United States v. Bedonie

317 F. Supp. 2d 1285, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8420, 2004 WL 1062842
CourtDistrict Court, D. Utah
DecidedMay 11, 2004
Docket2:02-cv-00690
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 317 F. Supp. 2d 1285 (United States v. Bedonie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Bedonie, 317 F. Supp. 2d 1285, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8420, 2004 WL 1062842 (D. Utah 2004).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING LOST INCOME AND OTHER RESTITUTION

CASSELL, District Judge.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND. 1288

A. United States v. Bedonie. 1288

B. United States v. Serawop . i 1 9 91

ANALYSIS.1293

1293 I. The Court Must Order Restitution for the Violent Crimes Committed by Defendants Bedonie and Serawop.

1293 A. The Mandatory Victim Restitution Act Applies to Bedonie’s and Serawop’s Crimes of Violence.

1294 B. Even if the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act Does Not Apply to Ms. Bedonie, the Court Would Impose the Same Restitution Under the Victim Witness Protection Act.

1294 1. The Need to Provide Restitution to Victims Is More Pressing than the Risk of Extending Court Proceedings.

2. The Seventh Circuit’s Contrary Analysis in United States v. Fountain is. Not Persuasive. 1 296

3. The Court Would Order Full Restitution Under the VWPA 1298

II. Bedonie and Serawop Must Pay Restitution for the Lost Income of their Victims.1299

A. The Deceased — Mr. Johnson and Beyonce Serawop-Are Entitled to Restitution as “Victims” of the Homicide Offenses Against Them.1299

1. Lost Income Is Properly Awardable to Mr. Johnson as the “Victim” of a Homicide.1299

2. The Court Need Not Reach the Issue of Whether Ms. Johnson is Also a Victim of the Offense.1300

3. Lost Income Is Properly Awardable to Beyonce Serawop as the “Victim” of a Homicide.1302

B. The MVRA Requires a Lost Income Award in Homicide Cases.1302

C. The MVRA Requires an Award for Both Past and Future Lost Income.... 1305

D. The MVRA Should be Interpreted Broadly as a Remedial Measure Rather than Narrowly Under the Rule Lenity.1309

III. Defendant Bedonie Should Pay Lost Income Restitution of $446,665 and Defendant Serawop Should Pay Lost Income Restitution of $325,751.1311

A. Expert Testimony on the Amount of Lost Income.1312

1. Dr. Randle’s Expect Testimony is Admissible.1312

2. Lost Income Projections for Mr. Johnson.1313

3. Lost Income Projections for Beyonce Serawop.1314

B. Race and Sex Adjustments.1315

C. Calculating the Lost Income Awards .1320

1. The Lost Income of Mr. Johnson.1320

2. The Lost Income of Beyonce Serawop.1322

*1288 D. No Need to Offset for Consumption. 1322

IV. Restitution is also Proper for the Services of a Navajo Medicine Man .. 1327
V. The Defendants’ Restitution is Due Immediately, Payable on a Schedule 1329

CONCLUSION. 1333

The court has before it two tragic homicide cases presenting significant restitution issues. The court concludes that substantial restitution should be ordered in both cases, including restitution for the future income that the victims lost when they were killed by the defendants. In particular, the court orders defendant Bedonie to pay restitution for lost income of her victim — Mr. Brian Johnson — of $446,665 The court also orders defendant Serawop to pay restitution for lost income of his victim — Beyonce Serawop — of $325,751.

A brief outline of how the court reaches that conclusion may be useful at the outset. Part I of this opinion explains that the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act (MVRA), which applies to crimes of violence, is applicable to the crimes of involuntary and voluntary manslaughter committed by defendants Bedonie and Serawop respectively. Part II concludes that the MVRA requires a restitution award in homicide cases for lost income of the victims, including income that they would have lost in the future. Part III reviews issues relating to the calculation of the award. The court appointed an expert to calculate lost income in this case, who made reasonable and reliable projections of future lost income. The most appropriate of those projections rely not on the race or sex of the victims, but rather on race- and sex-neutral data. Using these neutral projection, without any discount for possible “consumption” of income by the victims, is the appropriate way to calculate restitution. Each victim lost several hundred thousands of dollars in income, which the defendants should be required to repay. Part IV concludes that defendant Bedonie should also be ordered to pay restitution for the services of Navajo medicine man used by Mr. Johnson’s family as part of the funeral services in this case. Part V determines that the restitution of the defendants is due immediately and to be paid on an appropriate schedule.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The factual and procedural background of the Bedonie and Serawop cases is as follows.

A. United States v. Bedonie.

On the evening of April 19, 2002, defendant Levangela Bedonie and her boyfriend, Oscar Williams, stopped at the Is-may Trading Post and agreed to give a ride to the victim in this case — Brian Johnson — and two other men. As Ms. Bedonie drove toward Montezuma Creek on the Navajo Reservation, she drank beer offered to her by her boyfriend and frequently turned to face Johnson and the others in the back seat. Each of the three men repeatedly asked her to watch where she was driving. She told them she knew what she was doing.

Not too much farther down the road, Ms. Bedonie abruptly turned the steering wheel, causing the car to fishtail. Clearly under the influence of alcohol, she lost control, causing the car to skid off the road and roll about four times before coming to rest on its tires. Mr. Johnson was still in the vehicle, while the two other rear seat passengers got out and summoned help. A short time later, emergency medical technicians arrived at the scene of the *1289 accident, which was approximately 11 miles north of Aneth, Utah, on the Navajo Reservation. The technicians were unable to revive Mr. Johnson, whose skin was already cold to the touch when they arrived. An examination by the Utah State Department of Health Medical Examiner determined that Mr. Johnson, died as a result of a blunt force injury to the head.

A bitter irony of this tragedy is that just prior to picking up Mr. Johnson and his friends, Ms. Bedonie had picked up Mr. Williams at the conclusion of a 90-day jail sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol.

On November 6, 2002, Ms. Bedonie, an enrolled member of the Navajo Indian Tribe, was charged in a one-count indictment with involuntary manslaughter within the Navajo Nation. 1 She was arraigned on July 29, 2003, and pled guilty on October 10, 2003.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
317 F. Supp. 2d 1285, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8420, 2004 WL 1062842, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-bedonie-utd-2004.