Opinion ID: 40787
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Extent of Upward Departure

Text: 6 An upward departure by a district court is not an abuse of discretion if the court's reasons for departing 1) advance the objectives set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2) and 2) are justified by the facts of the case. See Saldana, 427 F.3d at 310 (citing 18 U.S.C. § 3742(j)(1)). Further, 7 Although Booker excised § 3553(b), the directive to consider the heartland of an offense and enumerate particular reasons for a departure from the sentencing range lives on in U.S. Sentencing Guideline § 5K2.0 and, implicitly, in § 3553(a)'s requirement that the court consider the guidelines and the appropriate sentencing range and § 3553(c)'s requirement that the court enumerate reasons for sentencing without the range. 8 Id. at 310 n. 46. 9 In the instant case, the district court expressly adopted the factual findings and guideline application recommended by the presentence report (PSR). The PSR noted Zuniga-Peralta's extensive criminal history and stated that: 10 The Court could depart from the guideline range under U.S.S.G. § 4A1.3, should the Court find that the defendant's criminal history category does not adequately reflect the seriousness of the defendant's past criminal history or the likelihood that the defendant will commit other crimes. 11 PSR at ¶ 77. At sentencing, the court commented on Zuniga-Peralta's lengthy criminal history, multiple deportations, and use of eleven aliases. The court concluded that Zuniga-Peralta's three criminal history points considerably understated his criminal activity, and that it was departing based on U.S.S.G. § 4A1.3. The court's written Statement of Reasons relates that it departed from the Guideline range pursuant to § 4A1.3. The record thus makes abundantly clear, through the court's adoption of the PSR, its statements at sentencing, and its Statement of Reasons, the reasons for an upward departure. 12 We hold that the district court's reasons advance the objectives set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2) and are justified by the facts of the case. The district court correctly concluded that appellant is a determined recidivist who poses an extra danger through his frequent use of false names. That the ultimate sentence of sixty months is nearly double the initial sentence range does not render this departure abusive considering all of the circumstances. Consequently, the district court did not abuse its discretion in the decision to depart or extent of departure from the Guidelines. 2