Opinion ID: 741936
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Court's rejection of request for a downward departure

Text: 15 Defendant claims that the district court committed error in rejecting his request for a downward departure under the application of U.S.S.G. § 5K2.0 (other grounds for departure) or § 5K2.13 (diminished capacity). Unlike United States v. Gifford, 17 F.3d 462 (1st Cir.1994) (remanding for resentencing where district court apparently harbored the mistaken impression that it lacked legal authority to depart from guideline range), the court did consider Black's arguments for a downward departure and rejected them (R. 56) and its decision not to depart is unreviewable. United States v. Prevatte, 66 F.3d 840, 843 (7th Cir.1995). 16 Black relies upon United States v. Barton, 76 F.3d 499 (2d Cir.1996), but there the Second Circuit reversed the district court's granting of downward departures based upon the defendant's mental and emotional condition. Here the district judge was fully aware of defendant's mental condition and efforts toward rehabilitation. Furthermore, the record as a whole shows that the judge knew he had the discretion to depart on the basis of that mental condition, notwithstanding his isolated comment in the order of September 17, 1996, in which he said that mental and emotional conditions ... are not appropriate reasons for departure, and cited U.S.S.G. § 5H1.3. That section of the Guidelines confirms that mental and emotional condition is indeed not ordinarily relevant. Here, the remainder of the order went on to discuss why Black was not atypical and thus did not deserve the departure. The court's oral comments at sentencing further underscore the point that he knew he had discretion to depart, but that he believed a departure was unwarranted. In these circumstances, the judge was entitled to exercise his discretion and to reject the request for downward departures. See Barton, 76 F.3d at 502.