United States v. Jamie Leon Johnson , 198 F. App'x 903 ( 2006 )


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  •                                                          [DO NOT PUBLISH]
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FILED
    FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
    ________________________ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
    OCTOBER 2, 2006
    No. 06-11124                 THOMAS K. KAHN
    Non-Argument Calendar                CLERK
    ________________________
    D. C. Docket No. 03-00090-CR-FTM-29-SPC
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    versus
    JAMIE LEON JOHNSON,
    Defendant-Appellant.
    ________________________
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Middle District of Florida
    _________________________
    (October 2, 2006)
    Before CARNES, PRYOR and FAY, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:
    Jamie Leon Johnson appeals his 151-month sentence imposed following his
    guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of crack
    cocaine, in violation of 
    21 U.S.C. § 841
    (a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(iii).
    After agents from the Combined Law Enforcement Against Narcotics
    (“CLEAN”) Taskforce received information that Johnson was distributing crack
    cocaine, they executed a search warrant on Johnson’s residence in December 2002
    and found crack cocaine, cocaine powder, ecstacy, marijuana, and firearms and
    ammunition. In May 2003, a confidential informant (“CI”) for CLEAN made a
    controlled purchase of 45 pieces of crack cocaine from Johnson. In April 2004,
    CLEAN agents arrested Johnson, who was a fugitive, and, when he was arrested,
    the agents found marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine powder, and crack cocaine in
    Johnson’s duffel bag.
    Johnson was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment, and he appealed his
    sentence. We vacated Johnson’s sentence and remanded for resentencing
    consistent with United States v. Booker, 
    543 U.S. 220
    , 
    125 S.Ct. 738
    , 
    160 L.Ed.2d 621
     (2005), because the district court had applied the sentencing guidelines as
    mandatory.
    At Johnson’s resentencing hearing, Johnson requested that the court impose
    a sentence below the guideline range of 151 to 188 months because (1) his parents
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    were drug addicts; (2) his father died of AIDS when Johnson was 13 years’ old;
    (3) he had witnessed violence throughout his childhood; and (4) he quit school
    because he wanted to help support his family. The district court noted that Johnson
    was convicted in 2002 for a cocaine offense, but Johnson did not learn from his
    mistake and was not helping his family by selling drugs. The district court stated
    that it had considered Johnson’s arguments and the factors set forth in 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a) and imposed a sentence of 151 months.
    On appeal, Johnson argues that the district court did not adequately address
    his history and characteristics, including his drug use and difficult upbringing with
    an abusive father. Johnson contends that his case is comparable to United States v.
    Cunningham, 
    429 F.3d 673
    , 679-80 (7th Cir. 2005), in which the Seventh Circuit
    vacated a defendant’s sentence when the district court did not address the
    defendant’s principal argument for mitigation. He also argues that the sentence
    was greater than necessary to comply with the purposes of sentencing in § 3553(a).
    We have held that “[i]n reviewing the ultimate sentence imposed by the
    district court for reasonableness, we consider the final sentence, in its entirety, in
    light of the § 3553(a) factors.” United States v. Martin, 
    455 F.3d 1227
    , 1237 (11th
    Cir. 2006). In determining whether a sentence is reasonable, the district court
    should be guided by the § 3553(a) factors. Booker, 543 U.S. at 261, 125 S.Ct. at
    3
    765-66; United States v. Winingear, 
    422 F.3d 1241
    , 1246 (11th Cir. 2005).
    Section 3553(a) provides that district courts must consider, inter alia, (1) the
    applicable guideline range; (2) the nature and circumstances of the offense; (3) the
    history and characteristics of the defendant; (4) the need for the sentence imposed
    to reflect the seriousness of the offense, to promote respect for the law, and to
    provide just punishment for the offense; (5) the need for adequate deterrence;
    (6) protection of the public; and (7) the need to avoid unwarranted sentencing
    disparities. 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a). Although the court must be guided by these
    factors, we have held that “nothing in Booker or elsewhere requires the district
    court to state on the record that it has explicitly considered each of the § 3553(a)
    factors or to discuss each of the § 3553(a) factors.” United States v. Scott, 
    426 F.3d 1324
    , 1329 (11th Cir. 2005). “[A]n acknowledgment by the district court that
    it has considered the defendant’s arguments and the factors in section 3553(a) is
    sufficient under Booker.” United States v. Talley, 
    431 F.3d 784
    , 786 (11th Cir.
    2005). Although a sentence within the advisory guidelines range is not per se
    reasonable, we ordinarily expect such a sentence to be reasonable. 
    Id. at 787-788
    .
    We recently held that “a district court may determine, on a case-by-case basis, the
    weight to give the Guidelines, so long as that determination is made with reference
    to the remaining section 3553(a) factors that the court must also consider in
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    calculating the defendant’s sentence.” United States v. Hunt, No. 05-11671,
    manuscript op. at 12 (11th Cir. Aug. 10, 2006). The burden of establishing that the
    sentence is unreasonable in light of the record and the § 3553(a) factors lies with
    the party challenging the sentence. Talley, 
    431 F.3d at 788
    .
