Opinion ID: 1254151
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Unreasonableness of Sentences

Text: On appeal, Roller and Young argue that their sentences are unreasonable. [14] We review sentences for reasonableness under the standard the Supreme Court described in Gall v. United States, ___ U.S. ____, 128 S.Ct. 586, 597, 169 L.Ed.2d 445 (2007): Regardless of whether the sentence imposed is inside or outside the Guidelines range, the appellate court must review the sentence under an abuse-of-discretion standard. It must first ensure that the district court committed no significant procedural error, such as failing to calculate (or improperly calculating) the Guidelines range, treating the Guidelines as mandatory, failing to consider the § 3553(a) factors, selecting a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the chosen sentenceincluding an explanation for any deviation from the Guidelines range. Assuming that the district court's sentencing decision is procedurally sound, the appellate court should then consider the substantive reasonableness of the sentence imposed under an abuse-of-discretion standard. When conducting this review, the court will, of course, take into account the totality of the circumstances, including the extent of any variance from the Guidelines range. If the sentence is within the Guidelines range, the appellate court may, but is not required to, apply a presumption of reasonableness. But if the sentence is outside the Guidelines range, the court may not apply a presumption of unreasonableness. It may consider the extent of the deviation, but must give due deference to the district court's decision that the § 3553(a) factors, on a whole, justify the extent of the variance. The fact that the appellate court might reasonably have concluded that a different sentence was appropriate is insufficient to justify reversal of the district court. Under this standard, reasonableness review has two components: procedural and substantive.
Review for procedural reasonableness is a three-step inquiry. An appellate court must determine whether the district court: (1) properly calculated the applicable advisory Guidelines range; (2) considered the other § 3553(a) factors as well as the parties' arguments for a sentence outside the Guidelines range; and (3) adequately articulated its reasoning for imposing the particular sentence chosen, including any rejection of the parties' arguments for an outside-Guidelines sentence and any decision to deviate from the advisory Guidelines range. United States v. Bolds, 511 F.3d 568, 581 (6th Cir.2007). Roller argues that his sentence was procedurally unreasonable and that the district court improperly calculated the Guidelines range because the district court considered acquitted conduct in determining the base offense level and erroneously applied a four-level leadership enhancement. [15] Roller also asserts that the district court impermissibly considered the role of public corruption in the conspiracy (which, Roller argues, was only attributed to Young). Roller further argues that the district court impermissibly considered that Roller would have had a criminal record but for the fact that the jury in Roller's state trial failed to reach a verdict. We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by considering improper factors. The district court mentioned public corruption, but it did so in the context of considering how Roller's sentence would promote respect for the law, one of the factors a court must consider when imposing a sentence. J.A. at 1607 (Sent'g Tr. at 54); 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2)(A). Immediately before the district court mentioned the fact that Roller had escaped judgment in the state court, the district court also stated that Roller's lack of a criminal history was a favorable factor. J.A. at 1608 (Sent'g Tr. at 55). In this context, it does not seem that the district court used Roller's prior brush with the law against him or that the district court abused its discretion by mentioning this prior trial. The district court's sentencing decisions relating to Roller (as well as Young) specifically mentioned the § 3553(a) factors that led the district court to select their sentences. The district court's sentencing decisions referenced specific evidence from trial and the § 3553(a) factors that it found critical. The district court also specifically mentioned the mitigating evidence that Roller had presented, and noted that it believed that Roller had a good side that had been overshadowed by his bad role in a drug conspiracy. Given the district judge's explanations for the sentences it imposed and the deferential standard of review, we conclude that the district judge did not commit any significant errors and that Roller's sentence should not be overturned for procedural unreasonableness.
Because we conclude that Roller's and Young's sentences are procedurally reasonable, we must consider the substantive reasonableness of their sentences. Bolds, 511 F.3d at 581. This court has held that sentences that fall within the Guidelines are presumed to be reasonable. Vonner, 516 F.3d at 389-90. This presumption is rebuttable, but an appellate court should not overturn a sentence just because it believes that another sentence would be appropriate. Id.; see also Gall, 128 S.Ct. at 597. Roller's and Young's sentences fall within the Guidelines range of 188 to 235 months and thus are rebuttably presumed to be substantively reasonable. Roller argues that his sentence is substantively unreasonable for three reasons: (1) the district court failed to accord the proper weight to mitigating evidence under § 3553(a), (2) imposed a sentence that was greater than necessary, and (3) failed to avoid unwarranted sentencing similarities [sic] between the defendant and his codefendant's sentences or sentencing disparities with other defendants. Roller Br. at 55. Young joins Roller in the first two arguments, asserting that his sentence is greater than that necessary to comply with the purposes of § 3553(a)(2) and does not adequately take account of [Young's] history and characteristics. Young Br. at 36. Because the district court sentenced Roller and Young within the Guidelines, their sentences are presumed reasonable. We conclude that Roller and Young have not rebutted this presumption. Roller and Young did present mitigating evidence in the form of numerous letters from family and community members. Although the district court did not conclude that a sentence reduction was appropriate based on these letters, it specifically considered the letters before imposing Roller's and Young's sentences. The district court also enumerated the specific evidence and the § 3553(a) factors that led it to believe that the sentences it imposed were appropriate. Given the deferential standard of review, we decline to reverse Roller's and Young's sentences. As to Roller's argument that his sentence was disproportionate when compared with Young's, we note that Roller and Young were sentenced within the same Guidelines range because the district court determined that Young's prior convictions did not increase his criminal history level for Guidelines purposes. [16] The district court specifically stated that because of these convictions, Young merited a higher sentence within that Guidelines range, and the district court sentenced Young to two additional years of incarceration and four additional years of supervised release. Given this explanation and the fact that the district court did not ignore the difference in prior criminal convictions, we cannot conclude that the district court abused its discretion by imposing a substantively unreasonable sentence on Roller. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the sentences imposed by the district court.