Opinion ID: 2975348
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Robinson’s sentencing hearing

Text: According to the Presentence Report (PSR), Robinson’s total offense level was 24 and he fell in criminal history category IV. These factors yielded a Sentencing Guidelines range of 77 to 96 months of imprisonment. No objections were filed to the PSR prior to sentencing. Robinson told the court under oath that he had reviewed the PSR with his counsel and wished to make no corrections or modifications to its contents. When asked directly about certain details of his criminal -4- No. 05-1936 United States v. Robinson history, however, Robinson reported that the PSR misstated the dates of a previous offense and sentence, but was otherwise “substantially correct.” Both Robinson and his attorney urged the court to look beyond the criminal history points arising from his convictions that were more than ten years old and to focus on the positive steps that Robinson had taken to “be on the right track.” The district judge followed the then-prevailing practice in the fall of 2004 and imposed alternative sentences, one based on the Sentencing Guidelines and an alternative in the event that the Supreme Court found the Guidelines “ineffective or inapplicable or unconstitutional in some form or another.” After noting that he was “obliged under the law” to take Robinson’s past criminal activity into account, the district judge then imposed a sentence of 77 months’ imprisonment under the Guidelines and recommended assignment to a facility with a comprehensive drug-treatment program. The alternative sentence was identical to the Guidelines sentence. When asked if he understood his sentence, Robinson stated that he had expected, based on his conversations with a probation officer, a sentence in the range of 18 to 27 months: I was under the impression that by it being ammunition, I thought it was a year to 27 months all while we was going through this. When I had my Presentence Report, I talked to them real good and they said my working and everything, that’s what was said, 18 to 27 months. That’s what I was under the understanding. The district court explained that Robinson’s criminal history points put him in the Guidelines range of 77 to 96 months. Robinson continued to state that he had been told to expect a range of 18 to 27 months. According to the government, Robinson had spoken with the Probation Office before his criminal history points had been determined. Defense counsel said that he had been unaware that Robinson expected a shorter sentence, and asked the court to delay entering the judgment for a -5- No. 05-1936 United States v. Robinson period of time. The court declined to do so and instead advised Robinson’s attorney to file a motion seeking a modification of the sentence if he believed that such a motion was warranted. No such motion was ever filed. Robinson now appeals, alleging that (1) his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance when he promised the jury that Robinson would testify truthfully about the facts of his case but failed to put Robinson on the stand for that purpose, and (2) the case should be remanded for resentencing because there is insufficient evidence in the record to allow for effective appellate review.