Opinion ID: 6506
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sentencing for the Cocaine Offense

Text: 48 Witte argues that the drafters of Sec. 5G1.3(b) could not have foreseen the circumstances of this case: a 5K1.1 motion in the first prosecution that will not pass to the second prosecution. Witte insists that it is unfair to allow the government--which received substantial assistance from a defendant in its initial prosecution of that defendant--to seek imposition of a longer, though concurrent, second sentence. In effect, Witte is asking this court to adopt a per se rule that the second sentence imposed cannot exceed the first if the first resulted from a Sec. 5K1.1 motion, i.e., to pass the effect of a 5K1.1 motion from one sentencing proceeding for one offense of conviction to a subsequent sentencing proceeding for another offense of conviction. But Witte's otherwise appealing argument ignores an important aspect of the substantial assistance that he gave: It related only to the marijuana offense, not the cocaine offense. Significantly, Witte's argument also ignores application note 2 to Sec. 5G1.3(b) and the background to this section, which makes clear that Sec. 5G1.3(b) is intended to result in the appropriate incremental punishment that most nearly approximates the sentence that would have been imposed had both sentences been imposed at the same time. 50 This is accomplished both by (1) imposition of a concurrent sentence, and (2) giving credit for time served. 49 If Witte is ultimately convicted of the cocaine offense, the base offense level will necessarily be the same as that for the marijuana offense because relevant conduct is the same for both the marijuana and cocaine offenses. Even so, there may be still be adjustments to the base offense level. For example, that level could be increased for an aggravating role or decreased for acceptance of responsibility. 51 For illustrative purposes, we assume that the offense level will again be 40, and that the Guideline range will be 292-365 months. 52 The sentencing court will then have to determine the appropriate total punishment for both offenses. For purposes of this illustration, we choose 292 months as the appropriate total punishment. Witte must then receive credit for time served. If, for example, Witte shall have served 30 months for the marijuana offense by the time of the second sentencing, the sentencing court must credit Witte with 30 months served, and impose a sentence of 262 months (292 minus 30) to run concurrently with the remainder of Witte's sentence for the marijuana offense. As the commentary to Sec. 5G1.3(b) emphasizes, the 262-month sentence is not a departure from the Guidelines, but reflects a credit for Guidelines purposes for time that Witte has served. Under Sec. 5G1.3(b), then, Congress allows double punishment for the cocaine offense but ameliorates its harsh impact and prevents punishment from exceeding the statutory maximum by causing sentences for both the marijuana and cocaine offenses to run concurrently and by giving credit for time served. 50 We turn now to the alternative basis urged by Witte for dismissal of the indictment.