United States v. Smith, Robert ( 2007 )


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  •                             In the
    United States Court of Appeals
    For the Seventh Circuit
    ____________
    No. 05-4146
    UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    v.
    ROBERT SMITH,
    Defendant-Appellant.
    ____________
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
    No. 04 CR 463—Ruben Castillo, Judge.
    ____________
    ARGUED JANUARY 8, 2007—DECIDED SEPTEMBER 17, 2007
    ____________
    Before EASTERBROOK, Chief Judge, and ROVNER and
    WOOD, Circuit Judges.
    ROVNER, Circuit Judge. A jury convicted Robert Smith
    of (1) possessing an unregistered explosive device, see 
    26 U.S.C. § 5861
    (d); (2) constructing a destructive device
    without paying taxes, see 
    26 U.S.C. § 5861
    (f); (3) attempt-
    ing to use an explosive device to destroy a place of busi-
    ness, see 
    18 U.S.C. § 844
    (i); and (4) carrying a pipe bomb
    while committing a crime of violence, see 
    18 U.S.C. § 924
    (c)(1)(A). The district court sentenced him to con-
    current 120-month terms of imprisonment on the first
    three counts and to a 30-year term on the fourth count to
    run consecutively to the 120-month terms. Smith now
    challenges various rulings of the district court, arguing
    2                                               No. 05-4146
    that the cumulative effect of what he believes are errors
    tainted the jury. Smith also argues that application of the
    30-year mandatory consecutive sentence for using a pipe
    bomb constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and
    violates his Fifth Amendment right to be put in jeopardy
    only once for the same offense. We affirm.
    I.
    On the morning of July 3, 2003, the office manager at
    an Allstate insurance agency in Crest Hill, Illinois, found
    a box outside of the agency. The Federal Express label on
    the box was addressed to Leo Bick, the agency’s owner
    and the boyfriend of Smith’s former girlfriend. The office
    manager brought the box inside and, later that morning
    when Bick arrived at work, he opened it. He heard a snap,
    saw wires hanging from the box, and pulled a bottle of
    gasoline out of the box. Fearing that the package contained
    an explosive device, he carried it and the bottle of gasoline
    outside and called the police. Members of the DuPage
    County Bomb Squad inspected the package, x-rayed it,
    determined that it contained a pipe bomb, and deactivated
    the bomb.
    The bomb was comprised of a steel pipe held together
    by two end caps with a metal rod connecting the end caps.
    Inside of the pipe was a plastic bag containing various
    types of explosive powder and an igniter. A thumb print,
    later identified as Smith’s, was found on the plastic bag. A
    set of wires linked the igniter to a mousetrap which in
    turn was connected to two batteries. The mousetrap
    was set to close onto a copper plate when the box was
    opened, completing a circuit and triggering an explosion.
    The bomb also contained various forms of shrapnel in-
    cluding shotgun shell primers, construction staples, roof-
    ing nails, and lead shot. A bottle of gasoline was inside the
    box next to the bomb. The components were held together
    No. 05-4146                                               3
    with tape, on which a single human hair, later discovered
    to match Smith’s, was found. After a year-long investiga-
    tion that involved local police and the Bureau of Alcohol,
    Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Smith was arrested
    and charged with constructing, possessing, and attempt-
    ing to use an explosive device.
    The district court appointed a fingerprint expert to
    assist in Smith’s defense. The expert reviewed the finger-
    print evidence acquired during the investigation and
    concurred with the government that the print found on a
    plastic bag inside the pipe bomb was Smith’s. The defense
    moved to require the government to give the defense
    expert access to the bomb components and packaging
    for further testing and requested that the government
    provide fingerprint exemplars for the investigating officers
    and potential suspects. At a hearing on Smith’s motion,
    the government asserted that there were no fingerprints
    found on the bomb components or packaging, other than
    the thumb print found on the plastic bag. Because the
    Federal Express label on the package had not yet been
    tested, the government agreed to test it. At Smith’s
    request, the government also agreed to reexamine the
    rest of the evidence to ensure that no new prints had
    become visible. The district court then denied Smith’s
    motion without prejudice because there were no finger-
    prints for the expert to examine, but indicated that it
    would be willing to revisit its decision if further finger-
    prints were found. Three fingerprints that did not match
    Smith’s were later found on the Federal Express label, but
    Smith did not renew his motion.
