Opinion ID: 152950
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reasonableness of Rosa's Sentence

Text: Absent an error in the district court's guidelines calculation or in the adequacy of its reasoning, we review a sentence's substantive reasonableness for abuse of discretion in light of all circumstances. United States v. Gibbons, 553 F.3d 40, 47 (1st Cir.2009). Rosa argues the district court did not properly consider mitigating sentencing factors recited in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). Although the court sentenced him to the bottom of his guidelines range, 235 months, he urges that the court should have sentenced him to the statutory mandatory minimum, 120 months. The record flatly contradicts Rosa's argument that the court mechanically applied the guidelines without considering all the circumstances of his case. The court heard and articulated a number of facts favoring a lenient sentence but found they had to be balanced against the great harms done. Before sentencing Rosa, the court said it had considered the § 3553(a) factors, recited several mitigating facts, and sentenced Rosa to the bottom of his guidelines range in light of those mitigating facts. The district court did not abuse its discretion by concluding that a 235-month sentence fairly balanced these mitigating factors and the seriousness of Rosa's offense.