Opinion ID: 3001741
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Kenneth Green’s Sentencing

Text: Green pleaded guilty to possessing crack with intent to distribute, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug crime, 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). The district court estimated that Green’s drug crime involved between 150 and 500 grams of crack, which corresponded to a base offense level of 34 under the 2006 version of the guidelines. U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c)(3) (2006). The court added two levels because Green had created a risk of death or serious injury when he tried to avoid capture, id. § 3C1.2, and Nos. 07‐2875 & 07‐3017 Page 3 subtracted three levels for acceptance of responsibility, id. § 3E1.1(a). The resulting total offense level of 33, combined with Green’s criminal history category of III, yielded a guidelines imprisonment range of 168 to 210 months. The court noted that under the version of § 2D1.1 that would take effect about three months later and reduce the base offense level for crack offenses, the range would be 135 to 168 months. For the gun count, the court calculated the guidelines sentence to be the minimum term required by statute, five years to be served consecutively to the drug count. 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i); U.S.S.G. § 2K2.4(b). Green did not object to the guidelines calculations. Instead, he argued that he deserved a lower sentence based on the crack‐powder ratio and his attempts to better himself through education and drug treatment while incarcerated. The government argued for a higher sentence based on Green’s violent attempt to avoid arrest. The government also pointed out the informant’s statement that Green was helping drug dealers in Chicago establish connections in Madison. The court imposed a sentence of 168 months on the drug count and five years on the gun count. The court explained that its choice of sentence was based on the serious nature of the crimes, Green’s extensive criminal history, the need to hold him accountable for his crimes, the need to deter him from further criminal activity, and the goal of avoiding sentencing disparities with similarly situated defendants.