Court Opinion

ID: 2969553
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-22 15:51:38.796789+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:43:24.860628
License: Public Domain

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       6DXFHGRHWDO                                                                                                    6DXFHGRHWDO

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        6DXFHGRHWDO                                                                                          6DXFHGRHWDO

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      6DXFHGRHWDO                                                                                            6DXFHGRHWDO

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        6DXFHGRHWDO                                                                                                 6DXFHGRHWDO

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   Further investigation disclosed that Hernandez and Saucedo             TXHVWLRQLQJ6HH8QLWHG6WDWHVY+LOO)G
had supplied cocaine to Davidson on at least four other                   WK &LU  FHUW GHQLHG  6 &W  
occasions and that Key distributed the cocaine for Davidson               +HUQDQGH]¶V)RXUWK$PHQGPHQWULJKWVDVH[SOLFDWHGLQ7HUU\
once the drug arrived in Memphis. The first of these                      DQG LWV SURJHQ\ ZHUH QRW LPSLQJHG E\ WKH IDXOWHG VWRS
transactions occurred during January of 1998, when Davidson               TXHVWLRQLQJ DQGRU FRQVHQVXDO UHPRYDO RI FDVK IURP  KLV
agreed to purchase one kilogram of cocaine at the cost of                 FORWKLQJ
$22,000, apparently on consignment. Approximately two
weeks later, Hernandez returned to Memphis, in connection                    ,Q WKH DOWHUQDWLYH +HUQDQGH] KDV SURWHVWHG IRU WKH ILUVW
with the second known transaction. Davidson at that time                  WLPH RQ DSSHDO WKDW WKH DXWKRULWLHV LQLWLDOO\ WDUJHWHG KLP
paid for the first kilogram of cocaine, and Hernandez gave                VROHO\ E\ UHDVRQ RI KLV +LVSDQLF KHULWDJH LQ DIIURQW WR KLV
Davidson two more kilograms. The third known transaction                  )RXUWHHQWK $PHQGPHQW HTXDO SURWHFWLRQ JXDUDQWHHV  6HH
occurred on March 8, 1998, when Davidson and Key traveled                 8QLWHG 6WDWHV Y $YHU\  )G  WK &LU 
to Houston with $40,000. They met with Hernandez and                      +RZHYHU+HUQDQGH]KDVIDLOHGWRSURYHE\UHTXLVLWHGLUHFW
returned to Memphis with three kilograms of cocaine.                      FLUFXPVWDQWLDORUVWDWLVWLFDOHYLGHQFHWKDWKHZDVDWDUJHWRI
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      6DXFHGRHWDO                                                                                                 6DXFHGRHWDO

8QLWHG6WDWHVY&RUWH]867KHWZR          Finally, in the fourth known transaction, Hernandez and
SDUW 7HUU\ ³REMHFWLYH UHDVRQDEOHQHVV´ SDUDGLJP LQTXLUHV          Saucedo delivered two kilograms of cocaine to Davidson and
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ZKHWKHU LW ZDV UHDVRQDEO\ UHODWHG LQ VFRSH WR WKH             1998. 
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   On February 25, 1999, the district court presided over a                     VWDQGDUGWKDQSUREDEOHFDXVHDQGUHTXLUHVDVKRZLQJ
sentencing hearing for Key. The Presentence Investigation                       FRQVLGHUDEO\OHVVWKDQSUHSRQGHUDQFHRIWKHHYLGHQFHWKH
Report concerning Key contained a base offense level of 32                      )RXUWK$PHQGPHQWUHTXLUHVDWOHDVWDPLQLPDOOHYHORI
pursuant to USCG § 2D1.1, together with a two-level                             REMHFWLYHMXVWLILFDWLRQIRUPDNLQJWKHVWRS8QLWHG6WDWHV
enhancement for the presence of a firearm, producing an                         Y6RNRORZ867KHRIILFHUPXVWEH
adjusted offense level of 34. Key received a two-level                          DEOH WR DUWLFXODWH PRUH WKDQ DQ ³LQFKRDWH DQG
reduction for acceptance of responsibility, leaving a total                     XQSDUWLFXODUL]HG  VXVSLFLRQ RU µKXQFK¶´ RI FULPLQDO
offense level of 32. During the sentencing hearing, because                     DFWLYLW\
the defendant had no criminal history, the government agreed
to the application of the "safety valve" provision of U.S.S.G.                ,GDWTXRWLQJ7HUU\86DW
§ 2D1.1(b)(6), resulting in 30 points and a guideline range of
97 to 121 months.                                                            7KH ³WRXFKVWRQH RI WKH )RXUWK $PHQGPHQW LV
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  The court also addressed three asserted bases for downward                  TXRWLQJ)ORULGDY-LPHQR867KH
departure: that pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 1A, note 4(d), his                     ³UHDVRQDEOHQHVV´GHWHUPLQDWLRQKLQJHVXSRQREMHFWLYHIDFWRUV
behavior constituted "aberrant behavior"; that he "triggered"                 QRWWKHDFWXDOVXEMHFWLYHPRWLYDWLRQRIWKHRIILFHUVLQYROYHG
the other defendants to change their pleas when he changed                    %RQGY8QLWHG6WDWHV6&W	Q
his plea to guilty, thereby creating a mitigating circumstance                :KUHQ Y 8QLWHG 6WDWHV  86     7KH
not adequately considered by the sentencing commission,                       ³UHDVRQDEOHQHVV´ RI DQ ³DUWLFXODEOH VXVSLFLRQ´ LV DVVHVVHG
pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 5K2.0; and that a physical disability,                 ZLWKUHIHUHQFHWRWKHWRWDOLW\RIWKHUHOHYDQWFLUFXPVWDQFHV
in that he had only one kidney, half of which had been
removed after a bullet injury, made him subject to abuse in a                     
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GLVWDQFH FRXULHU 6DXFHGR NQRZLQJO\ FRQWULEXWHG D YLWDO               prison environment, which he also asserted as a basis for a
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