Court Opinion

ID: 9498165
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 17:09:52.299233+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:58:39.463851
License: Public Domain

BRIGHT, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I dissent.
I would remand this case for resentenc-ing.
As the majority notes, the district court sentenced the defendant under mandatory guidelines and thereby erred.. The error is plain. The only question is whether, under our decision in Pirani, there is a reasonable probability that the sentencing judge would impose a lower sentence if we sent the case back.
In Pirani we said that a sentence at the bottom of the, guideline range is not enough to show a reasonable probability of a lower sentence on remand. Pirani did not contemplate or consider the unusual situation we have here: The sentencing judge gives the lowest available sentence the first time around; then it is discovered that the sentence can be even lower, and the judge gives the lowest available sentence the second time, too.
I think it is reasonably clear that the judge thought the available sentences were too high. I. think it is reasonably probable that the judge would give a lower sentence if she could.
Thus, here the sentence should be remanded.