    At Smith’s jury trial, the government presented scientific
    and circumstantial evidence linking Smith to the bomb. A
    fingerprint expert testified that Smith’s thumb print
    was found on a plastic bag containing explosive powder
    inside of the bomb, a conclusion that Smith did not
    contest. Another expert testified that the mitochondrial
    4                                             No. 05-4146
    DNA in the hair stuck to the tape that held the bomb
    together matched Smith’s DNA, and Smith did not argue
    that this conclusion was incorrect. The government’s
    evidence also showed that Smith rented a post office box
    at the post office where the Federal Express label on the
    box originated. A retired agent from the Bureau of Alcohol,
    Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives testified that after
    Smith was arrested, he admitted that he had handled the
    type of mousetrap that was used in the bomb. Additionally,
    some of the shotgun shell primers in the bomb, which
    according to the government’s witness had not been made
    since the 1950s, matched primers in shotgun shells
    found at Smith’s house.
    The evidence also showed that Smith and Bick loathed
    each other. The acrimony seems to have begun after Bick
    began dating Smith’s ex-girlfriend, Lisa Kehr. Witnesses
    for both the government and the defense testified that
    Smith and Bick engaged in multiple verbal confrontations,
    and Bick testified that Smith once punched him. Govern-
    ment witnesses testified that Smith threatened to “break”
    Bick “financially and physically” and once referred to
    Bick as “a dead man.” Over Smith’s objection, the govern-
    ment introduced a photograph, taken by Bick, of Smith
    making an obscene gesture directed at Bick. Smith later
    testified that he made the gesture only in response to an
    obscene gesture made by Bick.
    The government elicited the testimony of an explosives
    expert, who first described how the bomb was constructed.
    The expert analyzed the pieces of the dismantled pipe
    bomb and built a model to show what the fully con-
    structed bomb looked like. Using the model, he then
    performed a brief demonstration, to which Smith’s attor-
    ney objected, to illustrate how the bomb was intended to
    function. He also opined that the intended explosion did
    not occur because either there was a flaw in the electrical
    connection or a short in the igniter. He concluded that the
    No. 05-4146                                              5
    bomb was designed to maim and kill bystanders and to
    destroy property.
    Smith elected to testify and denied having anything to
    do with the bomb. On cross-examination, the govern-
    ment used two letters to impeach his credibility. The first
    letter was written by Smith, while he was in pre-trial
    detention, to Robert Ishmael, Smith’s friend and former
    boss. Smith testified that he told the ATF agent who
    questioned him that he had never handled the type of
    mousetrap used in the bomb. In the letter, Smith wrote
    that he told the ATF agent that he did not remember
    whether or not he handled the mousetraps. Smith ad-
    dressed the letter to “ATTNY Robert Ishmael,” however
    Ishmael is not an attorney, and, although Ishmael is a
    private investigator, he was not retained by Smith’s law-
    yer to work on Smith’s behalf. At trial, Smith’s attorney
    did not object to the government’s use of the letter and
    stated that he did not believe that it was privileged under
    the work-product doctrine.
    The government also impeached Smith with a letter
    he wrote, but did not mail, to Kehr. Smith had testified
    that, at the time of the attempted bombing, he no longer
    had feelings for Kehr, but, in the letter, dated about two
    months prior to the incident, he wrote, “My heart will
    always be with you” and “I will remember your intimate
    words every day.” The government did not turn the
    letter over to the defense during discovery, but Smith’s
    attorney did not object to the government’s use of the
    letter at trial. At a post-trial hearing, Smith’s attorney
    indicated that he chose not to object because he believed
    that the letter was helpful to the defense.
