Opinion ID: 532819
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Questions of Fact and Application

Text: 13 We review a district court's factual findings in determining an appropriate criminal sentence for clear error. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3742(e); United States v. Herrera, 878 F.2d 997, 999-1000 (7th Cir.1989). Whether Jordan obstructed justice within the meaning of Guidelines Sec. 3C1.1 and whether he accepted responsibility within the meaning of Guidelines Sec. 3E1.1 were essentially questions of fact for the district court to resolve from a variety of sources. The commentary to Section 3E1.1 in particular instructs a court of appeals to be especially deferential in reviewing a finding that a defendant has not accepted responsibility because [t]he sentencing judge is in a unique position to evaluate a defendant's acceptance of responsibility. For this reason, the determination of the sentencing judge is entitled to great deference on review and should not be disturbed unless it is without foundation. Application Note 5, Manual at 3.24. 14 Because the district court works within the limits imposed by the Guidelines, however, a reviewing court must determine whether the district court correctly applied those provisions, a question of statutory construction to be reviewed under what may be a somewhat less deferential standard, as suggested by 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3742(e)(2). 8 The result is that we will affirm the district court if it correctly applied the Guidelines to findings of facts that do not leave us  'with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.'  Herrera, 878 F.2d at 1000 (citations omitted).