    Here, the record reveals that the district court adequately and properly
    considered the § 3553(a) sentencing factors and the advisory guideline range in
    sentencing Johnson. The 151-month sentence was reasonable for several reasons.
    First, as in Scott, the district court explicitly stated that it had considered the
    § 3553(a) factors. The district court did not need to state on the record its explicit
    consideration of every § 3553(a) factor, nor did it need to address every argument
    for a variance. See Scott, 
    426 F.3d at 1329
    . Second, after hearing about
    Johnson’s family circumstances, the district court acknowledged its consideration
    of those circumstances but determined that the sentence was sufficient, but not
    greater than necessary, to comply with the statutory purposes of sentencing.
    Third, Johnson argues that the guidelines do not take into account certain
    factors that § 3553(a) requires the court to consider, specifically Johnson’s
    disadvantaged upbringing and drug addiction, suggesting that the court should
    have given more weight to those § 3553(a) factors than the guideline range. In
    Hunt, we held that “an across-the-board prescription regarding the appropriate
    5
    deference to give the Guidelines” was not in order, and “[t]here are many reasons a
    district court may choose to follow the Guidelines in a particular case - namely that
    the Guidelines are an accumulation of knowledge and experience and were
    promulgated over time by the Sentencing Commission, an agency instructed to
    consider the section 3553(a) factors.” Hunt, No. 05-1167, manuscript op. at 9. In
    Hunt, the district court made statements that could be interpreted as presumptions
    in favor of the guidelines, but we affirmed the district court because the court’s
    decision to defer to the guidelines was case-specific and based on consideration of
    the § 3553(a) factors. Id. at 12-13. In this case, as in Hunt, the court made a case-
    specific analysis, based on its consideration of Johnson’s arguments, but ultimately
    found that Johnson’s behavior demonstrated that he had not learned from his
    mistakes and was not helping his family. Therefore, Johnson’s sentence was not
    the result of an improper sentencing procedure because the court’s decision to
    defer to the guidelines was case-specific and took into account the § 3553(a)
    factors. See Hunt, No. 05-1171 manuscript op. at 13.
    Fourth, the statutory maximum sentence in this case was 40 years’
    imprisonment, and the district court was bound only by the ceiling imposed by
    statute. See 
    21 U.S.C. § 841
    (b)(1)(B)(iii); United States v. Duncan, 
    400 F.3d 1297
    , 1308 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 
    126 S.Ct. 432
     (2005) (recognizing that the
    6
    statutory maximum sentence, not the guideline sentence, is the maximum sentence
    permitted by law). Accordingly, Johnson’s 151-month sentence was
    approximately one fourth of the maximum sentence allowable by law, and it
    cannot be said that his sentence was unreasonable. See, e.g., Winingear, 
    422 F.3d at 1246
     (affirming the defendant’s sentence as reasonable where it was one-tenth of
    the statutory maximum sentence).
    Fifth, Johnson’s reliance on Cunningham is misplaced. In Cunningham,
    Cunningham’s attorney argued that even the minimum sentence under the
    guidelines would be unreasonable based on Cunningham’s extensively-
    documented history of psychiatric illness. Cunningham, 
    429 F.3d at 676-77
    . The
    Seventh Circuit found that the district court had “brushed aside” Cunningham’s
    arguments, leaving the Court in doubt as to whether the district court judge
    “connected the facts relating to the statutory factors to the sentence he imposed.”
    
    Id. at 676
    . The Court found two major problems with the sentencing decision:
    (1) the district court stated that Cunningham had “decided not to cooperate against”
    his co-conspirator, even though this finding was not in the record; and (2) the
    district court failed to mention Cunningham’s psychiatric problems and substance
    abuse. 
    Id. at 677-78
    .
    Here, unlike in Cunningham, the district court did not “brush aside”
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    Johnson’s argument about his family background. In explaining that Johnson had
    not learned from his mistakes, and his drug dealing was not helping his family, the
    court demonstrated that it had considered Johnson’s “history and characteristics,”
    see 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a)(1). Further, in discussing that Johnson was arrested in
    2002 and 2003, and numerous drugs were found, a fact that Johnson does not
    contest, the court showed that it had considered the need to “promote respect for
    the law,” see 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a)(2)(A); the need “to protect the public from
    further crimes,” see 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a)(2)(C); and the need “to afford adequate
    deterrence to criminal conduct,” see 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a)(2)(B). Moreover, in
    noting that only the crack cocaine counted in the guideline calculation, but
    marijuana, powder cocaine, and ecstasy were also found, the court showed that had
    considered the “nature and circumstances” of the offense, 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a)(1).