    Ultimately, the jury convicted Smith on all four counts,
    and the judge sentenced him to three concurrent 120-
    month sentences and a statutorily-mandated 30-year
    sentence to run consecutive to the 120-month sentences.
    6                                               No. 05-4146
    II.
    On appeal Smith argues that the district court erred
    in (1) denying his motion to allow his fingerprint expert
    access to evidence and to require the government to
    provide fingerprint exemplars of individuals related to
    the investigation; (2) admitting the photo of Smith mak-
    ing an obscene gesture; (3) allowing the government’s
    expert to use a model to demonstrate how the actual bomb
    was intended to function; (4) permitting the government
    to impeach Smith with a letter that Smith wrote to his
    friend; and (5) permitting the government to impeach
    Smith with the letter he wrote but did not send to Kehr.
    Smith also contends that the cumulative effect of these
    errors tainted the jury’s verdict. We address each issue
    in turn.
    A. Smith’s Fingerprint Expert
    Smith first argues that the district court erred in
    denying his motion seeking fingerprint exemplars of the
    investigators and potential suspects and requesting
    access to the bomb components. He contends that the
    presence of only a single thumb print on the plastic bag
    is inconsistent with the way that a person holds a plastic
    bag and thus indicates that someone might have planted
    this evidence to frame him. He asserts that access to the
    bomb components and exemplars was necessary to help
    him advance his theory and that the district court’s rul-
    ing effectively denied him access to a fingerprint expert.
    We review for abuse of discretion a district court’s denial
    of a defendant’s request for expert services. See United
    States v. King, 
    356 F.3d 774
    , 778 (7th Cir. 2004). The
    government will give an indigent defendant access to
    expert services adequate to facilitate the defendant’s
    representation if the court finds that the services are
    No. 05-4146                                              7
    necessary. See 18 U.S.C. § 3006A(e)(1). Expert services
    should be provided where “a reasonable attorney would
    engage such services for a client having the independent
    financial means to pay for them.” United States v. Cravens,
    
    275 F.3d 637
    , 639 (7th Cir. 2001) (quoting United States v.
    Alden, 
    767 F.2d 314
    , 318 (7th Cir. 1984)). However, when
    a defendant requests the assistance of an expert, the
    district court may consider whether the defendant has
    a “plausible defense” before granting the request. See
    King, 
    356 F.3d at 778
    ; Cravens, 
    275 F.3d at 639
    . And the
    district court need not order expert assistance if doing
    so amounts to a “fishing expedition.” See King, 
    356 F.3d at 778
    .
    Here, Smith received access to an adequate fingerprint
    expert. The district court appointed a fingerprint expert
    to assist in Smith’s defense. The expert examined the
    thumb print found on the plastic bag inside of the bomb
    and concluded the print was Smith’s. At the time Smith
    made his motion seeking access to the bomb components
    and fingerprint exemplars, no other usable fingerprints
    had been found. Thus, there was nothing against which to
    compare the requested exemplars and no reason for the
    expert to examine evidence that did not contain finger-
    prints. It was within the district court’s discretion to
    conclude that Smith’s request was “too far afield in terms
    of establishing any type of potential defense” and to deny
    the motion without prejudice. After three fingerprints
    that were not Smith’s were later found on the package’s
    label, Smith could have renewed his motion. But, for
    reasons that are unclear, he chose not to do so. Smith also
    claims that he wanted to argue that it is illogical that
    only one print was found on the plastic bag. However, he
    could have called his expert to testify to this theory even
    without access to the bomb components and finger print
    exemplars; but he did not. The district court did not deny
    Smith access to a fingerprint expert, effectively or other-
    8                                             No. 05-4146
    wise, nor did it deny him the opportunity to renew his
    motion when new fingerprints were discovered. Therefore,
    Smith has not shown that he was prejudiced by the dis-
    trict court’s denial of his motion.
    B. Admission of the Photograph
    Smith next challenges the admission of a photograph
    taken by Bick that shows Smith making an obscene
    gesture. He asserts that the probative value of the photo-
    graph was low because it provided the jury no new infor-
    mation about Smith and Bick’s relationship and that it
    was highly prejudicial because it could lead the jury to
    believe that Smith instigated the conflict between the two.
