Opinion ID: 584174
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Travis's Sentence

Text: 58 For violating 21 U.S.C.A. § 841(b)(1)(A) (West Supp.1991), the district court sentenced Travis, as an offender with two prior drug felony convictions, to the mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. 3 Travis argues that section 841(b)(1)(A)'s mandatory life sentence constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth amendment based on Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277, 103 S.Ct. 3001, 77 L.Ed.2d 637 (1983), because the statute requires no review of whether a sentence is proportional to a defendant's crime. The Supreme Court recently modified its views in Harmelin v. Michigan, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 2680, 115 L.Ed.2d 836 (1991), and held that the eighth amendment forbids only extreme sentences that are grossly disproportionate to the crime. Id. 111 S.Ct. at 2707 (Opinion of Kennedy, J.). The Harmelin Court concluded that a sentence of life without parole for a serious drug crime (possessing less than one kilo of cocaine) is not cruel and unusual punishment. Id. Here, Travis committed a serious drug crime and also has three prior drug felony convictions. We cannot say as a matter of law that the mandatory sentence of life in prison violates the eighth amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. 4 United States v. Harvey, 946 F.2d 1375, 1378 (8th Cir.1991); United States v. Johnson, 944 F.2d 396, 408-09 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 646, 116 L.Ed.2d 663 (1991). We have considered the remainder of Travis's arguments against his sentence and hold them to be without merit. J. Roulette's Sentence 59 We now comment on the severe sentence meted out to Roulette, age twenty-four, a person without any prior felony convictions. Roulette will serve a total of forty-four years and seven months in prison without parole for this first conviction. The sentence amounts to practically a life sentence. The heavy sentence rests on counts V and VIII, each alleging Roulette's willful use of a firearm during a drug transaction in violation of 18 U.S.C.A. § 924(c) (West Supp.1991). Upon conviction, the district judge imposed a sentence of nineteen years seven months for counts I, II, III, IV, VI and VII, imposed a consecutive sentence of five years for count V and an additional consecutive sentence of twenty years for count VIII. 60 The district court imposed the sentences for counts V and VIII under 18 U.S.C.A. § 924(c) (West Supp.1991), which mandates a five year sentence for a first offense and, in the case of his second or subsequent conviction a sentence of twenty years. Id. This court has previously held that a defendant's first and second convictions may arise from counts alleged in the same indictment. United States v. Foote, 898 F.2d 659, 668 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 112, 112 L.Ed.2d 81 (1990). This ruling requires that we affirm Roulette's sentence, which may appear harsh. 5 Yet section 924(c) might reasonably be read to require that an offender be convicted of his first offense before he commits the offense resulting in his second conviction. For such a view to apply to Roulette requires an en banc rehearing. See Part IV. Addendum. 61 Roulette also argues that the district court erred in refusing to grant him a two-level reduction of his offense level for acceptance of responsibility under U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1. Roulette argues that because he confessed shortly after police arrested him and gave statements that aided police, the district court should have found that he accepted responsibility. We reverse findings of a sentencing court in this area only if they are without foundation. United States v. Youmans, 926 F.2d 747, 749 (8th Cir.1991). Roulette never pled guilty to his crimes and did not cease illegal activities voluntarily. Therefore, he clearly did not qualify for the reduction. We reject, as without merit, Roulette's argument that the district court made prejudicial remarks during his sentencing. K. Jones's Sentence 62 Jones appeals her sentence of 188 months (fifteen years eight months). The district court assessed Jones's base offense level at 34. With a criminal history category I, the sentencing range for Jones was 151-188 months (twelve years seven months--fifteen years eight months). Jones argues that the Guidelines violate her due process rights by depriving the district court of discretion to consider the specific circumstances of her crime. This court has repeatedly rejected such arguments. E.g., United States v. Abdullah, 947 F.2d 306, 312-13 (8th Cir.1991); United States v. Weaver, 906 F.2d 359, 360 (8th Cir.1990). However, due process requires that [w]hen the guidelines fix a sentencing range spanning more than twenty-four months, the district court must state in open court 'the reason for imposing a sentence at a particular point within the range.'  United States v. Dumorney, 949 F.2d 997, 997 (8th Cir.1991) (quoting 18 U.S.C. § 3553(c)(1) (1988)). At the sentencing hearing, the district court listed the ongoing nature of the offenses Jones committed and the need to deter Jones from committing those offenses in the future as reasons for assessing her sentence at the high range of the Guidelines. We conclude that the district court gave adequate reasons for imposing Jones's sentence where it did within the applicable range.