Court Opinion

ID: 9481209
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 08:11:21.245424+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:48:09.549443
License: Public Domain

JOHN R. GIBSON, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I believe the better view is that announced by several circuits that the confrontation clause does not apply to sentencing hearings. See United States v. Kikumura, 918 F.2d 1084, 1102-OS & n. 19 (3d Cir.1990) (as amended by orders of November 13, 1990 & December 5, 1990); United States v. Castellanos, 904 F.2d 1490, 1496 (11th Cir.1990) (sentencing court may rely on testimony from another’s trial if defendant is afforded an opportunity to rebut evidence or cast doubt upon its reliability); United States v. Byrd, 898 F.2d 450, 452-53 (5th Cir.1990) (per curiam) (defendant’s confrontation and cross-examination rights are not violated by reliance on hearsay in PSI, if sentencing court provides him with opportunity to present evidence and witnesses); United States v. Beaulieu, 893 F.2d 1177, 1180-81 (10th Cir.) (constitutional requirements of confrontation and cross-examination mandated in criminal trial do not apply at noncapital sentencing proceeding; defendant does not have absolute right to confront witnesses whose information is available to sentencing court), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 110 S.Ct. 3302, 111 L.Ed.2d 811 (1990). I find these cases persuasive on this issue. The hearsay statements in the PSI and declarations by the probation officer at sentencing were “reasonably trustworthy,” see Kiku-mura, at 1103 & n. 21, and thus properly relied upon by the district court. I would affirm.
*88Order
March 15, 1991.
On the court’s own initiative the question of rehearing en banc was considered. A majority of active judges having voted for such rehearing, the rehearing en banc is hereby granted. The opinion and judgment of this court filed January 8, 1991, are vacated. The case is set for oral argument before the court en banc at 9:00 A.M. on Monday, May 13, 1991, in the United States Courthouse in St. Paul, Minnesota.