Opinion ID: 2674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: The District Court's Factual Argument

Text: The district court's weak support for its assessment of the harmfulness of Cavera's crime cements our view that it resorted to policy preferences in imposing the sentence. Although the court's central factual argumentthat injury to innocent bystanders is more probable in crowded environmentsis sound in theory, its application to New York City is unduly speculative. The City's five boroughs contain many densely populated areas where the district court's reasoning might apply, but they are also home to quieter neighborhoods, like Rockaway Point in Queens and suburban areas of Staten Island, where it would not apply. New York City is simply too large and varied a community to draw meaningful conclusions as to the potential impact of stray bullets that may someday originate from a trafficked firearm.