Opinion ID: 42252
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Looney’s Waiver of Blakely 1 Rights

Text: 1 Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S. Ct. 2531 (2004). 5 Before the jury instructions were finalized, Looney requested that the district court require the jury to make a finding of the amount of his tax liability for purposes of applying the Sentencing Guidelines. Subsequently, however, Looney requested that the district court make a finding of the amount of his tax liability beyond a reasonable doubt. After an off-the-record discussion, the following colloquy took place: COURT: What did you decide Mr. Hansen [Looney’s attorney]? HANSEN: I hate to admit this, Your Honor, but we’ll go with the Government’s position on this. COURT: Okay. So that means we’re going to take the specific question off the verdict form asking for the amount of the tax – HANSEN: Yes. COURT: – liability. And the defendant stipulates to the Court making that determ ination at w hat standard, preponderance of the evidence or beyond a reasonable doubt? HANSEN: Well, I can’t imagine why I wouldn’t want it to be beyond a reasonable doubt. COURT: I can’t either. After a brief recess, Hansen indicated that Looney agreed to having the district court determine beyond a reasonable doubt the amount of his tax liability, as follows: 6 HANSEN: Your Honor, we did consult with Mr. Looney and he agrees with the decision not to put the additional line on to have the jury determine the tax liability, so we’ll leave that to the Court. The district court questioned Looney regarding his request, as follows: COURT: All right. Mr. Looney, you’ve had a chance to talk to your lawyer about the Blakely decision and how it might impact your case and the sentencing on your case. LOONEY: Yes, sir. COURT: And you’re willing to have the Court determine whatever Blakely issues may apply to sentencing? LOONEY: Yes. COURT: And you’re willing for the guidelines to apply in so far as Blakely is concerned? LOONEY: Yes. COURT: And have you made that decision freely and voluntarily? LOONEY: Yes, sir. COURT: And the Court is to make any findings in that regard beyond a reasonable doubt. Is that right? LOONEY: Yes, sir. COURT: Okay. I’m going to have one of my clerks put that in writing and have Mr. Hansen, have you and Mr. Looney sign it. HANSEN: Your statement was fine, Your Honor. COURT: I don’t know that it has to be in writing, but I’d rather do it that way. 7 HANSEN: We don’t have a problem with that. In addition to agreeing that the district court, not the jury, would determine his tax liability beyond a reasonable doubt, Looney signed a written waiver of a jury finding his sentencing enhancements, which stated: I, Charles Looney, having consulted with counsel regarding the issues raised by the United States Supreme Court’s opinion in Blakely v. Washington, 124 S. Ct. 2531 (2004), do hereby knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waive the right to have the jury determine any and all potential sentencing enhancements applicable under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. I understand that the Court will determine any applicable sentencing enhancements beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury found Looney not guilty on Counts 1 and 2 (willfully filing a false income tax return for the years 1995 and 1996) and guilty on Count 3 (willfully failing to file a tax return for the year 1997).