Opinion ID: 196983
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Carrington's requested acceptance of responsibility credit

Text: 32 Carrington also claims that the district court erred in denying his request for a three-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1. As a threshold matter, we must confront the question of what standard of review applies. Carrington argues that the district court made an interpretive mistake regarding the meaning and scope of its factfinding; because this purported mistake is inextricably intertwined with its factfinding, he contends that de novo review is warranted. Carrington points out that the government recommended a three-level reduction for timely acceptance of responsibility, but that the district court adopted the probation office recommendation that no sentencing consideration be given. Carrington argues in his brief that the district court committed an error of interpretation and related factfinding, since [n]o fact of any significance is referred to by [the] probation [office] other than the subsequent offense committed while he was on pretrial release. 33 While Carrington claims that his argument implicates a mixed error that requires de novo review for his entire argument, we disagree. The propriety of the district court's use of criminal conduct during pretrial release to justify denial of acceptance of responsibility credit--as a matter of guideline interpretation--is subject to de novo review. United States v. Talladino, 38 F.3d 1255, 1263 (1st Cir.1994). However, the application of this legal conclusion to the facts surrounding Carrington's offense is subject to review for clear error. United States v. Boots, 80 F.3d 580, 594 (1st Cir.1996); United States v. Luciano-Mosquera, 63 F.3d 1142, 1158 (1st Cir.1995). We cannot accept the proposition that the district court erred as a matter of law by denying Carrington acceptance of responsibility credit based on his criminal conduct (included in Counts V and VI) while on pretrial release. The Guidelines specify that a court, in its acceptance of responsibility determination, can consider whether the defendant has voluntarily terminated all criminal conduct. See U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1, comment. (n.1). Where the defendant commits additional crimes while on release, a district court may view that as evidence that the defendant has not voluntarily terminated all criminal conduct and, accordingly, decline to award a reduction for acceptance of responsibility on that ground alone. United States v. O'Neil, 936 F.2d 599, 600 (1st Cir.1991). This is true even where the defendant, like Carrington, has pled guilty. Id. at 600-01; see also United States v. Morrison, 983 F.2d 730 (6th Cir.1993); United States v. Reed, 951 F.2d 97, 99 (6th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 996, 112 S.Ct. 1700, 118 L.Ed.2d 409 (1992). As a result, we conclude that the district court did not commit legal error in considering Carrington's criminal conduct while on pretrial release. 34 Accordingly, we review for clear error Carrington's residual argument regarding the district court's refusal to grant him a reduction for acceptance of responsibility. See, e.g., United States v. Burns, 925 F.2d 18, 20 (1st Cir.1991); United States v. Royer, 895 F.2d 28, 29 (1st Cir.1990). Because credibility and demeanor play a crucial role in determining whether a person is genuinely contrite, and because the sentencing judge has the unique opportunity of observing the defendant ... and evaluating acceptance of responsibility in a live context, the finding of the sentencing court is entitled to great respect, and should not be disturbed unless it is without foundation. Burns, 925 F.2d at 20; Royer, 895 F.2d at 29-30. In his brief, Carrington argues that, in its weighing of his additional offenses versus the affirmative steps Carrington has taken to admit guilt and accept responsibility for his crimes, the trial court ignored his remorse and cho[se] instead to focus solely on the commission of a new offense (for which a three point enhancement was assessed without objection). While Carrington may state a plausible theory under which the district court could have decided to give him acceptance of responsibility credit despite his commission of new offenses, he has simply not met his burden, see United States v. Uricoechea-Casallas, 946 F.2d 162, 167 (1st Cir.1991), of showing that the district court's decision was without foundation, see Burns, 925 F.2d at 20. Furthermore, in addition to his additional offenses, the district court also considered Carrington's decision to remain silent in open court, a factor the court was entitled to weigh in determining whether he demonstrated an acceptance of responsibility. See United States v. Delgado Munoz, 36 F.3d 1229, 1236 (1st Cir.1994), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 1164, 130 L.Ed.2d 1120 (1995). Because the district court had sufficient foundation to do so, we affirm its denial of Carrington's request for a three-level reduction based on his acceptance of responsibility.