Opinion ID: 719788
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Asmussen's Sentence Enhancement for Perjury

Text: The defendant believes that the district court should not have added a two-point increase under the Guidelines for perjury. He believes that the court should not have relied on the testimony of his co-conspirator and that the findings of the district court in regard to perjury were insufficient. If the defendant wilfully obstructed or impeded the administration of justice during the investigation, prosecution, or sentencing of the instant offense, the offense level will be increased by two levels. U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1. This includes committing or suborning perjury. United States v. Gleason, 25 F.3d 605, 608 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 283, 130 L.Ed.2d 199 (1994); U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1, comment (n.3(b)). A witness testifying under oath commits perjury if he gives false testimony concerning a material matter with the wilful intent to provide false testimony, rather than as a result of confusion, mistake, or faulty memory. United States v. Dunnigan, 507 U.S. 87, 94, 113 S.Ct. 1111, 1116, 122 L.Ed.2d 445 (1993). The enhancement cannot be given simply because the jury does not believe the defendant; the district court must find that the defendant committed perjury. United States v. Willis, 940 F.2d 1136, 1140 (8th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 971, 113 S.Ct. 1411, 122 L.Ed.2d 782 (1993). A district court must review the evidence and make independent findings necessary to establish a willful impediment to or obstruction of justice. Dunnigan, 507 U.S. at 95, 113 S.Ct. at 1117. It is preferable for the district court to address each element of the alleged perjury in a separate and clear finding. Id. The government bears the burden of proving the facts necessary to support the enhancement. United States v. Anderson, 68 F.3d 1050, 1055 (8th Cir.1995). This court applies the clearly erroneous standard of review and gives great deference to the sentencing judge in reviewing the decision to impose a sentence enhancement. Id. The defendant testified that he had no knowledge of odometer tampering. The jury believed that the defendant had lied and the trial judge also thought the defendant's testimony was knowingly and materially false. This is not a case where the defendant was confused, mistaken, or suffering from faulty memory. We find that the district court's decision to augment the offense level due to obstruction of justice through the commission of perjury was not clearly erroneous and that the sentence enhancement under the Guidelines for perjury should be upheld. 1