United States v. Dempsey Antonio Brown , 404 F. App'x 102 ( 2010 )


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  •                     United States Court of Appeals
    FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
    ___________
    No. 10-2390
    ___________
    United States of America,               *
    *
    Appellee,                  *
    * Appeal from the United States
    v.                                * District Court for the
    * District of Minnesota
    Dempsey Antonio Brown,                  *
    * [UNPUBLISHED]
    Appellant.                 *
    ___________
    Submitted: December 13, 2010
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    ___________
    Before LOKEN, ARNOLD, and BYE, Circuit Judges.
    ___________
    PER CURIAM.
    Dempsey Brown pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute in excess
    of five grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine
    base in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B). The district court1
    sentenced Brown to a 188-month term of imprisonment, the bottom of the
    recommended Sentencing Guidelines’ range. On appeal, Brown argues his sentence
    is substantively unreasonable because it is greater than necessary to accomplish the
    goals of sentencing set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). We affirm.
    1
    The Honorable David S. Doty, United States District Judge for the District of
    Minnesota.
    We consider the substantive reasonableness of a sentence under a deferential
    abuse-of-discretion standard. United States v. Jones, 
    612 F.3d 1040
    , 1045-46 (8th Cir.
    2010). “A district court abuses its discretion when it (1) ‘fails to consider a relevant
    factor that should have received significant weight’; (2) ‘gives significant weight to
    an improper or irrelevant factor’; or (3) ‘considers only the appropriate factors but in
    weighing those factors commits a clear error of judgment.’” United States v. Holy
    Bull, 
    613 F.3d 871
    , 874 (8th Cir. 2010) (quoting United States v. Kane, 
    552 F.3d 748
    ,
    752 (8th Cir. 2009)). A sentence which falls within the Guidelines range is
    presumptively reasonable on appeal. United States v. Townsend, 
    617 F.3d 991
    , 994
    (8th Cir. 2010) (per curiam).
    Brown challenges the substantive reasonableness of his sentence alleging the
    district court committed a clear error of judgment in weighing the § 3553(a) factors
    because it placed too much weight on his criminal history and ignored mitigating
    factors such as his remorse, his enrollment and attendances in classes, his consistent
    employment, and the outpouring of support from his family. According to Brown,
    when all these factors are properly weighed, they indicate he is not the “bad person
    that the career offender classification and his prior record would indicate” and justify
    a downward variance.
    We find, based on a thorough review of the record, the district court properly
    considered all the mitigating factors presented by Brown despite not explicitly
    addressing each. See 
    id. at 994
    (“Although a district court is required to consider each
    of the § 3553(a) factors in determining the proper sentence to impose, it need not
    ‘categorically rehearse each of the [§] 3553(a) factors on the record when it imposes
    a sentence as long as it is clear that they were considered.’” (quoting United States v.
    Dieken, 
    432 F.3d 906
    , 909 (8th Cir. 2006) (alteration in original))). The record also
    establishes the district court appropriately weighed each of the factors in imposing a
    sentence which was sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with the
    sentencing goals. The district court stated at sentencing,
    -2-
    the Court finds that the sentence of 188 months is adequate, reasonable
    and appropriate in light of the considerations set forth in 18 United
    States Code, Section 3553(a). The sentence imposed accounts for the
    nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and
    characteristics of the defendant. Specifically, his designation as a career
    offender. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense and
    provides just punishment while also providing defendant with needed
    correctional treatment.
    The district court not only considered Brown’s criminal history but also considered
    his proposed mitigating factors and rejected them.
    Based on the record, we are satisfied the district court appropriately considered
    and weighed the § 3553(a) factors and did not abuse its discretion in placing weight
    on Brown’s criminal history. See 
    Townsend, 617 F.3d at 994-95
    (concluding a
    sentence is substantively reasonable despite the district court’s focus on criminal
    history and rejection of defendant’s proposed mitigating factors where defendant
    provided no basis for concluding otherwise).
    Accordingly, we affirm Brown’s sentence.
    ______________________________
    -3-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 10-2390

Citation Numbers: 404 F. App'x 102

Judges: Loken, Arnold, Bye

Filed Date: 12/29/2010

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/5/2024