    He concludes that the district court should have kept
    the photograph from the jury.
    A district court may exclude otherwise admissible
    evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed
    by its prejudicial impact. Fed. R. Evid. 403; United States
    v. Chavis, 
    429 F.3d 662
    , 670 (7th Cir. 2005). But the
    district court has wide latitude in making this determina-
    tion. See United States v. Strong, 
    485 F.3d 985
    , 991 (7th
    Cir. 2007). Because Smith objected at trial to the admis-
    sion of the photograph, we review the district court’s
    decision for abuse of discretion, see Chavis, 
    429 F.3d at 667
    , and will reverse only if no reasonable person could
    agree with the district court’s conclusion. See United
    States v. Cash, 
    394 F.3d 560
    , 564 (7th Cir. 2005).
    The district court’s decision to admit the photograph
    was well within its discretion. The photograph was
    relevant because it demonstrated the nature of the rela-
    tionship between Smith and Bick. It corroborated witness
    testimony that they were hostile towards each other and
    revealed that Smith might have had a motive to harm
    Bick. And the photograph was not unduly prejudicial to
    No. 05-4146                                                9
    Smith because other evidence at trial showed that Smith
    and Bick had an acrimonious relationship. Government
    and defense witnesses testified that the two engaged in
    screaming matches, that Smith once punched Bick, and
    that Smith threatened to harm Bick “physically and
    financially.” When viewed against the backdrop of the
    other evidence of animosity between Bick and Smith, the
    photograph did not reveal anything about Smith that the
    jury did not already know and therefore was not inflamma-
    tory. See United States v. Allen, 
    390 F.3d 944
    , 950 (7th Cir.
    2004) (photograph depicting the defendant in police
    custody not unduly prejudicial because jury already knew
    defendant had been in custody). Furthermore, Smith had
    an opportunity to put the photograph into context for
    the jury, ameliorating any prejudicial effect. He testified
    that he was only responding to a similar gesture made
    by Bick. Thus, the photograph did not unfairly bias the
    jury against Smith.
    C. Explosives Expert
    Smith next challenges some of the testimony of the
    government’s explosives expert. He concedes that the
    expert’s conclusions were admissible under Federal
    Rule of Evidence 702, but argues that portions of the
    expert’s presentation were unduly prejudicial and should
    have been disallowed. Specifically, Smith takes issue
    with the expert’s use of a replica of the pipe bomb in a
    demonstration to show the jury how the bomb was in-
    tended to function. He argues that the expert’s demonstra-
    tion confused the jury by conflating a hypothetical pipe
    bomb with the actual pipe bomb and prejudiced the jury
    by giving undue weight to the government’s theory that
    the bomb was intended to detonate.
    Smith objected to portions of the expert’s testimony at
    trial, so we review for abuse of discretion the court’s
    10                                             No. 05-4146
    decision to allow the testimony. See United States v. Davis,
    
    471 F.3d 783
    , 788 (7th Cir. 2006).
    The explosives expert first testified about how pipe
    bombs function generally and then described the compo-
    nents of the particular pipe bomb used. He expressed his
    opinion that the bomb was intended to explode and that
    an unintended glitch—likely a flaw in the electrical
    connection or a short in the igniter—caused it to malfunc-
    tion. He described how he assembled a model of the
    bomb and then used the model to demonstrate how the
    actual bomb was intended to function. The demonstration
    caused a small flash, which showed how the bomb would
    have ignited. The judge made clear to the jury that the
    actual bomb did not explode—a fact that the jury had
    already heard many times during earlier testimony.
    The district court properly allowed the expert’s demon-
    stration. The testimony was relevant because it was
    necessary to help the government meet its burden to prove
    that Smith attempted to use a bomb with intent to cause
    harm. See Chavis, 
    429 F.3d at 671
    . Evidence that is
    probative of an element of the offense should be admitted
    in all but the most egregious cases. See United States v.
