Opinion ID: 548379
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Upward Departure from the Guideline Range

Text: 41 Based on Mourning's total offense level and criminal history category, the guideline range for imprisonment was from 37 to 46 months. The district court departed by imposing a 120-month sentence, the maximum allowed under 31 U.S.C. Sec. 5322(b). The court justified its departure with the following brief statement: 42 Mr. Mourning, the court has considered the record in this case, as well as the presentence investigation report and the arguments made by counsel at this hearing this morning. 43 And based upon those matters, it's the finding of this court that based upon the nature and circumstances of the offense, the criminal history and characteristics of the defendant, the need to reflect the seriousness of the offense, the need to promote respect for the law and provide just punishment in this case, as well as to afford adequate deterrence to similar criminal conduct and protect the public from further criminal offenses of this defendant, the court is going to depart upward in this case and impose the following sentence.... 44 Mourning argues that the district court failed to articulate a proper basis for departure from the applicable guideline range. The government concedes this point. We agree. 45 A sentencing court may depart upward from the guidelines and impose a sentence outside the guideline range if the court finds that an aggravating circumstance exists that was not adequately taken into consideration by the Sentencing Commission in formulating the guidelines. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553(b). The sentencing court must state the reasons for the departure, and the sentence imposed must be reasonable in light of the articulated reasons. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3742(e)(3). See United States v. Burch, 873 F.2d 765, 768 (5th Cir.1989). 46 In the present case, the district court did no more than recite a litany of possible grounds for departure listed in the sentencing statutes. See 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553(a)(1), (2). However, the statute makes clear that if the sentence is not of the kind, or is outside the range determined by the district court, it must state in open court the specific reason for the imposition of a sentence different from that described. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3553(c)(2) (emphasis added). The legislative history of this provision warns against subjecting the statement of reasons to such legalistic analysis that will make judges reluctant to sentence outside the guidelines when it is appropriate or that will encourage judges to give reasons in a standardized manner. S. REP. NO. 225, 98th Cong., 2d Sess. 80, reprinted in 1984 U.S. CODE CONG. & AD. NEWS 3182, 3263. 47 Gauging the stated reasons under these statutory and congressional directives, we find that the district court has failed to state any reason justifying an almost triple departure from the maximum guideline range. The sentencing judge's standardized reasoning here could find application to almost any defendant brought before the court for sentencing. By requiring a specific reason, section 3553(c)(2) requires the sentencing court to identify the exact circumstance or circumstances that warrant departure which were not adequately considered by the Sentencing Commission. Absent such a particularized rationale, we can gauge neither the reasonableness of the departure nor the extent to which any justification exists for departure. United States v. Lopez, 875 F.2d 1124, 1127 (5th Cir.1989). 48 The case must be remanded. We cannot correct a legally defective sentence on appeal. United States v. Stephenson, 887 F.2d 57, 62 (5th Cir.1989), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 1151, 107 L.Ed.2d 1054 (1990). See 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3742(f)(1). On remand, the district court may justify any departure, including that made, by identifying factors related to the nature of Mourning's offense which were not adequately considered by the Sentencing Commission. United States v. Shaw, 891 F.2d 528, 530 (5th Cir.1989). The PSI identified two possible grounds for departure: criminal purpose, U.S.S.G. Sec. 5K2.9, and adequacy of the criminal history category, id. Sec. 4A1.3. In either instance, the court must specify the unusual circumstance and explain why it warrants departure. Shaw, 891 F.2d at 530.