United States v. Peshlakai

618 F. Supp. 2d 1295, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98406, 2007 WL 6364847
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedNovember 16, 2007
DocketCR 05-1604 JB
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 618 F. Supp. 2d 1295 (United States v. Peshlakai) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Peshlakai, 618 F. Supp. 2d 1295, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98406, 2007 WL 6364847 (D.N.M. 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JAMES O. BROWNING, District Judge.

THIS MATTER comes before the Court on the Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum, filed Sept. 20, 2007 (Doc. 92). The Court held an evidentiary sentencing hearing on October 16, 2007. The primary issues are: (i) whether the Court should sustain Defendant Arthur Ben Peshlakai’s objections to paragraph 12, of the original Pre-Sentence Investigation Report (“Original PSR”), disclosed Sept. 10, 2007, because it implies that he has not given his version of events; (ii) whether the Court should sustain Peshlakai’s “double counting” objections to the PSR’s overall calculation of his offensive level based upon: (a) U.S.S.G. § 2A3.1(b)(l), which allows a 4-level increase based on use of force in offenses involving the conduct described in 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a); (b) U.S.S.G. § 2A3.1(b)(4)(B), which allows a 2-level increase if “serious bodily injury” occurred, and 1B1.1, application note L, which deems “serious bodily injury” to have occurred if the offense involved conduct constituting criminal sexual abuse under 18 U.S.C. 2241; and (c) U.S.S.G. § 2A3.1(b)(5), which increases the offense level by 4 if the victim was abducted; and (iii) whether the Court should sustain Peshlakai’s objections to the PSR’s calculation of his criminal history points. The Court will sustain in part and overrule in part the objections in Peshlakai’s Sentencing Memorandum. The Court overrules Peshlakai’s objections to ¶ 12 of the PSR as moot. The Court overrules Peshlakai’s objections to the PSR’s enhancement of his criminal offense level under U.S.S.G. § 2A3.1, because there is no dispute that force was used in the commission of the crime and a 4-level increase is required when the defendant is convicted of aggravated sexual abuse. Peshlakai’s objection to the enhancement using U.S.S.G. §§ 2A3.1 and 1B1.1, cmt. app. n. (1)(L) is sustained. Although the Court recognizes that psychological and physical injury to the victim occurred, those harms arise directly from Peshlakai’s aggravated sexual abuse of her, and not from conduct aside from the criminal sexual abuse itself, so the requirements for enhancement for serious bodily injury are not met. The Court overrules Peshlakai’s objection to enhancement based upon 2A3.1(b)(5), and 1B1.1, cmt., app. n. 1(A), because he abducted the victim by forcing her to a different location to perpetrate the aggravated sexual abuse. The Court overrules Peshlakai’s objection to ¶ 34 of the PSR, because the sentence in the Shoplifting case is countable, even though it was an uncounseled misdemeanor, because no term of imprisonment was imposed as part of the sentence. The Court also overrules Peshlakai’s objection to ¶ 36 of the PSR as moot. The Court overrules Peshlakai’s objection to ¶ 42 of the PSR, because no limitation shall be placed on the information concerning the background, character, and conduct of a person convicted of an offense that a court of the United States may receive and consider for the purpose of imposing an appropriate sentence.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Rule 32(i)(3)(B) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure states that the Court “must — for any disputed portion of the presentence report or other controverted matter — rule on the dispute or determine *1298 that a ruling is unnecessary either because the matter will not affect sentencing, or because the court will not consider the matter in sentencing....” Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(i)(3)(B). The findings of fact in this Memorandum Opinion and Order shall serve as the Court’s essential findings for purposes of rule 32(i)(3)(B). In making these findings, the rules of evidence do not bind the Court. See Fed.R.Evid. 1101(d)(3); United States v. Graham, 413 F.3d 1211, 1221 n. 10 (10th Cir.2005)(“In any event, the Federal Rules of Evidence are not applicable to sentencing proceedings.”)(citing Fed.R.Evid. 1101(d)(3)).

A. ABDUCTION

1. The incidents occurred in June of 2005. See Transcript of Hearing (“Tr.”) (taken Oct. 16, 2007) at 15:12-15 (Spiers & Sandra T.). 1

2. Peshlakai was drunk before he and Sandra T. left the Anasazi Bar in Farmington, New Mexico. See Tr. at 39:13, id. at 40:14-19 (Peshlakai.).

3. Peshlakai was “beyond buzzed.” Tr. at 40:19 (Peshlakai).

4. When he sat down at a stool, he “happened to see” Sandra T. right next to him. Tr. at 39:16-17 (Peshlakai).

5. Peshlakai saw Sandra T. and her friend singing karaoke. See Tr. at 39:20-22 (Peshlakai).

6. Peshlakai “told her she had a beautiful voice ... that’s how our conversation started.” Tr. at 39:22-23 (Peshlakai).

7. Sandra T. gave Peshlakai a drink purchased for her by a man that her friend was talking to. See Tr. at 28:9-10 (Sandra T.).

8. Sandra T. was not drinking that night because she was driving, so she gave her drink to Peshlakai. See Tr. at 28:10-11 (Sandra T.).

9. Sandra T. decided to leave after her friend went to her boyfriend’s motel room and did not return after about 30 minutes. See Tr. at 29:18-21 (Aarons & Sandra T.).

10. While Sandra T. was waiting for her friend to return from her boyfriend’s motel room, she saw Peshlakai come out of the bar. See Tr. at 29:21-22 (Sandra T.).

11. Peshlakai told her that his truck had been stolen. See Tr. at 29:23 (Sandra T.).

12. Peshlakai asked Sandra T. for a ride home, because his vehicle was stolen. See Tr. at 15:18-20 (Sandra T & Spiers), id. at 23:20-21 (Sandra T.), id. at 42:2-3 (Peshlakai).

13. Sandra T. agreed to give him a ride home. See Tr. at 23:22-23 (Sandra T.).

14. Sandra T. gave him a ride, because she is a nice person and she will help somebody if he or she needs help. See Tr. at 30:14-20 (Aarons & Sandra T.).

15. As Sandra T. and Peshlakai began to drive to the Shiprock area, Peshlakai told her that he lived on a dirt road between Shiprock and Gallup. See Tr. at 23:24-24:1 (Sandra T.).

16. Sandra T. began to drive and follow Peshlakai’s directions. See Tr. at 24:1-2 (Sandra T.).

17. Sandra T. believed that everything was going to be okay, because she saw houses. See Tr. at 24:2-3 (Sandra T.).

18.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
618 F. Supp. 2d 1295, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98406, 2007 WL 6364847, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-peshlakai-nmd-2007.