    Kapp, 
    419 F.3d 666
    , 677 (7th Cir. 2005). The expert’s
    testimony was important evidence that the bomb was
    designed to detonate and probative of the government’s
    theory of the case. The government also was entitled to
    use its expert to counter Smith’s theory that the bomb
    was designed specifically not to explode. See United States
    v. Glover, 
    479 F.3d 511
    , 518 (7th Cir. 2007).
    And there was no undue prejudice to Smith. The expert’s
    demonstration was not presented in an inflammatory way
    to incite the emotions of the jury. See Kapp, 
    419 F.3d at 677
    . And it is unlikely that the jury was confused,
    because it heard testimony that the actual bomb did not
    explode and the judge reminded the jury of this during
    No. 05-4146                                              11
    the expert’s testimony. See United States v. Kuzlik, 
    468 F.3d 972
    , 974-75 (7th Cir. 2006). The record also reveals
    that the demonstration involved a replica of the actual
    bomb, not, as Smith suggests in his brief, of a hypothet-
    ical pipe bomb, and we find no indication that the
    jury could have been confused. To be sure, the expert’s
    testimony conflicted with Smith’s defense theory that the
    bomb was not intended to explode, but Smith was free
    to cross-examine the expert, which he did, see Glover, 
    479 F.3d at 517
    , or to call his own expert.
    The two cases cited by Smith are inapposite. In both,
    expert testimony was excluded because it was not in line
    with the proponent’s theory of the case and was emotional
    and confusing to the jury. See Finchum v. Ford Motor Co.,
    
    57 F.3d 526
    , 530 (7th Cir. 1995) (demonstration show-
    ing car seat crash tests performed under conditions unlike
    those in actual accident); United States v. Gaskell, 
    985 F.2d 1056
    , 1061 (11th Cir. 1993) (demonstration involv-
    ing shaking a doll was not similar to defendant’s alleged
    actions). Here, by contrast, the expert’s demonstration
    tracked the government’s theory of the case—that the
    bomb was built to explode—and there is nothing to
    indicate that the demonstration incited the jurors’ emo-
    tions or caused confusion.
    D. Letter to Ishmael
    Smith next argues that the district court should not have
    allowed the government to impeach him with a letter that
    he wrote to his friend Robert Ishmael, because, Smith
    contends, this letter is privileged under the work-product
    doctrine. The government argues that we cannot consider
    this argument on appeal because Smith waived his
    right to raise it by knowingly failing to object in the dis-
    trict court.
    12                                              No. 05-4146
    When a defendant fails to object to a district court’s
    ruling, we generally say that he has forfeited the argu-
    ment, and we will review the ruling for plain error. See
    United States v. Williams, 
    258 F.3d 669
    , 672 (7th Cir.
    2001). However, when a defendant or his attorney makes
    a purposeful decision not to object, rather than carelessly
    or negligently failing to object, the defendant has waived
    his right to contest the issue on appeal, and we are
    precluded from reviewing the district court’s decision. See
    United States v. Murry, 
    395 F.3d 712
    , 717 (7th Cir. 2005);
    United States v. Cooper, 
    243 F.3d 411
    , 416 (7th Cir. 2001).
    And an attorney who affirmatively states that he has
    no objection to admission of evidence waives the right to
    argue to the contrary. See United States v. Redditt, 
    381 F.3d 597
    , 602 (7th Cir. 2004).
    Before trial, Smith’s counsel described to the court in
    general terms the content of the letters Smith wrote to
    Ishmael and explained, “I’ve thought a lot about it, and I’m
    not sure that privilege attaches here.” He then concluded,
    “I suppose that if Mr. Smith were to testify that we’d need
    to revisit this. But I don’t plan on any kind of formal
    objection at this point.” After opening statements, outside
    the hearing of the jury, Smith’s counsel agreed with the
    government’s attorney that “I don’t see that there is a
    privilege either.” When the letter was used to impeach
    Smith, defense counsel raised no objection. From defense
    counsel’s comments, it appears that he considered whether
    to argue that the letter was privileged and made an
    affirmative decision not to do so. He did not carelessly or
    accidentally fail to raise an objection, rather, he intention-
    ally chose to forego the argument. Thus, it has been
    waived, and we cannot revisit the district court’s decision
    to allow the government to use the letter to impeach
    Smith.
