Opinion ID: 552340
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Heading: Due Process at Sentencing

Text: 15 We begin by noting that a defendant has a due process right to question the procedure leading to the imposition of his sentence. United States v. Pugliese, 805 F.2d 1117, 1122 (2d Cir.1986) (citing Gardner v. Florida, 430 U.S. 349, 358, 97 S.Ct. 1197, 1204, 51 L.Ed.2d 393 (1977)), cert. denied, 489 U.S. 1067, 109 S.Ct. 1344, 103 L.Ed.2d 813 (1989). Although the sentencing court has discretion to consider a wide range of information in arriving at an appropriate sentence, United States v. Tucker, 404 U.S. 443, 446, 92 S.Ct. 589, 591, 30 L.Ed.2d 592 (1972), a defendant may not be sentenced on the basis of materially untrue statements, or on misinformation or misreading of court records. Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. 736, 741, 68 S.Ct. 1252, 1255, 92 L.Ed. 1690 (1948). 16 To make defendant's right meaningful, a sentencing court must assure itself that the information upon which it relies when fixing sentence is reliable and accurate. See Pugliese, 805 F.2d at 1124. Prior to the passage of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, when a defendant challenged the accuracy of hearsay evidence contained in a presentence report, the government was required to introduce corroborating proof that was subject to being rebutted. Id. at 1123. The form or style of the hearing held to determine those matters in the presentence report that were contested rested in the discretion of the district court. It might consist of opposing affidavits, letters or other writings, argument and comment directed to the court, cross-examination of witnesses, or a full-blown evidentiary hearing. See id.; United States v. Lee, 818 F.2d 1052, 1056 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 956, 108 S.Ct. 350, 98 L.Ed.2d 376 (1987). A defendant had no absolute right to present witnesses or to receive a full-blown evidentiary hearing. See Pugliese, 805 F.2d at 1123. 17 This was the state of Circuit law prior to the advent of the Guidelines. It cannot be doubted that the broad range of discretion vested in the district courts to fix sentences has been curtailed since the advent of the Guidelines. This case of a heavy sentence imposed on a relatively young (age 23) offender is illustrative. Although Congress urged the Sentencing Commission to consider all the relevant factors at sentencing, see S.Rep. No. 98, 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 52, reprinted in 1984 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 3182, 3235, a defendant's age under the Guidelines is ordinarily not a relevant factor. See Guidelines Sec. 5H1.1. The sentencing court's comments clearly reflect its unease with its lack of flexibility under the circumstances presented. Nevertheless, the Guidelines and enabling legislation plainly evince Congress' effort to narrow the range of district court discretion in fixing a sentence. 18 Although the Guidelines reduce a sentencing court's discretion in setting the sentence, this decreased discretion does not limit the procedure a district court may choose to follow in determining the facts affecting sentence. The Guidelines state in Sec. 6A1.3(a) in relevant part, [w]hen any factor important to the sentencing determination is reasonably in dispute, the parties shall be given an adequate opportunity to present information to the court regarding that factor. The Commentary that follows specifies that the sentencing court must determine the appropriate procedure in light of the nature of the dispute, its relevance to the sentencing determination, and applicable case law. Guidelines Sec. 6A1.3, Commentary at 6.2. 19 It further suggests that written statements by counsel or affidavits of witnesses often may be sufficient but that more formality--including in some cases an evidentiary hearing--may be unavoidable if the sentencing process is to be accurate and fair. Id. Consequently, we conclude the Sentencing Commission decided not to adopt any particular procedure, nor did it suggest why the due process calculus should be changed simply because Congress has reduced the discretion formerly granted district courts in imposing sentences. See United States v. Guerra, 888 F.2d 247, 250-51 (2d Cir.1989), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 1833, 108 L.Ed.2d 961 (1990). In light of the Sentencing Commission's stance, we see no reason to alter the settled law of this Circuit regarding the procedure by which the district court resolves disputed sentencing factors to arrive at the applicable range. 20 The same policy considerations set forth in Lee and Guerra to determine what burden of proof is required to be shouldered by the government, and how formal the sentencing hearing must be, apply today as they did before the Guidelines. These concerns include the long history of judicial discretion in sentencing, the strong interest in judicial economy, and the fact that already over-burdened trial courts would be greatly disserved by mandating time-consuming hearings. Lee, 818 F.2d at 1057. We hold therefore that the burden of proof at a sentencing hearing to determine a base offense level is by a preponderance of the evidence, see United States v. Shoulberg, 895 F.2d 882, 886 (2d Cir.1990); Lee, 818 F.2d at 1057; Guerra, 888 F.2d at 251. And, we reiterate, the procedure followed in resolving disputed factors at sentencing rests in the district court's sound discretion. See Pugliese, 805 F.2d at 1123. Hence, a sentencing court is under no duty to conduct a full-blown evidentiary hearing simply because contested hearsay testimony is contained in a presentence report.