Opinion ID: 2975945
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Judicial Fact Finding

Text: Burke’s argument that the district court engaged in impermissible judicial fact finding in violation of Booker is without merit. As an initial matter, Booker “did not eliminate judicial factfinding.” United States v. Coffee, 434 F.3d 887, 898 (6th Cir. 2006). Rather, “[i]t is clear under the law of this Circuit that a district court may make its own factual findings regarding relevant sentencing factors, and consider those factors in determining a defendant's sentence.” United States v. Gardiner, 463 F.3d 445, 461 (6th Cir. 2006). “[W]hen a trial judge exercises his discretion to select a specific sentence within a defined range, the defendant has no right to a jury determination of the facts that the judge deems relevant.” Booker, 543 U.S. at 233. In sum, so long as the sentencing guidelines are treated as advisory and not mandatory, Booker does not bar the district court from fact finding using a preponderance of the evidence standard for sentencing calculations. United States v. Mickens, 453 F.3d 668, 673 (6th Cir. 2006). Here, the record clearly indicates that the district court properly considered the Guidelines advisory. The significant variance in Burke’s actual sentence below the recommended sentencing guideline range further indicates that the district court did not consider itself bound by the Guidelines. Burke argues that “any fact (other than a prior conviction), which is necessary to support a sentence exceeding the maximum authorized by the facts established by a plea of guilty or a jury verdict must be admitted by the defendant or proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt,” Booker, 4 543 U.S. at 244. While this a true statement of the law, the statutory maximum for possession of child pornography is ten years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. 18 U.S.C. § 2252(b)(2). Burke was sentenced to only two years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Because the judge-found facts did not increase Burke’s sentence beyond “the maximum authorized by the facts established by a plea of guilty,” Booker, 543 U.S. at 244, i.e., possession of child pornography, they did not need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Accordingly, we find no Booker violation.