Opinion ID: 1443071
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Burton's Sentencing

Text: The parties agreed that Burton qualified for safety valve relief, and the district court granted a motion for reduction. Burton requested a minor participant reduction under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(b), and the government stated that it would not disagree that [the minor participant reduction] would be a valid consideration for the Court in the relationship of Miss Shy and Miss Burton. The district court stated that the defendants were equally culpable and denied the motion. The government moved for a substantial assistance departure based on an alleged agreement with Burton to do so. But in consideration of the motion, the government contended that Burton did not substantially assist the government. Specifically, the government asserted that, during the two year period between Burton's arrest and indictment, she stopped participating in and associating with the methamphetamine ring, and thus the government contended the information she provided was stale. The district court agreed that Burton provided no substantial assistance and denied the motion. Burton also requested a § 3553(a) variance. Burton argued that had the government arrested and charged her in a timely fashion, the information she supplied would have been more relevant and would have constituted substantial assistance. Burton emphasized that she was proactive and cooperated with the government and did not participate in further criminal activity after her original arrest. She claimed she totally changed [her] life and [led] a productive and drug-free life. She worked with persons with disabilities at the Johnson County Sheltered Workshop, and according to a co-worker, she was an important person . . . in the lives of a lot of people who need[ed] her around. The district court stated that Burton provid[ed] a very essential ingredient to the manufacture of methamphetamine and was part of the problem because the manufacturers would not be able to make the drug without people, such as Burton, willing to accept the risk of arrest for purchasing cold medication from stores. The district court stated that every sentence. . . has to take into account the individual characteristics that that particular defendant may bring or present. The district court noted that while Burton committed a very serious offense, she had never been in jail or prison before. The district court contrasted Burton's late in life involvement with methamphetamine against a lot of people who become involved with methamphetamine at much younger ages. Burton impressed the court by how she changed her life around, got help for her drug problem, and helped others through very valuable and meaningful work that would benefit not only [Burton] financially but other people. The district court did not think that Burton would relapse into a criminal lifestyle. The district court found that imprisoning Burton would not further sentencing objectives of deterrence, incapacitation, and punishment and that a sentence outside the Guidelines range was reasonable. After considering the § 3553(a) factors and her rehabilitation, the district court sentenced Burton to three years of probation.