Opinion ID: 47920
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Griffith and Martin

Text: 58 The district judge enhanced the sentences of defendants Griffith and Martin under U.S.S.G § 3B1.1 for leadership roles in the methamphetamine conspiracy. Griffith and Martin now raise two objections to their sentence enhancements: first, a Sixth Amendment objection to the judge's application of the mandatory Sentencing Guidelines; and, second, an objection to the sufficiency of the evidence underlying the enhancement. 59 At trial, both Griffith and Martin raised objections under Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004), to the district court's application of the Sentencing Guidelines, thus preserving their Sixth Amendment challenge under United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005). See United States v. Saldana, 427 F.3d 298, 313-14 (5th Cir.2005). Where the Booker objection is preserved in the district court, we will vacate the sentence and remand, unless we can say that the error is harmless under Rule 52(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. United States v. Mares, 402 F.3d 511, 520 n. 9 (5th Cir.2005). The government bears the burden of showing that the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Pineiro, 410 F.3d 282, 285 (5th Cir.2005). To show harmlessness, the government must demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that the Sixth Amendment error did not affect the sentence that the defendant received. Id. 60 At the sentencing hearings of both Griffith and Martin, the district court declared that in the event that the Sentencing Guidelines were declared unconstitutional, the court would award Griffith and Martin the same sentences as it did applying the Guidelines, 360 months and 210 months respectively. The government therefore meets its burden of showing that the district court's Sixth Amendment error was harmless. See Saldana, 427 F.3d at 314-15. 61 Griffith was given a four-level sentence enhancement under U.S.S.G § 3B1.1(a) for being an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive. Griffith objected at trial that there was insufficient evidence to support this enhancement, and now raises this claim upon appeal. After Booker, we continue to review the district court's interpretation of the Sentencing Guidelines de novo and its factual findings for clear error. United States v. Charon, 442 F.3d 881, 887 (5th Cir.2006), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 127 S.Ct. 260, 166 L.Ed.2d 202 (2006). The sentencing judge is entitled to find by a preponderance of the evidence all the facts relevant to the determination of a Guidelines sentencing range. United States v. Johnson, 445 F.3d 793, 798 (5th Cir.2006), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 126 S.Ct. 2884, 165 L.Ed.2d 908 (2006). 62 Factors to be considered in identifying an organizer or leader include the exercise of decision making authority, the nature of participation in the commission of the offense, the recruitment of accomplices, the claimed right to a larger share of the fruits of the crime, the degree of participation in planning or organizing the offense, the nature and scope of the illegal activity, and the degree of control and authority exercised over others. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1 cmt. n.4; United States v. Valdez, 453 F.3d 252, 263 (5th Cir.2006), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 127 S.Ct. 456, 166 L.Ed.2d 310 (2006). Applying these factors, it is clear that the evidence against Griffith falls short. While Griffith held a leadership position in the Aryan Circle organization, the record reveals that his involvement in the methamphetamine trade was minor. As described above, the evidence regarding Griffith's methamphetamine participation indicated that he sold methamphetamine fronted by Hines, Jr., for a month and sold methamphetamine from Bidwell's house on five occasions. There was no evidence that Griffith exercised authority over either man in these transactions. There is no evidence that Griffith recruited accomplices or claimed a share of methamphetamine being produced and sold by other members of the Aryan Circle. There is also no evidence that Griffith took part in meetings at which arrangements were made for gathering precursors and setting up cooks. 63 The government points to evidence that Griffith told Hines, Jr., that he did not like Aryan Circle members diluting the methamphetamine that they sold to each other, and that he told Perkins that if Perkins was going to continue to sell methamphetamine, he needed to do it with his Aryan Circle brothers. The evidence strongly indicates, however, that this advice or instruction was not heeded, suggesting that Griffith did not exercise control or authority over these individuals with regard to the methamphetamine trade. The government also points to evidence that Griffith made threats against those members of the Aryan Circle who had agreed to testify in this case. Evidence implicating Griffith in threats of this kind is strong; however, the record as a whole shows that these acts were done to protect the Aryan Circle organization rather than to further the aims of a methamphetamine conspiracy. Griffith received a two-level sentence enhancement for obstruction of justice, so his conduct in this regard did not go unpunished. 64 Martin received a two-level enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(c) as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor in any criminal activity other than one that involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive. Martin objected at trial that there is insufficient evidence to support this enhancement, and now renews this claim upon appeal. To qualify for an adjustment under this section, the defendant must have been the organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of at least one other participant. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1 cmt. n.2. Our sister circuit has held that instructing others to obtain precursors used to produce methamphetamine is evidence of a managerial or supervisory role for the purposes of § 3B1.1. United States v. Mesner, 377 F.3d 849, 851 (8th Cir.2004). 65 Much of the testimony regarding Martin casts him in a subordinate role: Martin accompanied Rister to collect a drug debt; Martin obtained pills for Barrandey's cook; Martin sold methamphetamine for Charlie Samson and Perkins; Martin gathered pills and precursors for Tucker and Wilkins. There was some evidence that Martin was a methamphetamine cook. Gary Martin testified that he and Martin cooked together a couple of times, and Bidwell testified that he observed Gary Martin teaching Martin how to cook methamphetamine. This evidence suggests that Gary Martin, not Martin, took a managerial role in those cooks, and it does not indicate that Martin had persons obtaining precursors for those cooks. Jordan testified that he, Martin, and Barrandey brought anhydrous ammonia to Perkins' house, and that they all then began to cook. This testimony does not indicate that Martin had a managerial role in that cook. Rister testified that he once saw Martin cooking methamphetamine way out west of town. This testimony does not indicate that Martin was managing others in cooking or gathering precursors. 6 66 In finding that Martin did direct others to get precursors for methamphetamine, the district court appeared to rely on the statement by the United States attorney at the sentencing hearing that Mr. Bailey testified extensively that . . . Mr. Martin would have Mr. Bailey gather up precursors on a regular basis for Mr. Martin. This is not an accurate reflection of Calvin Bailey's testimony. Bailey testified that Martin and Bailey's mother brought precursors to Bailey's house, cooked methamphetamine elsewhere, and then returned with finished methamphetamine. Bailey did not indicate that he or other persons were gathering precursors for Martin. Accordingly, we conclude that the district court clearly erred in enhancing Martin's sentence as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor.