Court Opinion

ID: 9389482
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-04-25 18:01:39.370801+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:27.713462
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-40709         Document: 00516724737             Page: 1      Date Filed: 04/25/2023

              United States Court of Appeals
                   for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ____________                     United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                Fifth Circuit

                                       No. 22-40709
                                                                              FILED
                                                                          April 25, 2023
                                     Summary Calendar
                                     ____________                        Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                              Clerk
   United States of America,

                                                                       Plaintiff—Appellee,

                                             versus

   Jaime Leija-Martinez,

                                               Defendant—Appellant.
                      ______________________________

                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                          for the Southern District of Texas
                               USDC No. 1:22-CR-452-1
                      ______________________________

   Before Jones, Haynes, and Oldham, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam:*
          Jaime Leija-Martinez appeals the 40-month sentence imposed
   following his guilty-plea conviction for illegal reentry. Although his advisory
   guidelines range was 24 to 30 months, the district court departed upwardly
   pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 4A1.3, which authorizes upward departures “[i]f
   reliable information indicates that the defendant’s criminal history category

          _____________________
          *
              This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-40709      Document: 00516724737          Page: 2   Date Filed: 04/25/2023

                                    No. 22-40709

   substantially under-represents the seriousness of the defendant’s criminal
   history or the likelihood that the defendant will commit other crimes.”
   § 4A1.3(a)(1), p.s. Leija-Martinez challenges the decision to depart as well
   as the substantive reasonableness of his sentence.
          Our analysis necessarily begins with the claim of procedural error. In
   applying § 4A1.3, the district court took account of numerous convictions
   that received no criminal history points because of their age. Leija-Martinez
   objects to this based on commentary to § 4A1.2 which states that if a prior
   sentence is too old to be counted but is “evidence of similar, or serious
   dissimilar, criminal conduct, the court may consider this information in
   determining whether an upward departure is warranted under § 4A1.3.”
   U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2, comment. (n.8). He argues that his uncounted convictions
   were not a valid basis for departure because the conduct they reflect is
   dissimilar to his present offense and not serious.
          Because Leija-Martinez did not present this argument to the district
   court, we review it for plain error only. See United States v. Gomez-Valle, 828
   F.3d 324, 328 (5th Cir. 2016). A defendant establishes plain error by showing
   (1) error (2) that is clear or obvious, and (3) that affected his substantial
   rights. Puckett v. United States, 556 U.S. 129, 135 (2009). If these showings
   are made, this court has the discretion to correct the error but should do so
   only if it “seriously affects the fairness, integrity or public reputation of
   judicial proceedings.” Id. (internal quotation marks, brackets, and citation
   omitted).
          For purposes of § 4A1.2, comment. (n.8), the definition of “serious”
   criminal conduct remains unsettled in this circuit. Furthermore, the record
   indicates the district court relied not only on the uncounted convictions but
   also on the fact that Leija-Martinez had continued to offend more recently.
   Cf. United States v. Lavalais, 960 F.3d 180, 189 (5th Cir. 2020) (noting that

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                                     No. 22-40709

   lack of deterrence and continued criminal activity are among the factors a
   court may consider when weighing an upward departure under § 4A1.3). We
   accordingly conclude that the district court did not plainly err in granting the
   departure. See Puckett, 556 U.S. at 135.
          Leija-Martinez also challenges the substantive reasonableness of his
   sentence. This court applies an abuse-of-discretion standard in reviewing for
   substantive reasonableness. See Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51 (2007).
   Here, the record shows the district court considered all relevant information
   and arguments as well as the sentencing factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). There
   is no indication it relied on an irrelevant or improper factor. While Leija-
   Martinez again objects to the district court’s consideration of his full criminal
   history, a sentencing court is not only permitted but required to consider
   “the history and characteristics of the defendant,” § 3553(a)(1), and
   disagreement with how the court weighed relevant factors “is not a sufficient
   ground for reversal.” United States v. Malone, 828 F.3d 331, 342 (5th Cir.
   2016). “Moreover, the mere fact that the upward departure nearly doubled
   the Guidelines range does not render it unreasonable.” United States v.
   Simkanin, 420 F.3d 397, 419 (5th Cir. 2005); cf. United States v. Zuniga-
   Peralta, 442 F.3d 345, 346-48 (5th Cir. 2006) (affirming a 60-month sentence
   following departure from a range of 27-33 months).
          AFFIRMED.

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