Opinion ID: 788709
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Bad Marriage's Criminal and Social History

Text: 7 The Presentence Report prepared following Bad Marriage's guilty plea documented 35 prior convictions from state courts in Washington and Montana. In addition, the report showed approximately 60 convictions in the Blackfeet Tribal Court. Bad Marriage's adult state criminal record consisted of crimes committed between 1988, when the defendant was nineteen, and 2002. These convictions were almost entirely misdemeanors resulting in little or no jail time. 8 Four of his state court convictions were for assault: (1) a 1991 fourth degree assault/domestic violence conviction resulting in a ten day jail sentence; (2) a 1997 assault conviction resulting in a $120 fine; (3) a 1999 assault conviction for which he received a $270 fine; and (4) a 2002 conviction for partner/family member assault for which he served eight days. 1 9 The record also included a 1989 second-degree burglary conviction for which Bad Marriage served thirty days in jail; a 1989 conviction for unlawful use of a weapon; a 2000 conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI); a 1993 conviction for violation of a contact order, resulting in his longest sentence of thirty-seven days; ten convictions for criminal trespass; over fifteen convictions for theft; and several convictions for obstructing a police officer or for disorderly conduct. 10 All of the theft incidents described in the Presentence Report appear to be shoplifting offenses. In each of these cases, Bad Marriage is described as having stolen beer, cigarettes, or chips from a convenience store. For example, in July 1999, Bad Marriage was arrested, and later convicted, three times for stealing a bag of chips or eating nachos at a convenience store. The most expensive item that Bad Marriage is described as having stolen is a few cases of beer. 11 Most of Bad Marriage's 60 convictions from Blackfeet Tribal Court were for disorderly conduct or public intoxication. Several convictions were for escape from tribal jail or for assault. These convictions, in accordance with U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2(i), were not counted for purposes of determining the defendant's criminal history score. 12 Bad Marriage was intoxicated during numerous incidents described in the Presentence Report. Of the 23 state criminal convictions for which any factual detail is provided, evidence of intoxication or alcohol use is apparent from seventeen of these convictions: these include incidents where Bad Marriage is described as intoxicated, where he attempted to steal alcohol, or where he engaged in disorderly conduct in a bar. 13 In addition, the Presentence Report describes Bad Marriage's long history of alcohol and drug abuse. Bad Marriage first tried alcohol at the age of nine, and began regularly using it at eighteen. He last used alcohol on the night of the instant offense. Since his thirties, Bad Marriage also regularly smoked marijuana. Bad Marriage advised the probation officer preparing his Presentence Report that he was in need of treatment. The Report indicated that Bad Marriage was admitted to a treatment center in August 1988, but did not describe whether he completed that treatment. In 1998, Bad Marriage was admitted to the Blackfeet Chemical Dependency Center and dismissed one month later with a diagnosis of alcohol and cannabis dependence. That treatment center reported that he made satisfactory progress during treatment, and that his prognosis was good provided that he followed his continuing care plan. No information is provided on any treatment or progress after that date. 14 The Presentence Report attributed one criminal history point each to seven of Bad Marriage's convictions in accordance with U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1. Points were assigned for: three of the assault convictions; 2 a 1999 criminal trespass and disorderly conduct offense; a 1999 conviction for theft and disorderly conduct; a 1999 conviction for theft; and the 2000 DUI conviction. No points were assigned to Bad Marriage's shoplifting convictions because of this Court's decision in United States v. Lopez-Pastrana, 244 F.3d 1025 (9th Cir.2001), which held that shoplifting offenses should be excluded from computation under U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2(c)(1). 15 Bad Marriage's convictions resulted in seven criminal history points, but his total was capped at four points pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 4A1.1(c). This score established a criminal history category of level III.