Court Opinion

ID: 9814287
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 23:45:14.36618+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:39:05.234739
License: Public Domain

MERRITT, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
For the same reasons given in my dissenting opinions in the Sexton and Romans cases relied upon by Judge Griffin’s opinion in Section III, I disagree with the process of ratcheting up the guideline sentence based on judge-found facts outside the facts found by the jury verdict. The only convicted conduct in this case was the jury’s verdict that the defendant possessed *323one-fifth of an ounce of cocaine base. This convicted offense conduct carries a sentence much less than 12 years. I would reverse the sentence and instruct the court below to impose a sentence based on offense conduct no greater than the facts established by the jury verdict.