Opinion ID: 583683
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Disproportionate Penalty For Crack Offenses

Text: 13 We consider and reject the constitutional challenges to the Sentencing Guidelines without lengthy discussion. 14 One gram of cocaine base carries the same penalty as 100 grams of cocaine powder for the purpose of determining an individual's base offense level under the Sentencing Guidelines. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c). Bowers asserts that ninety-seven percent of the defendants prosecuted for crack offenses in the Western District of Missouri between 1988 and 1989 were black. On the basis of this statistical evidence, Bowers contends that the 100:1 ratio for cocaine base discriminates on the basis of race in violation of the due process clause, the equal protection clause and the eighth amendment. Citing the same statistical evidence, Simmons frames his objection to the 100:1 ratio as a violation of the equal protection clause. 15 This court has already rejected the arguments Bowers and Simmons raise here, and we are bound by precedent to follow suit. See, e.g., United States v. House, 939 F.2d 659, 664 (8th Cir.1991) (100:1 ratio does not constitute disproportionate sentencing in violation of the eighth amendment, nor does it violate the equal protection clause); United States v. Winfrey, 900 F.2d 1225, 1227 (8th Cir.1990) (rejecting substantive due process and equal protection challenges); United States v. Buckner, 894 F.2d 975, 980 (8th Cir.1989) (crack penalties are rationally related to the legitimate congressional objective of protecting the public against the highly potent and addictive nature of crack). Many of our sister circuits have similarly disposed of the constitutional arguments appellants raise. See, e.g., United States v. Thomas, 932 F.2d 1085 (5th Cir.) (enhanced penalty for cocaine base does not violate due process), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 264, 116 L.Ed.2d 217 (1991); United States v. Turner, 928 F.2d 956 (10th Cir.) (same), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 230, 116 L.Ed.2d 187 (1991); United States v. Avant, 907 F.2d 623 (6th Cir.1990) (rejecting eighth amendment challenge to 100:1 ratio); United States v. Cyrus, 890 F.2d 1245 (D.C.Cir.1989) (same); United States v. Solomon, 848 F.2d 156 (11th Cir.1988) (per curiam) (same). Accordingly, we reject Bowers's constitutional challenges to the 100:1 ratio for cocaine base in the Sentencing Guidelines. 16 Were we writing from a clean slate, however, we might accept as valid appellants' contentions relating to the disproportionate penalty. The Minnesota Supreme Court recently rejected a similar requirement under state guidelines as contrary to the equal protection guarantees in the Minnesota Constitution. See State v. Russell, 477 N.W.2d 886 (Minn.1991). But see United States v. Watson, 953 F.2d 895, 898 n. 5 (5th Cir.1992) (declining to follow Russell and noting that the rational basis test under the Minnesota Constitution is more stringent than its federal counterpart); United States v. Galloway, 951 F.2d 64, 66 (5th Cir.1992) (same).