Filed: Nov. 14, 2005
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS November 10, 2005 FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 04-30795 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus BYRON GREEN, also known as B, Defendant- Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (USDC No. 2:03-CR-355-3-K) _ Before REAVLEY, GARZA and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Green appeals the 160-month sentence impo
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS November 10, 2005 FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 04-30795 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, versus BYRON GREEN, also known as B, Defendant- Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (USDC No. 2:03-CR-355-3-K) _ Before REAVLEY, GARZA and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Green appeals the 160-month sentence impos..
More
United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
November 10, 2005
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 04-30795
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
versus
BYRON GREEN, also known as B,
Defendant- Appellant.
Appeal from the United States District Court for
the Eastern District of Louisiana
(USDC No. 2:03-CR-355-3-K)
_________________________________________________________
Before REAVLEY, GARZA and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Green appeals the 160-month sentence imposed by the district court on the
grounds that the court unconstitutionally enhanced his sentence on the basis of facts
neither pleaded to nor proved in violation of United States v. Booker, ___ U.S. ___, 125
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the Court has determined that this opinion should not be
published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R.
47.5.4.
S. Ct. 738 (Jan. 12, 2005). We affirm the sentence for the following reasons:
1. Green reserved his right to appeal any sentence that constituted an “upward
departure from the guideline range deemed most applicable by the
sentencing court.” The waiver is ambiguous but we assume Green has
reserved his right to appeal.
2. Because Green preserved the Booker error, we review the sentence imposed
by the district court for harmless error. United States v. Akpan,
407 F.3d
360, 376 (5th Cir. 2005). In reviewing for harmless error under Federal
Rule of Criminal Procedure 52(b), the burden shifts to the government to
show that the Booker error was harmless by demonstrating beyond a
reasonable doubt that the district court would not have sentenced differently
had the error not occurred.
3. Booker contemplates that, “with the mandatory use of the Guidelines
excised, the Sixth Amendment will not impede a sentencing judge from
finding all facts relevant to sentencing.” United States v. Mares,
402 F.3d
511, 519 (5th Cir. 2005) (citing
Booker, 125 S. Ct. at 750, 764). The
sentencing judge is entitled to find by a preponderance of the evidence all
the facts relevant to the determination of a Guideline sentencing range and
all facts relevant to the determination of a non-Guidelines sentence.
Id. In
this case, the district court found by a preponderance of the evidence that
Green was accountable for a greater quantity of drugs than that specified in
the bill of information and that Green possessed a firearm during the
conspiracy. The district court indicated, in issuing its alternate
“discretionary” sentence, that it would apply the enhancements for these
factors under an advisory Guidelines scheme, and impose a 160-month
sentence.
4. Under the discretionary sentencing system established by Booker, we
review a sentence imposed by the district court for reasonableness.
Id. at
518. If the sentencing judge exercises its discretion to impose a sentence
within a properly calculated Guideline range, in our reasonableness review
we will infer that the judge has considered all the factors for a fair sentence
set forth in the Guidelines.
Id. at 519. Because it falls within the Guideline
range based on enhancements that are permissible under an advisory
sentencing scheme, we find the 160-month alternate sentence reasonable.
5. Because the district court has indicated it would impose the same 160-
month sentence under an advisory Guidelines scheme and because that
sentence is reasonable as within the Guidelines, the Government has borne
its burden of showing beyond a reasonable doubt that the Booker error did
not affect Green’s substantial rights.
AFFIRMED.