Opinion ID: 63
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Post-Booker Sentencing Requirements

Text: In considering a challenge to a district court's sentencing decision, we engage in two levels of review. First, we must ensure that the district court did not commit a significant procedural error in arriving at its decision, 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. United States v. Wise, 515 F.3d 207, 217 (3d Cir. 2008) (quoting Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51, 128 S.Ct. 586, 597, 169 L.Ed.2d 445 (2007)). We review alleged factual errors for clear error but exercise plenary review over purely legal errors, such as a misinterpretation of the Guidelines or the governing case law. United States v. Arrelucea-Zamudio, 581 F.3d 142, 145 (3d Cir.2009). Second, if we determine that there has not been a significant procedural error, we review the ultimate sentence imposed to determine if it was substantively reasonable under an abuse of discretion standard. Wise, 515 F.3d at 218 (citing Gall, 552 U.S. at 51, 128 S.Ct. at 597). As we have indicated, the District Court imposed Brown's sentence after the Supreme Court's decision in Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403, but prior to its decision in United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621. In similar circumstances in other cases, we have remanded the case for resentencing unless the district court followed the procedures required after Booker. See United States v. Corley, 500 F.3d 210, 221 (3d Cir.2007), vacated on other grounds, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 1558, 173 L.Ed.2d 443 (2009). We have held that these procedures require that in setting a sentence a district court must (1) calculate the applicable Guidelines range, (2) formally rule on any departure motions, and (3) exercise its post- Booker discretion by considering the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) in setting the sentence it imposes regardless whether it varies from the sentence calculated under the Guidelines. United States. v. Olhovsky, 562 F.3d 530, 546-47 (3d Cir. 2009).