    Additionally, in discussing that the 151-month sentence was sufficient to serve as
    deterrence, the court showed that it considered the need for the sentence “to afford
    adequate deterrence to criminal conduct,” see 
    18 U.S.C. § 3553
    (a)(2)(B). Finally,
    the court implicitly demonstrated that it had considered the other § 3553(a)
    sentencing factors when it stated that it had considered the arguments of the
    parties.
    Finally, the court imposed a sentence at the low end of the guideline range,
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    and, for the reasons discussed above, nothing in the record suggests that the low-
    end sentence was unreasonable. See Talley, 
    431 F.3d at 788
     (affirming sentence
    where nothing in the record suggested that the low-end sentence was
    unreasonable). Thus, Johnson failed to carry his burden of showing that his
    sentence was unreasonable.
    Johnson also argues that the district court erred as a matter of law in failing
    to address his principal argument regarding his difficult upbringing, in violation of
    Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(i)(3)(B).
    We “review questions involving the legality of a sentence de novo.” United
    States v. Vincent, 
    121 F.3d 1451
    , 1453 (11th Cir. 1997) (quoting United States v.
    Taylor, 
    11 F.3d 149
    , 151 (11th Cir. 1994)). Where a defendant failed to raise an
    issue in the district court, however, we review only for plain error. United States
    v. Peters, 
    403 F.3d 1263
    , 1270 (11th Cir. 2005). Under plain error review, we, at
    our discretion, may correct an error where (1) an error occurred; (2) the error was
    plain; (3) the error affects substantial rights; and (4) “the error seriously affects the
    fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.” United States v.
    Olano, 
    507 U.S. 725
    , 732-36, 
    113 S.Ct. 1770
    , 1777-79, 
    123 L.Ed.2d 508
     (1993)
    (internal quotations and citations omitted). Here, Johnson raises his Rule
    32(i)(3)(B) argument for the first time on appeal. Nevertheless, Johnson’s
    9
    argument fails under either standard of review for the reasons discussed below.
    Rule 32 provides as follows:
    At sentencing, the court must—for any disputed portion of the
    presentence report or other converted matter—rule on the dispute or
    determine that a ruling is unnecessary either because the matter will
    not affect sentencing, or because the court will not consider the matter
    in sentencing.
    Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(i)(3)(B). In interpreting a former, but similar, version of Rule
    32,1 we determined that “[t]o demonstrate a technical transgression of [the former
    Rule 32], all that is necessary is that an allegation of a specific factual error in the
    [PSI] was before the district court and that the [] judge did not make either of the
    alternative findings.” United States v. Boatner, 
    966 F.2d 1575
    , 1581 (11th Cir.
    1992).
    We, however, have clarified that, at least with respect to the former version
    of Rule 32, the rule is applicable only to objections to a probation officer’s factual
    findings, instead of his or her legal opinions or conclusions. See Vincent, 
    121 F.3d 1
    This former version of Rule 32 provided:
    If the comments of the defendant and the defendant’s counsel or testimony or other
    information by them allege any factual inaccuracy in the [PSI] or the summary of the
    report or part thereof, the court shall, as to each matter controverted, make (i) a
    finding as to the allegation, or (ii) a determination that no such finding is necessary
    because the matter controverted will not be taken into account in sentencing.
    See Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(c)(3)(D) (1992).
    10
    at 1453. In Vincent, we determined that the defendant, in challenging the legal
    conclusion that a sentence enhancement was applicable, had failed to demonstrate
    that his PSI contained a controverted factual allegation. See 
    id.
    Similarly, in arguing a Rule 32(i)(3)(B) violation, Johnson has failed to
    identify unresolved factual allegations. Indeed, at Johnson’s resentencing, Johnson
    conceded that he was not disputing either the facts in his PSI or the guideline
    calculations. The government and the court did not dispute that Johnson had a
    difficult upbringing or that he was addicted to drugs. Moreover, as discussed
    above, the record, at least implicitly, shows that the court considered all of
    § 3553(a)’s sentencing factors and the mitigating facts Johnson offered as they
    related to these factors. Finally, Johnson’s reliance on Cunningham is misplaced
    because, in Cunningham, the Seventh Circuit noted that Rule 32(i)(3)(B) appeared
    to relate only to factual disputes, and there are no factual disputes in this case. See
    Cunningham, 
    429 F.3d at 678
    . Even if the court’s determination of how the
    undisputed facts should affect Johnson’s sentence is a controverted matter, the
    court resolved the matter when it found that Johnson’s sentence was sufficient, but
    not greater than necessary, to meet the purposes of sentencing after considering all
    the sentencing factors and Johnson’s arguments. Thus, Johnson’s argument as it
    relates to Rule 32(i)(3)(B) is without merit. Accordingly, we discern no reversible
    11
    error and affirm Johnson’s sentence.
    AFFIRMED.
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