Court Opinion

ID: 9497709
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 16:57:57.138422+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:58:21.926671
License: Public Domain

COOK, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
Though I join the majority in affirming Bruce’s conviction and sentence, I respectfully decline to join its discussion of Bruce’s expectation of privacy in his hotel-room trash because that theoretical constitutional question — whether a search by state actors rather than the hotel staffers would have violated a reasonable expectation of privacy — ought to be avoided as not “absolutely necessary to [the] decision of the case.” Watters v. TSR, Inc., 904 F.2d 378, 380 (6th Cir.1990).
I agree with the majority regarding Booker’s, impact here — plain-error review *721is appropriate. And we affirm Bruce’s sentence because the district court’s fact-finding — investigating and punishing attempted interference with a probation officer’s performance of duties owed the court — did not seriously affect the proceedings’ fairness, integrity, or public reputation. But while fact-finding under these circumstances, though violative of the Sixth Amendment, does not warrant resentencing under plain-error review, there may exist many circumstances under which unconstitutional judicial fact-finding would. I do not believe the majority intends to suggest otherwise, but the point deserves emphasis: unconstitutional judicial fact-finding may constitute plain error, but does not under these facts.