Opinion ID: 601855
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Judicial Findings on Disputed Matters at Sentencing

Text: 16 Garfield contends the district court relied on false information in the presentence report to determine his sentence. This contention has merit. 17 If a criminal defendant alleges a factual inaccuracy in the presentence report, the sentencing court is required either to make a finding as to the accuracy of the challenged factual proposition or to indicate that the court is not taking it into consideration. Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(c)(3)(D); United States v. Edwards, 800 F.2d 878, 880-81 (9th Cir.1986). Strict compliance with the rule is required. United States v. Fernandez-Angulo, 897 F.2d 1514, 1516 (9th Cir.1990) (en banc). If the district court has failed to make the requisite findings, this court must vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing. Id. 18 In the instant case, Garfield disputed two matters in the presentence report. Garfield first contended that the report incorrectly indicated that he was arrested for burglary. 3 The district court, however, made no finding with regard to the validity of the robbery conviction. The district court also did not aver that it would not rely on that conviction in arriving at its sentence determination. Thus, the district court clearly failed to meet the requirements of Rule 32. 19 Garfield also asserted that, although the presentence report recorded seventy-three tribal convictions in Garfield's name, many of those actually involved his cousin, who has a similar name. The court responded: From what [counsel] told me, I don't know which of those seventy-three times he denies. Let's take half. Some of these are his, I take it? Garfield's counsel responded affirmatively, and the court determined Garfield's sentence on that basis. Such a finding does not comport with the requirements of Rule 32. See Fernandez-Angulo, 897 F.2d at 1516. 20 We remand this case to the district court in order that Garfield may be allowed to replead. In the event that he chooses to renew his guilty plea, then he must be resentenced in accordance with the procedure discussed above. 21 VACATED and REMANDED.