Opinion ID: 627480
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Drug rehabilitation.

Text: 9 The question of whether post-offense drug rehabilitation is proper grounds for a departure from the Guidelines was addressed by this panel in United States v. Ziegler, 1 F.3d 1044 (10th Cir.1993). 1 In Ziegler, we held that drug rehabilitation is not grounds for departure from the Guidelines. In reaching that result, we said a district court could consider a defendant's drug rehabilitation in deciding whether to grant a downward adjustment of two offense levels for acceptance of responsibility under U.S.S.G. Sec. 3E1.1 if the defendant's drug abuse problem is closely associated with his criminal conduct. 2 Ziegler, 1 F.3d at 1047. Since post-arrest drug rehabilitation is a mitigating circumstance 'of a kind ... adequately consider[ed] by the Sentencing Commission in formulating the guidelines,' it is generally not a proper basis for departure. Id. at 1048, (quoting 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 3553(b) (West Supp.1993)). We further held that even if a defendant's drug rehabilitation could be characterized as exceptional, it would still not be a proper basis for departing downwards. Id. at 1049. We adopt the reasoning in Ziegler and find Mr. Gaither's drug rehabilitation efforts were not grounds for departure. 10