    However, even absent the waiver, allowing the use of the
    letter for impeachment purposes was proper because the
    No. 05-4146                                                13
    letter is not privileged work product. The work-product
    privilege protects documents prepared by an attorney or
    the attorney’s agent to analyze and prepare the client’s
    case. See United States v. Nobles, 
    422 U.S. 225
    , 238-39
    (1975); Hobley v. Burge, 
    433 F.3d 946
    , 949 (7th Cir. 2006).
    It is not up to the client to determine whom to make an
    agent for the purposes of asserting the work-product
    privilege; the privilege extends to the work of the attor-
    ney’s agents, not the client’s agents. See Nobles, 
    422 U.S. at 238-39
    . Though Ishmael is a private investigator and
    Smith wrote several letters to him detailing Smith’s
    thoughts about his case and possible defense theories,
    Smith’s counsel admitted to the district court that Ishmael
    was not involved in any investigation related to Smith’s
    defense and had not been retained to do any work for
    the defense. The letters had nothing to do with Smith’s
    legal representation and are not entitled to protection
    under the work-product doctrine.
    E. Letter to Kehr
    Smith also objects to the district court’s decision to allow
    the government to impeach him with a letter that he
    wrote—but never sent—to Kehr. He argues that the
    government failed to disclose this letter in violation of
    Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16 and that the
    district court should have prohibited the government
    from using it at trial. Smith asserts that he was prej-
    udiced by the use of the letter on cross-examination
    because, had he known about the letter earlier, his counsel
    would have asked him to explain it on direct examination,
    reducing its prejudicial impact. The government argues
    that its attorney maintained that he could not recall
    whether he turned the letter over to the defense at trial,
    and that, in any event, the district court’s decision to
    allow it for impeachment purposes was not plainly errone-
    ous.
    14                                              No. 05-4146
    Assuming that the letter was withheld, it is troubling
    that this document was not provided to the defendant
    until the government used it at trial in contravention of
    Rule 16 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, but it
    was not erroneous for the district court to allow it, because
    Smith was not prejudiced. See United States v. Warren,
    
    454 F.3d 752
    , 760-61 (7th Cir. 2006). A Rule 16 violation
    prejudices a defendant only when he is unfairly surprised
    by the evidence and cannot adequately prepare his defense
    or when the violation has a substantial influence on the
    jury. See United States v. Stevens, 
    380 F.3d 1021
    , 1026 (7th
    Cir. 2004).
    Smith testified on direct examination that he was no
    longer emotionally attached to Kehr when the bombing
    occurred. In the letter, dated May 12, 2003—less than two
    months before the bombing—however, Smith indicated
    otherwise. Smith argues that he wrote but did not send
    the letter because his feelings towards Kehr changed, and
    that he should have had the opportunity to explain this
    on direct examination to minimize the impact of the
    letter. But his counsel had the opportunity to elicit this
    testimony on redirect and chose not to do so. And when
    defense counsel finally raised an objection to the use of the
    letter a month after trial, he admitted that at trial he
    thought that the letter was helpful to Smith’s case. It is
    hard to see how the use of a piece of evidence that both
    the prosecution and defense believed supported their
    theories constitutes error. Furthermore, there was ample
    evidence besides the letter demonstrating that Smith had
    a motive to hurt Bick. Smith has not shown that the
    government’s use of this letter prejudiced him.
    F. Cumulative Effect of Errors
    Smith next argues that the district court’s cumulative
    errors denied him the right to a fair trial. Although any
    No. 05-4146                                                15
    single error by itself may be insufficient to taint a jury, the
    combined effect of multiple erroneous rulings may re-
    sult in significant harm necessitating another trial. See
    United States v. Santos, 
    201 F.3d 953
    , 965 (7th Cir. 2000).
