United States v. Burgos-Rodriguez

Opinion

USCA1 Opinion

August 15, 1994
                                [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]

                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
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No. 94-1295

                                    UNITED STATES,

                                      Appellee,

                                          v.

                             CARLOS M. BURGOS-RODRIGUEZ,

                                Defendant, Appellant.

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                     APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

                           FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

                    [Hon. Raymond L. Acosta, U.S. District Judge]
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                                        Before

                                Cyr, Boudin and Stahl,
                                   Circuit Judges.
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            Gabriel Hernandez Rivera on brief for appellant
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Per Curiam.   Defendant argues  that the  five-year
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            mandatory  minimum sentence  he  received under  21 U.S.C.   

            841(b)(1)(B)  constitutes cruel  and  unusual punishment  and

            violates his asserted right to individualized sentencing.  We

            disagree.  Harmelin v. Michigan,  111 S.Ct. 2680 (1991) (life
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            imprisonment  without  parole  for possessing  672  grams  of

            cocaine  does not  violate the  Eighth Amendment's  cruel and

            unusual punishment  clause); United States v.  Cook, 859 F.2d
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            777, 778  (9th Cir. 1988)  (mandatory five year  sentence for

            first   time  offender   courier   not  cruel   and   unusual

            punishment); United States  v. Campusano, 947 F.2d 1,  3 (1st
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            Cir. 1991) ("There is no constitutional right, in non-capital

            cases, to individualized sentencing").

                      The judgment is summarily affirmed.  Local R. 27.1.
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