US v. Juvenile Male #3
Filing
920100628
UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 09-4597
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff Appellee, v. JUVENILE MALE #3, Defendant - Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at Wilmington. James C. Fox, Senior District Judge. (7:06-cr-00065-F-3)
Submitted:
June 10, 2010
Decided:
June 28, 2010
Before WILKINSON, KING, and GREGORY, Circuit Judges.
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Thomas P. McNamara, Federal Public Defender, G. Alan DuBois, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Eric J. Brignac, Research and Writing Specialist, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellant. George E. B. Holding, United States Attorney, Anne M. Hayes, Jennifer P. May-Parker, Assistant United States Attorneys, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM: Juvenile Male #3 appeals the district court's judgment revoking his juvenile delinquent supervision and sentencing him to twenty-four is months in prison. Appellant because his the argues that his
sentence allegedly
plainly to
unreasonable acknowledge
district
court in the
failed at
attorney's no error,
arguments we affirm
mitigation
sentencing.
Finding
district court's judgment. This court will affirm a sentence imposed after
revocation of a juvenile delinquent supervision period if it is within the prescribed statutory range and not plainly
unreasonable. (4th Cir.
See United States v. Crudup, 461 F.3d 433, 437-39 In the making this is determination, Id. we at first 438.
2006).
consider
whether
sentence
unreasonable.
"This initial inquiry takes a more deferential appellate posture concerning issues of fact and the exercise of discretion than reasonableness review for [G]uidelines sentences." United
States v. Moulden, 478 F.3d 652, 656 (4th Cir. 2007) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). The however. 2010). district court's discretion is not unlimited,
United States v. Thompson, 595 F.3d 544, 547 (4th Cir. For instance, the district court commits procedural
error by failing to adequately explain the chosen sentence or by not providing an individualized assessment based on the facts. 2
Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51 (2007). not be as detailed or specific when imposing
"A court need a revocation
sentence as it must be when imposing a post-conviction sentence, but it still must provide a statement 595 F.3d of reasons at 547 for the
sentence
imposed."
Thompson,
(internal
quotation marks and citation omitted).
The district court also
must "set forth enough to satisfy the appellate court that [it] has considered the parties' arguments and has a reasoned basis for exercising [its] own legal decisionmaking authority."
United States v. Carter, 564 F.3d 325, 328 (4th Cir. 2009). Although we generally review preserved sentencing
errors for an abuse of discretion, reversing only if an error is not harmless, this court will review a procedural sentencing error raised for the first time on appeal for plain error. United States v. Lynn, 592 F.3d 572, 575-79 (4th Cir. 2010). See We
find that the district court did not commit error, plain or otherwise, sentence. Contrary to Appellant's assertion, we find that the district court said enough to indicate that it rejected the bulk of counsel's argument in light of Appellant's "egregious conduct while on supervision[.]" In fact, one of defense counsel's when it imposed Appellant's twenty-four-month
concerns at sentencing was that Appellant was unable to receive drug treatment when he was originally sentenced. 3 The district
court responded to this concern when it explicitly mentioned Appellant's need for intensive substance abuse treatment as a reason for imposing the twenty-four-month sentence. Although,
admittedly, the "district court in this case might have said more," given the deference this court affords revocation cases and "the context of this case[,]" we are satisfied that the district court considered Appellant's arguments and had a See
reasoned basis for imposing the twenty-four-month sentence.
United States v. Hernandez, 603 F.3d 267, 269, 271-72 (4th Cir. 2010); cf. Thompson, 595 F.3d at 546-47 (finding that district court procedurally erred in sentencing defendant in supervised release revocation case where the court merely indicated what the defendant's term of imprisonment would be, provided no other explanation for the sentence imposed, and did not respond to counsel's argument in mitigation). Accordingly, we affirm the district court's judgment. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal
contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
AFFIRMED
4
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?