Opinion ID: 203450
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Use of Computerized Docket Reports

Text: At sentencing, the Government has the burden to establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, the existence of a prior conviction. See United States v. Díaz, 519 F.3d 56, 67 (1st Cir.2008). The Government may satisfy its burden by producing a certified copy of the conviction or an equivalent proffer. United States v. Unger, 915 F.2d 759, 761 (1st Cir.1990); see also Shepard v. United States, 544 U.S. 13, 26, 125 S.Ct. 1254, 161 L.Ed.2d 205 (2005) (equivalent proffer for criminal history purposes includes the charging document, a written plea agreement, a transcript, or another official court document). McKenzie challenges the district court's reliance on attested copies of computerized docket entries as proof of her prior Maine state convictions for shoplifting and misdemeanor assault. She urges us to develop a higher standard of proof that would render these docket reports unacceptable as proof of conviction. We find no reason to disturb the district court's judgment on this issue. Over McKenzie's objections at sentencing, the district court correctly noted that electronic docket records are increasingly the norm in today's world. Moreover, McKenzie did not attempt to show that the records were inaccurate and conceded that they were properly authenticated. We have not previously addressed the admissibility of attested copies of computerized docket entries for criminal history sentencing purposes but other courts have concluded that electronic docket records can sufficiently establish a defendant's criminal history by a preponderance of the evidence. See, e.g., United States v. Cousin, 219 Fed.Appx. 190, 194 (3d Cir.2007) (unpublished); United States v. Zuñiga-Chávez, 376 F.Supp.2d 1163, 1166 (D.N.M. 2004) (If docket sheets are sufficient, it follows that a certified copy of an abstract judgment is also sufficient to establish the existence of a prior conviction by a preponderance of the evidence.). We endorse these cases and hold that attested copies of electronic docket entries may be a sufficient proffer of prior conviction for sentencing proceedings before a district court. We therefore conclude that the court below properly admitted the Maine state conviction documents and reject McKenzie's appeal.