Opinion ID: 593970
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Downward Departure for Government Misconduct

Text: 15 We review de novo a district court's determination that it lacked discretion to depart from the sentencing guidelines. United States v. Reyes-Alvarado, 963 F.2d 1184, 1189 (9th Cir.1992). 16 The question presented is whether a government agent's perjury before the grand jury is a basis for a downward departure from the applicable guideline range on the grounds of government misconduct. A departure from the guidelines is permissible where the court finds that there exists an aggravating or mitigating circumstance of a kind, or to a degree, not adequately taken into consideration by the Sentencing Commission in formulating the guidelines.... 18 U.S.C. § 3553(b). Nevertheless, we have not permitted departures based on circumstances that neither bear on the offense in question, nor ... speak to the offender's character. See United States v. Alvarez-Cardenas, 902 F.2d 734, 737 (9th Cir.1990). The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has specifically held that perjury in the grand jury is not a basis for a downward departure because it does not relate to the offense or the offender and is based solely on a perceived need to reprimand the government. United States v. Valencia-Lucena, 925 F.2d 506, 515 (1st Cir.1991). We agree. 17 In determining whether a circumstance relates to the offense or the offender, we are guided by the purposes of a sentence. The Sentencing Reform Act directs a court to impose a sentence sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with ... the need for the sentence imposed--(A) to reflect the seriousness of the offense, to promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense; (B) to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct; (C) to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant; and (D) to provide the defendant with needed educational or vocational training, medical care, or other correctional treatment in the most effective manner.... 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2). Here the only purpose of a departure would be to deter government misconduct, a purpose having no relation to goals of the Sentencing Reform Act.