United States v. Saenz ( 2007 )

FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
November 23, 2007
TENTH CIRCUIT Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee, No. 06-2356
v. (D. of N.M.)
MELISSA SAENZ, (D.C. No. CR-06-863-JP)
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before HENRY, TYMKOVICH, and HOLMES, Circuit Judges. **
Melissa Saenz pleaded guilty to threatening or intimidating a witness in
violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1513. Based on an offense level of 23 and a criminal
history of II, Saenz fell within an advisory sentence range of 51–63 months under
the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Before the sentencing hearing, Saenz
objected to a conclusion in her Presentence Report (PSR) that she threatened a
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata and collateral estoppel. It may be cited,
however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th
Cir. R. 32.1.
**
After examining the briefs and the appellate record, this three-judge
panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not be of material
assistance in the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a); 10th
Cir. R. 34.1(G). The cause is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
witness “in order to obstruct the administration of justice.” Aple. App. at 10,
¶ 13. Finding by a preponderance of the evidence that Saenz did threaten the
witness in order to obstruct prosecution, the district court sentenced Saenz to a
within guidelines term of 51 months. Saenz timely appealed the district court’s
use of the preponderance of the evidence instead of the beyond a reasonable doubt
standard to find a sentencing fact.
We AFFIRM.
I.
The government filed an information charging Saenz with threatening or
intimidating a witness in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1513. She pleaded guilty, and
the PSR related the following: On February 13, 2006, police arrested Saenz’s
brother when he delivered crack cocaine to an undercover agent. Shortly
thereafter, Saenz called the agent from her brother’s phone and left the agent a
threatening message. When the agent returned Saenz’s call, she told him, “mark
my words[,] I’m going to kill you.” Id. at 8, ¶ 5. The PSR concluded Saenz
threatened the agent “in order to obstruct the administration of justice.” Id. at 10,
¶ 13.
Before sentencing, Saenz filed a sentencing memorandum disputing the
accuracy of the PSR. Specifically, Saenz alleged she did not know she was
calling an undercover agent. Thus, Saenz argued, she could not have been acting
“in order to obstruct the administration of justice” and, instead, was merely
-2-
threatening a drug dealer who had set up her brother. R., Doc. 22 at 2, ¶ 9
(emphasis omitted). The government objected to Saenz’s characterization. At
sentencing, the district court inferred by a preponderance of the evidence that
Saenz knew the threatened person was “involved in the prosecution” of her
brother. Aplt. App. at 7. Saenz did not object to the district court’s use of the
preponderance of the evidence standard.
II.
On appeal, Saenz argues the district court erred in finding sentencing facts
by a preponderance of the evidence rather than beyond a reasonable doubt.
Because Saenz did not raise this argument at sentencing, we review only for plain
error. See United States v. Traxler, 477 F.3d 1243, 1250 (10th Cir. 2007). “Plain
error occurs when there is (i) error, (ii) that is plain, which (iii) affects the
defendant’s substantial rights, and which (iv) seriously affects the fairness,
integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.” United States v. Ruiz-
Terrazas, 477 F.3d 1196, 1199 (10th Cir. 2007).
Saenz’s argument lacks merit and need not detain us long. We have clearly
explained, “[b]ecause the post-Booker Guidelines are discretionary, a district
court may continue to find [sentencing] facts . . . by a preponderance of the
evidence.” United States v. Hall, 473 F.3d 1295, 1312 (10th Cir. 2007) (citing
United States v. Rodriguez-Felix, 450 F.3d 1117, 1130–31 (10th Cir. 2006)).
Under applicable case authority, the district court therefore committed no error,
-3-
plain or otherwise, in finding by a preponderance of the evidence that Saenz
threatened an undercover agent in order to obstruct the administration of justice.
Saenz also appears to challenge the reasonableness of her sentence. On
appeal, her within guidelines sentence is presumptively reasonable, United States
v. Kristl, 437 F.3d 1050, 1054 (10th Cir. 2006), and she had pointed to no error
by the district court in applying the sentencing factors set forth in 18 U.S.C.
§ 3553(a). We thus find no legal error in the length of her sentence.
III.
Accordingly, the district court’s sentence is AFFIRMED.
Entered for the Court
Timothy M. Tymkovich
Circuit Judge
-4-