    But this argument also fails. As we have described above,
    we can find no error in the district court’s decisions. The
    court acted within its discretion, and Smith was not denied
    the right to a fair trial. See United States v. Banks, 
    405 F.3d 559
    , 570 (7th Cir. 2005).
    III.
    Finally, Smith contends that his mandatory consecutive
    30-year sentence for carrying a pipe bomb while commit-
    ting a crime of violence is unconstitutional because (1) it is
    cruel and unusual punishment prohibited under the
    Eighth Amendment and (2) it violates the Fifth Amend-
    ment prohibition on Double Jeopardy.
    In support of his claim that his sentence violates the
    Eighth Amendment, Smith argues that the sentence is
    disproportionate to his crime. He contends that he received
    his sentence not because Congress determined it was
    appropriate, but because the prosecutor misused his
    discretion. Smith reasons that, because his crime injured
    no one, terrorism was not involved, and he does not have
    a history of violence, the prosecutor should not have
    charged him with a crime that carries such a severe
    penalty. He thus urges this court to act as a check on the
    prosecution’s charging decisions.
    We will uphold long prison sentences if the district court
    properly applied the relevant sentencing statute. See
    United States v. Arrington, 
    159 F.3d 1069
    , 1073 (7th Cir.
    1998). Here, Congress has determined that a 30-year
    sentence is an appropriate penalty for violent crimes
    committed using explosives. See 
    18 U.S.C. § 924
    (c). The
    16                                             No. 05-4146
    district court noted that, “what was proven here was
    an attempted murder in no uncertain terms.” Bringing a
    pipe bomb to a place of business is a violent act and falls
    within the range of offenses that Congress intended to
    penalize severely, and the Eighth Amendment does not
    prohibit the 30-year mandated sentence. See Arrington,
    
    159 F.3d at 1073
    ; see also Harmelin v. Michigan, 
    501 U.S. 957
    , 994-95 (1991) (life in prison for single drug crime
    not cruel and unusual punishment). So Smith’s view that
    his sentence is disproportionate to his crime is incorrect.
    Smith’s argument that it was improper for the prosecu-
    tor to charge him with a crime that carries such a stiff
    penalty also lacks merit. Prosecutors always have discre-
    tion to decide which charges to bring, and this discretion
    extends to charges that carry enhanced statutory maxi-
    mum penalties. See United States v. LaBonte, 
    520 U.S. 751
    , 762 (1997) (noting that prosecutorial discretion is
    an “appropriate” and “integral feature of the criminal
    justice system”). Further, the judiciary is not authorized
    to second-guess a prosecutor’s decision to charge a par-
    ticular crime unless the decision is made based on an
    invidious ground, which Smith does not claim here. See
    United States v. Roberson, 
    474 F.3d 432
    , 434 (7th Cir.
    2007) (noting that it was improper for a district court
    judge to criticize the prosecutor’s choice of charge).
    Finally, Smith argues that his convictions under 
    18 U.S.C. § 844
    (i) and 
    18 U.S.C. § 924
    (c)(1)(A) punished him
    twice for the same conduct and thus violated the Fifth
    Amendment protection against Double Jeopardy. He
    acknowledges correctly that this argument has been
    rejected. A cumulative sentence does not run afoul of the
    Double Jeopardy Clause when at a single trial a defendant
    is convicted under two statutes and Congress has autho-
    rized cumulative sentences for violations of those statutes.
    See Missouri v. Hunter, 
    459 U.S. 359
    , 368-69 (1983);
    United States v. Handford, 
    39 F.3d 731
    , 733-34 (7th Cir.
    No. 05-4146                                          17
    1994). Smith concedes that he raises this issue only to
    preserve it for Supreme Court review, and it has been
    preserved.
    IV.
    For the above reasons, we AFFIRM the judgment of the
    district court.
    A true Copy:
    Teste:
    ________________________________
    Clerk of the United States Court of
    Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    USCA-02-C-0072—9-17-07