Opinion ID: 180463
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claim of Sentencing Error

Text: Tillage asserts that the district court committed procedural error by failing to adequately explain the sentence imposed. This court reviews a sentence for reasonableness, using an abuse of discretion standard of review. Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51 (2007). The first step in this review requires us to ensure that the district court committed no significant procedural error. United States v. Evans, 526 F.3d 155, 161 (4th Cir. 2008). Procedural errors include “failing to 5 calculate (or improperly calculating) the Guidelines range, treating the Guidelines as mandatory, failing to consider the [18 U.S.C.] § 3553(a) [(2006)] factors, selecting a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the chosen sentence.” Gall, 552 U.S. at 51. “[I]f a party repeats on appeal a claim of procedural sentencing error . . . which it has made before the district court, [this court] review[s] for abuse of discretion” and will reverse if such an abuse of discretion is found unless the court can conclude “that the error was harmless.” United States v. Lynn, 592 F.3d 572, 576 (4th Cir. 2010). For instance, “the district court must state in open court the particular reasons supporting its chosen sentence [and] set forth enough to satisfy the appellate court that [it] has considered the parties’ arguments and has a reasoned basis for exercising [its] own legal decisionmaking authority.” United States v. Carter, 564 F.3d 325, 328 (4th Cir. 2009) (internal citation and quotation marks omitted). If “an aggrieved party sufficiently alerts the district court of its responsibility to render an individualized explanation” by drawing arguments from § 3553 “for a sentence different than the one ultimately imposed,” the party sufficiently “preserves its claim.” Lynn, 592 F.3d at 578. When counsel requests a sentence at the bottom of the Guidelines range or below, the error is preserved. Id. at 581. 6 Tillage’s arguments in the district court for a sentence below the recommended Guidelines range preserved his claim of procedural sentencing error on appeal. Id. These arguments “sufficiently alert[ed] the district court of its responsibility to render an individualized explanation addressing those arguments.” Id. at 578. Therefore, we review any procedural sentencing error for abuse of discretion and reverse unless the error was harmless. Id. at 579. Under that standard, we conclude that any procedural sentencing error in this case was harmless. See Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338, 359 (2007) (“Where . . . the record makes clear that the sentencing judge considered the evidence and arguments, we do not believe the law requires the judge to write more extensively.”); United States v. Boulware, 604 F.3d 832, 838 (4th Cir. 2010) (procedural error is harmless if it did not have a substantial, injurious effect on the result and this court can fairly say that the sentencing court’s explicit consideration of defendant’s arguments would not have altered the sentence imposed). The district court heard from Tillage, his counsel, and the Government regarding an appropriate sentence, commented on Tillage’s extensive criminal history, family support, and rehabilitative efforts, and noted it had read the authority provided by Tillage’s counsel in support of his argument for a downward variance. The court then imposed a 7 sentence at the bottom of the Guidelines range. We are satisfied that the district court considered the parties’ arguments and had a reasoned basis for the sentence imposed, Boulware, 604 F.3d at 837, and that this sentence would not be impacted by a more thorough explanation. Accordingly, we affirm Tillage’s conviction and sentence. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process. AFFIRMED 8