Opinion ID: 798000
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Standard for Judicial Fact-Finding in Sentencing

Text: 17 We next turn to Jones's challenges to the district court's sentencing determination. Jones argues through counsel that the district court violated his due process rights by using a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard to determine that the quantity of cocaine base that he possessed and distributed was 18.3 grams. We have previously determined that judicial fact-finding in sentencing proceedings using a preponderance of the evidence standard post- Booker does not violate either Fifth Amendment due process rights, or the Sixth Amendment right to trial by jury. United States v. Gates, 461 F.3d 703, 708 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 127 S.Ct. 602, 166 L.Ed.2d 446 (2006); see also United States v. Barton, 455 F.3d 649, 657-58 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 127 S.Ct. 748, 166 L.Ed.2d 579 (2006); United States v. Green, 181 Fed. Appx. 506, 507-09 (6th Cir.2006) (concluding that the district court did not violate the Due Process Clause by using a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard to determine the quantity of drugs for which a defendant was responsible). Accordingly, we conclude that the district court did not err by using a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard.