United States v. Jesus Garcia-Chavez ( 1997 )


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  •                          United States Court of Appeals
    FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
    ___________
    No. 96-4237
    ___________
    United States of America,              *
    *
    Appellee,                 *
    *
    v.                               *    Appeal from the United States
    *    District Court for the
    Jesus Garcia-Chavez, also known as     *    Northern District of Iowa.
    Luis Hernandez-Chavez, also known      *
    as Luis Hernandez-Gomez,               *     [UNPUBLISHED]
    *
    Appellant.                *
    ___________
    Submitted: June 3, 1997
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    ___________
    Before HANSEN, MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
    ___________
    PER CURIAM.
    Jesus Garcia-Chavez challenges the sentence imposed by the district court1 after
    he pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry of the United States following deportation, in
    violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(2). We affirm.
    The presentence report (PSR) calculated a total offense level of 21, including a
    sixteen-level enhancement under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual § 2L1.2(b)(2)
    1
    The Honorable Donald E. O'Brien, United States District Judge for the Northern
    District of Iowa.
    (1995) (enhancement applies if defendant deported after conviction for "aggravated
    felony"), because Garcia-Chavez had been deported based on a Nebraska felony
    conviction for possessing over one pound of marijuana, which the PSR indicated was
    an aggravated felony. At sentencing, Garcia-Chavez argued, among other things, that
    the Nebraska conviction fell outside the "heartland of cases" for which the enhancement
    was intended, and that the district court therefore had discretion under Koon v. United
    States, 
    116 S. Ct. 2035
    , 2045, 2047 (1996), to depart from the Guidelines. The district
    court refused to depart, and sentenced Garcia-Chavez to 46 months imprisonment, to
    be followed by two years supervised release unless Garcia is first deported upon
    completing his 46-month sentence.
    On appeal, Garcia-Chavez contends the district court erred by determining it
    lacked authority to depart downward under Koon. After carefully reviewing the
    sentencing transcript, however, we conclude that the court believed it had the authority
    to depart, but determined departure was not warranted here. Thus, the district court's
    departure decision is unreviewable. See United States v. Field, 
    110 F.3d 587
    , 591 (8th
    Cir. 1997) (appellate court may not review district court's decision not to depart if
    district court was aware of its departure authority).
    A true copy.
    Attest:
    CLERK, U. S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.
    -2-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 96-4237

Filed Date: 8/18/1997

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 10/13/2015