews. 67 (2) The judge's conclusion that the defendant had exhibited a lack of candor with the probation officer may or may not be based on his denial of membership in the Black Hebrews. Based on our reading of the probation officer's observations in the presentence report, we conclude that the judge's belief was at least indirectly based on the government's claim that the defendant's crime was motivated by his involvement with the Black Hebrews, as compared with the defendant's own explanation of his motivation. 68 (3) Finally, the judge's characterization of the defendant's unwillingness to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney's Office in its investigation of an organization known as the Black Hebrews, whether or not he is a member of it, appears to disclaim reliance on the specific allegation of membership. Yet this conclusion nevertheless appears to rest to some degree on the government's representations in support of its claim that he was a member of the organization, and not merely on defendant's acknowledgment that he was acquainted with some members of the organization through his employment with WHUR. The government specifically requested information about illegal activity among the Black Hebrews, and the defendant denied knowledge of any such illegal activity. The defendant's knowledge of those activities, and thus his ability to respond to the government's request, could hardly be inferred merely on the basis of his admitted acquaintance with some members through his work. 69 Our conclusion that the judge relied on the government's representations about the defendant's involvement with the Black Hebrews in sentencing the defendant is strongly bolstered by his flat denial of the defense motion that he disregard those representations in sentencing the defendant. See supra at 928. Because the judge gave no explanation for his denial of the defense motion, we cannot be certain why or for what purpose the judge deemed it proper and relevant to consider the defendant's association with the Black Hebrews. We do know that the prosecutor devoted his entire sentencing memorandum and most of his argument at the sentencing hearing to the allegations of defendant's membership in the Black Hebrews and the significance of membership itself in sentencing. Therefore, if the judge, in denying the defense motion, signaled his acceptance of the government's position with respect to the information, he may have considered it highly significant and broadly relevant. Although it does not appear to us that the judge fully accepted the government's arguments, his failure to explain his denial of the defense motion and the sentencing decision itself leads us to look to those arguments as an additional source influencing the judge's own reasoning. 70 The judge's reliance on the government's representations about the defendant's involvement with the Black Hebrews is further indicated by the otherwise positive aspect of the defendant's life. In particular, it was argued by the defendant and conceded by the government at oral argument that it is unusual for a first offender under this statute to receive a sentence of this severity. 31 71 Finally, we note that both the government and the defense in this appeal had concluded on the basis of the sentencing proceedings that the judge did rely on the government's representations about membership in the Black Hebrew sect. 32 Although the government has now revised its position in light of the judge's comments on Form A.O. 235, the limitations of that document require us to consider the whole record, including statements and rulings made at the sentencing hearing. We conclude from the information before the judge at sentencing, the sentencing hearing and the judge's comments and recommendations relative to parole on Form A.O. 235 that the judge relied on the defendant's alleged failure to cooperate with the government in its investigation of the Black Hebrews and on the government's representations about the defendant's association with the Black Hebrews, but not on the particular allegation that the defendant was a member of the Black Hebrews.