Opinion ID: 155028
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: One Offense Level Reduction for the Brief Duration of Abduction Claim

Text: 20 Gutierrez's offense level was increased by four levels for the abduction of a person to facilitate the commission of a carjacking. See § 2B3.1(b)(4)(A). Gutierrez relies upon the kidnapping guideline, U.S.S.G. § 2A4.1, for the proposition that he is entitled to a one-level reduction for the fact that the kidnapping victim was released within twenty-four hours of the abduction. See U.S.S.G. § 2A4.1(b)(4)(C). We disagree. 21 The sentencing court applied the robbery guideline, not the kidnapping guideline, and the robbery guideline makes no provision for an offense level reduction predicated on the release of the victim within twenty-four hours. The robbery guideline simply increases the offense level four points for an abduction. There is no dispute that an abduction occurred here. Gutierrez argues that the sentencing court should have applied a kidnapping guideline reduction within a robbery guideline calculation, but the Sentencing Guidelines reject this approach. The Sentencing Guidelines require that a sentencing court which has crossreferenced to a certain guideline apply that entire guideline. United States Sentencing Guideline § 1B1.5(a) provides that a cross reference (an instruction to apply another guideline) refers to the entire offense guideline (i.e., the base offense level, specific offense characteristics, cross references, and special instructions), and U.S.S.G. § 1B1.5(d) provides that in references that apply only when the referenced guidelines results in a greater offense level, the greater offense level means the greater final offense level. 22 In rejecting an identical argument to the one made here by Gutierrez, the Ninth Circuit has recently explained that [t]he plain language of the Guidelines does not allow the district court to apply both the kidnapping and robbery guidelines. Rather, once it has been determined that the robbery Guideline yields a higher final offense level, it must be applied. United States v. Ortega-Reyes, 105 F.3d 1260, 1262 (1997). We find the Ortega-Reyes court's analysis persuasive, and thus reject Gutierrez's offense level reduction argument. 23